The picture-perfect paradise of Portugal
There's nothing like a Canadian winter to get us all dreaming about sunshine, sandy beaches and warmer temperatures. Happily, more and more of us are boarding a plane once again as the country's airline industry swings back to post-pandemic normality. Where are we heading? That's simple. Anywhere that's hotter than here.
Ontario snowbirds typically choose Florida as their home away from home.
By law, they can soak up the sun there for as long as six months per year.
Increasingly, though, there's a new breed of retiree on the horizon ... the kind looking for brave new worlds to conquer. Something inside of them yearns for a different kind of place to plant a beach towel.
The question is ... where?
It's a question I've been asking myself for a while now. I've dreamed the dream just like you. Even more so since turning 60 a year ago. There's something about heading into the final third of life that seems to spark a desire for new experiences, new vistas ... a new way of being in the world.
There was a time when exploring Earth in retirement was the furthest thing from my mind. I was fascinated instead by the prospect of being a citizen astronaut with the Mars One mission. We candidates - known as The Mars 100 - started a bold conversation in the world: Should humankind go to Mars? Should we build a new society there? Mars One sparked some lively discussion and debate for close to a decade. In late 2021 however, the grand experiment that would have seen 24 of us colonize the red planet folded ... making Earth my forever home.
With help from YouTube, I've been doing my research. Getting started was as simple as typing the phrase warm places to visit or live" in the search window. It didn't take long to discover just how many people have retired to their own version of paradise and are telling their stories on video.
Maybe they've left their homes in Canada or the U.S. to put down roots in Central or South America ... places like Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Ecuador. Maybe they're renovating a country farm house and recording a video diary to document the adventure. Maybe they're snowbirds just visiting for a few weeks to try a new country on for size.
Whatever the scenario, the first thing I've learned from this process is that videos are a great place to start, but they don't tell the whole story. It's easy to romanticize taking off for parts unknown and living life on a beach. Reality, though, can be much different.
Experience has taught me that the only way to know for sure whether a place feels right is to put boots on the ground. You need to live there like a local for a while.
And remember, just because your best friend loves Mexico or Costa Rica or Panama or Ecuador, there's no guarantee that you will. Travel is a subjective thing.
My boots-on-the-ground research began a few years ago in Ajijic, Mexico - a community east of Puerto Vallarta that attracts expats from around the world.
Later, I travelled to San Jose, Costa Rica for a retirement conference sponsored by International Living Magazine. A few years after that, I took a week-long tour of Panama hosted by an impressive company called Panama Relocation Tours.
Each of these places felt new and different and fascinating in its own way; I enjoyed exploring them all. But in the end, they had one thing in common: they weren't the right fit. I couldn't see myself living in or even vacationing in any of them.
And then came Portugal.
The more I talked with friends and acquaintances about their favourite holiday destinations, the more I heard this country come up again and again.
A colleague of mine told me that he and his wife had been there no fewer than 10 times. They shared a carefully assembled photo book of their holidays with me.
As I flipped through the pages, it became clear that something about this place had spoken to their hearts.
I wondered if it might speak to mine.
A few months later, I found myself arranging to rent a small apartment in a village called Carvoeiro in the Algarve region on the south coast. If you look at a map, you'll find it centrally located between Faro Airport and the city of Portimao. I booked the place for a month and put my trust in God that I was making the right call.
Low season meant it was a great deal, but was it a great choice? I had to wonder. As it turns out, my fears were soon put to rest.
My first impression of Carvoeiro was that it is picture postcard perfect. Look in any direction and there is beauty to be seen. This village of 2,700 is built on steep and narrow cobblestone hills lined with white houses and apartments reflecting the sun. The vibe is definitely European; the people are warm and kind.
Head to the beach and you'll notice that it's small compared to others in the region. Small perhaps, but charming - and nearly empty during the winter season in January and February. I sunk my sandals into the sand there just about every day, picking up shells, exploring the nearby caves, and listening to the surf crash against the shore.
Climb the steep hill to the left of the beach and you'll arrive at the giant boardwalk that hugs the coast of Carvoeiro for over half a kilometre. Stroll it in the morning, the afternoon or at dusk; whatever the time of day, it's spectacular. Gaze south across the ocean and you're looking at Africa.
Glance to your left and right and you'll see the rugged limestone cliffs that rise up from the ocean like giants in what's known as the Algar Seco. These formations are millions of years old, created by the sea, the wind and the sun. Long winding staircases lead down to the base of the cliffs. Touch the limestone with your hands and you can feel the enormity and the power of nature.
Love fish? Portugal is a dream. Dine on massive grilled sardines, sea bass and the national fish dish - salted cod known as bacalhau." Simple food, simply and beautifully prepared.
Love wine? Portuguese wine is some of the finest in Europe - typically a fraction of the price we're used to paying in Canada. The story goes that Portuguese vintners are more concerned with quality over quantity. As a result, they export very little of their product and keep the lion's share of it in the country. A wine tour that I went on with friends saw us zig-zag the countryside in a purple VW mini-bus, arriving at a vineyard near the medieval town of Silves. Definitely a highlight.
Love oranges? The Algarve is famous for its orange trees. They are everywhere. The sun, the soil and the lack of frost make the region ideal for growing oranges, and they are superb. A farm stand up the street from my rented apartment sold them in 5 kilo bags for 3 Euros. It was the best money I spent in Carvoeiro.
And no story about Portugal is complete without mention of the iconic pastel de nata" It's a Portuguese tart made with puff pastry and a rich egg custard, served with a heavy dusting of cinnamon. Pair it with a cup of espresso, and you have a match made in heaven. It doesn't get much sweeter than that.
At the end of the day, there are lots of sweet reasons to choose Portugal as a holiday destination. One of the few downsides is the temperature. Winter was not what you'd call particularly warm this year. Temps in January and February topped out most days at around 18 Celsius, with some days hovering closer to 14. As luck would have it, most Portuguese houses and apartments are not well insulated or built for the cold. You'll need to pack flannel pyjamas, sweaters, a coat, gloves and even a scarf or two if you're visiting from January to March.
But most people spending winter in the Algarve don't mind the chill. The sun shines more than 300 days a year there ... and that alone is enough to keep them coming back again and again.
Would I go back to Portugal? You bet. I'd book hotels for a week or 10 days, rent a car and explore the restaurants, wineries, caves and countryside - in both the south and the north. There's Madeira and the Azores to explore off of the west coast, too.
Would I live there? Good question. I'm not entirely sure. Would you? Other retirees have certainly done it. But only you can know if it's right for you, and you'll only find out when you put your own boots on the ground. Once you get there ... have a pastel de nata for me, would you?
Karen Cumming is a journalist, teacher and health promoter who loves to explore planet Earth. karencumming@gmail.com
Getting to the Algarve
Air Transat flies direct from Toronto to Faro Airport.
Air Portugal (TAP), WestJet and Air Canada fly direct from Toronto to Lisbon with connections to Faro.
Transport from Faro airport to Carvoeiro takes approximately 45 minutes and costs 55-60 Euros.
Wine tours and boat tours of the cliffs and caves are widely available.
Rental cars can be booked at reasonable rates; modern and comfortable buses connect the major cities and towns.