| placeinthesun your guide to buying property in Portugal |
| the algarve and portugal your guide to property in The Algarve and Portugal |
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The Marina at Faro on The Algarve, Portugal. (Photo:
Osvaldo Gago) |
PORTUGAL FACT FILE
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| Background Portugal is situated at the south west of Europe, with the Atlantic Ocean and Spain as neighbours. It is similar in size to Scotland and has a population of around 11 million. Although Portuguese is the official language, English is widely spoken in the tourist areas and particularly in The Algarve. The currency of Portugal is the Euro. The international telephone dialing code for Portugal is +351. North of the River Tagus, Portugal is largely mountainous and is a land steeped in tradition, culture, history and beautiful scenery. You could be forgiven for thinking you had gone back a century. The south of the country, and particularly The Algarve, is strikingly different with its vast plains. Portugal has over 500 miles of sandy beaches and takes great pride in making sure they are some of the cleanest in Europe. The Algarve is the most popular destination for tourists and property buyers alike, with its 40 or so top class golf courses, superb water sports and 300 days of sunshine a year (it rains here too however!). Climate Getting There |
Living There Around 50,000 British people live in Portugal, mainly in the Algarve. Many more own property there. Portugal has the one of the lowest costs of living in Western Europe, but wages are lower and unemployment higher than in the UK. Work opportunities will be limited if you don't speak Portuguese, except in tourist areas where work may only be seasonal. Estate agents in Portugal are licensed by the government. As such, licensed estate agents are qualified, must use approved documentation and are required to lodge a financial bond as insurance against wrongdoing. In Portugal, house sellers pay estate agency fees which means estate agents are working on behalf of the vendor not the buyer. Property prices in Portugal tend to be slightly higher than in neighbouring Spain, partly because of the better climate and also because of generally higher building standards. The health service in Portugal is not as good as in the UK or indeed in Spain. Private health insurance may be necessary to bridge the gap. Education is free and compulsory between the ages of six and 15, with widespread state provision for nursery age children too. As an alternative to Portuguese state education, fee paying independent English language schools are available in areas popular with ex-pats. Embassies Embassy of the Republic of Portugal, 11, Belgrave Square. London SW1X 8PP (0171 235 531). British Embassy, 33 Rua de São Bernardo, 1249-082 Lisbon, (2139 24000).
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Tuesday May 10th 2005 ,
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Thursday April 07th 2005 ,
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Invest In Property Show Returns To Earls Court
Tuesday April 05th 2005 ,
1:24 pm
The Invest In Property Show returns to Earls Court from the 22nd to the 24th of April this year and will give those interested in buying property abroad access to
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Thursday March 10th 2005 ,
10:08 am
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