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| The World's #1 Place To Live Or Retire Overseas (Full Stop) Jul. 8, 2021 Lagos, Portugal  PLUS:
"It's because the Portuguese were the first to map the world..." Dear Overseas Opportunity Letter Reader, "We have a word in Portuguese," a friend from Lisbon, Miguel, told me once, "that doesn't exist in any other language. "The word is saudade. It means a longing for, a missing or a yearning for something. It's a noun, not a verb, and its meaning is born from the feeling of a young wife for her husband sailor long at sea." "Yes, and this is connected to another important word for us," another friend, João, interjected. "Saudade is connected to fado. "Fado is our traditional music, but it is also our destiny. It is not good, it is not bad. It is simply the way it is... the way your life is because of the choices you have made." "Yes," Miguel explained. "Saudade is the fado of the woman who has chosen to marry a sailor. It comes with the territory." Most of the world looks at Portugal as the edge of Europe. The Portuguese look at the world map and see themselves right at the center, at the heart. Portugal identifies herself with the sea. For the Portuguese, the sea is part of their territory, a continuation of their domain. For them, therefore, Portugal is quite expansive. In recent history, Portugal has been mostly ignored and overlooked, but there was a time when this country had the world's attention. It was the Portuguese Prince Henry the Navigator, an architect of the Age of Exploration, who bid his men to "sail on, sail on." Those orders compelled brave adventurers around the Cape of Good Hope to China and India and then across the Atlantic. Those orders were given, specifically, from the very bottom of the country's long Algarve coast, in Sagres, where Henry built his famous School of Navigation. It was from this point that Portuguese explorers set off to discover if indeed dragons lay beyond these shores. At the time, this was the acknowledged end of the world. Portugal's Algarve region is a unique bit of European geography at the southwestern corner of the Continent, at the longitude of Great Britain and the latitude of Delaware. It is protected from winter by the movement of the ocean in the Gulf Stream, and, as a result, it has the best climate in Europe, with more sunny days than any other country in this part of the world and steady winds that mean the region is never unbearably hot and rarely humid. Unlike many sunny paradises, the Algarve is not a little island in the middle of nowhere... It is attached to the Continent and reachable by car from Lisbon and points farther north. You can fly here from the U.S. East Coast in short hops, as few as six hours to Lisbon from Boston, for example, where many flights originate thanks to the Portuguese diaspora. From Lisbon, it's a three-hour drive or a quick flight to the Algarve coast. Another reason the Algarve is such an appealing choice for North Americans seeking adventure, reinvention, opportunity, or a new life abroad is thanks to the British. The monarchs of Portugal and England married each other from the 14th century on, creating the oldest alliance in Europe before Europe really existed. The Anglo-Portuguese friendship did not end with the death of Prince Henry and his brothers. British royals carried on marrying Portuguese princesses. Then, after World War II, the Anglo-American allies continued to operate from the Azores, a Portuguese territory. Over time, as a result, many British families settled in Portugal. By the 1950s, they had begun to populate the southern coast.  A decade or so later, the charms of the Algarve were discovered by the Beatles and their fans, who moved in to the fishing port town of Albufeira, still the home of the most authentic fish and chips in the region.Despite all this attention from British tourists and expats, the Algarve was thankfully never as overbuilt as the Costa Brava in Spain for a practical reason. The terrain is too hilly to allow mass-produced ticky-tacky little boxes to be plunked down, as they have been, over the decades, along stretches of the Spanish coast. The most important relic of all the years of close association with the British is one key to American and Canadian happiness in the Algarve today. Nearly everyone here speaks English—both the local population and the big non-British foreign population. It is the lingua franca for the region. For all of these reasons and others, we've named Portugal, specifically its Algarve region, as the best place in the world to live or retire, full stop. This is the only place on Earth I've found that I'm comfortable recommending as your best option for launching a new life overseas, full stop. It is without doubt a best choice if you're not cut out for life in the developing world or the tropics. This is a land of medieval towns, traditional fishing villages, open-air markets, cobblestoned streets, and whitewashed houses with lace-patterned chimneys surrounded by fig, olive, almond, and carob trees... all fringed by a 100-mile-long coastline that includes some of the best beaches in the world. The Algarve offers a one-of-a-kind lifestyle that could be described at once as quintessential Old World and 21st-century resort and that represents one of the Continent's best values. Specifically, here's why Portugal's Algarve qualifies as not only a top option for a new life in Europe, but, in fact, one of the world's best places to spend time today:
First, Portugal boasts the most user-friendly residency options in the eurozone. If you'd like to live in the country full-time, you can arrange to do so simply by showing a reliable income of at least 1,300 euros per month. Many countries offer similar residency programs based on guaranteed income; however, these are typically targeting foreign retirees and come with age restrictions. That is not the case in Portugal. Anyone of any age who can prove income to meet the requirement can be granted the right to remain in Portugal long-term. This is the easiest residency hurdle of any country in Europe and, indeed, one of the easiest of any country in the world. The second compelling current advantage of spending time in Portugal is the relative strength of the U.S. dollar versus the euro. If you have income (earned, investment, or retirement) in U.S. dollars, it goes further in Portugal right now than it has in many years. European retirees and sunseekers have recognized all that the Algarve has to offer for a long time. Beyond Europe, the Algarve has been largely ignored. This is changing. If you're looking for a Continental lifestyle and don't have the budget for France, Italy, or Spain, you should get to know Portugal better. Sincerely,  Kathleen Peddicord Founding Publisher, Overseas Opportunity Letter P.S. Portugal boasts arguably the best beaches in Europe, along with the best weather, the best golf, and, thanks to decades as an expat hot spot, the most welcoming locals in Europe... It's also been ranked the 3rd safest country in the world. Indeed, for all of these reasons and more, we rate a certain special area of Portugal as the World's #1 Place To Live Overseas... Could this be the perfect spot for you in the Old World? Our team has just put together a deluxe Portugal Package... Best of all, we'd like to give it to you for free today. Follow this link to our special Portugal page now.
"Kathleen, I've recently been in Málaga and Madrid in Spain, as well as Lisbon and Cascais in Portugal. We found these locations to be very attractive. "I've read your raves about Lagos, Faro, and other places in southern Portugal and the abundance of English speakers in these places. However, as a Spanish speaker, I'm particularly interested in your insights into quality of life and overall real estate values nearby in Spain's southwest, namely the area around Cádiz and Jerez de la Frontera. "I'm planning a scouting trip later this year to Cádiz, and I'm wondering if you have any local experts I could connect with? "Keep up the good work. With each publication of yours, our interest in the world grows." --Lee H., United States Spain's southern coast is much more developed than the coast of Portugal. If you're looking for a resort lifestyle, Spain would be a better choice. For my money, the less touristed, less polluted, more wide-open, and more affordable southern coast of Portugal is more appealing, but you'll draw your own conclusions after your visit. 
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| Retire To Europe On Less Than 1,000 Euros Per Month July 2, 2021 Los Islotes, Panama  PLUS:
Dear Overseas Opportunity Letter Reader, Terry and Ann fell in love with Portugal... and now they're falling in love with each other all over again. About two-and-a-half years ago, Terry O'Halloran and his wife made the leap... and moved halfway around the world... to Portugal. "Maybe we were a little crazy," Terry says, "but we haven't looked back and we couldn't be happier. "We'd lived in Hawaii for 40 years, and my wife Ann had just retired from her career as an emergency room nurse. It was time for our next phase in life, and we wanted to make the most of it. We'd saved enough, but we didn't want to just settle into a 'comfortable' retirement. We wanted new, different, and exciting. "Both of us are active and healthy, and we love traveling. We thought a simpler life, where less could be more, sounded very appealing. "We knew our criteria for the right place for us. A mild climate was important, as was living near the ocean, good health care, safe environment, interesting culture and history, good food, and a reasonable cost of living and of establishing residency. We were also looking for a place where we could get by speaking English. "We learned that Portugal had it all. "We sold our house, most of our possessions, packed our suitcases and cameras, and headed into an unknown future where going back was not an option. We decided we were all in. "Portugal's Algarve region looked interesting, but we wanted to be near Lisbon, and, with help from Live and Invest Overseas, we found that Cascais seemed to have everything we were looking for... and we loved that it is just a 40-minute train ride to the center of Lisbon. We found a great apartment with a sweeping ocean view on one side and a spectacular view of the Sintra Mountains on the other. "Now we feel like we're home. We love Cascais. It is spectacularly beautiful with clean ocean waters, a rugged coastline, white sandy beaches, stone buildings, cobblestone sidewalks, and several parks. "When the sun or moon rises over the bay, you can feel the romance in the air. My wife and I feel like we're falling in love all over again. Our favorite pastime is strolling along the bay holding hands..." Alyson And Dave Traded The Corporate Rat Race For Village Living On Portugal's Sun-Drenched Coast—Here's What They Think Of That Choice 10 Years Later "My husband Dave and I have been living here in Portugal's Algarve for more than 10 years now," explains Alyson Sheldrake, "and still every day brings new delights and new things to enjoy... new moments that make you stop, relax, and enjoy the Algarve's slower pace of life and its fabulous landscapes and people. "This wonderful region is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe… and for good reason. "Its name derives from the Arabic 'Al-Gharb,' meaning 'The West'... though in fact the Algarve's long coast faces mostly south. "And long is the word to describe it. The Algarve coastline is approximately 96 miles in length and covers an area of about 2,089 square miles. Its highest point is Fóia, in the Monchique, about 3,000 feet above sea level. Within these boundaries is a host of delights and surprises. "The weather is gorgeous, with more than 300 days of sunshine a year... and here in the Algarve we have some of the world's most beautiful beaches. You can choose from big tourist-focused resorts that cater to holidaymakers... or you can explore some of the more isolated and deserted coves and small beaches that dot our 100 miles of golden coast. "One of my favorite things about the Algarve is the food. It's varied yet simple and always fresh... mostly from the sea, of course! "The Algarve is also a golfer's paradise boasting some of Europe's finest championship golf courses, all set in magnificent surroundings and many with breathtaking views of the coastline. "In this part of the world there is always time to sit in the sun, to greet your friends, to pass the time of day on a park bench or in a coffee shop, and to reflect on an era long forgotten in most of the rest of the world. "This is the Algarve... where the West meets paradise." From Nashville To Valencia—How Mike Reinvented His Life There is a scene in the 2003 movie "Under The Tuscan Sun" that I now can identify as the moment everything began to shift. I was a 51-year-old single man living in Nashville, Tennessee, with no real job and no prospects. A friend had called to let me know that he had two tickets to an afternoon preview of the "Under The Tuscan Sun" movie prior to its release. I was aware of the memoir of the same name written by Frances Mayes in the 1990s but had discounted it as a travelogue about Italy with judiciously inserted recipes that would appeal to the largest possible demographic embracing women "of a certain age." For one September afternoon my friend Eric and I joined this demographic. The plot quickly became unimportant, because, for me, time stopped when the heroine accepted a ride in an Italian two-seat convertible traversing the route between Rome and Positano. As the camera followed the moving sports car from above, it was as though I was sitting there rounding the next curve on a winding two-lane road resting precariously at the edge of a precipitous drop to the Mediterranean. I turned to my friend and whispered, "What am I doing here?"... A month later I had left to California for four months (ironically in my 1991 Mazda Miata... a two-seat convertible) before settling near Daytona Beach, Florida, in early 2004 to begin a new job... With visions of Italian seaside drives in my head, the universe (or Mother Nature if you prefer) gifted me with a lot of time to begin my online research about international relocation courtesy of three hurricanes in six weeks. Over the next dozen years, I followed Kathleen Peddicord and Lief Simon through their writings. When they announced Nashville as the destination for their Annual Retire Overseas Conference in August 2014, I knew the time had come to make my move. Shortly after the conference ended, I created a 3-week itinerary for April and May 2015 that was anchored by a 5-day conference attended by 700 international travel bloggers (TBEX) in Lloret de Mar, Spain. I was convinced that learning about successful travel bloggers' nomadic lives would offer a glimpse into my future. It could also provide me with the opportunity to travel the world through their eyes and uncover hidden gems as possible destinations. The bloggers proved as enlightening as I had hoped they would be, but a funny thing happened on the way to Lloret de Mar... I stopped first in Valencia, Spain. As I stood in the baggage claim area of the Valencia airport I remember having the crazy thought that "this could be the place..." before ever setting foot in the city! Fortunately I had been to 47 U.S. states and 25 foreign countries, so I had 72 points of reference. Not 1 of the 72 had ever provoked this reaction, so I proceeded... though with caution. Three days in a hotel and three days in a bed-and-breakfast confirmed my initial reaction to the city. LIOS had referred me to a local real estate broker who gave me a city tour and showed me seven properties. At the end of our tour, Ramón gave me advice that would become the foundation for my future plans: "Come back next year," he told me. "Stay for at least a month… and move around to various areas of the city to determine if Valencia is your destiny." One year later I was ready to cut my ties with Florida. For those readers who were at the Retire Overseas Conference in Orlando in September 2015 you'll remember me as the guy hobbling around on crutches with my right leg in a bright orange cast. When I tossed the crutches at the end of December 2015 I was ready to sell, donate, give away, or throw out all of the things that didn't matter and put the things that did in storage. On March 21, 2016, I left Orlando, Florida, with a giant backpack, two checked bags, and a Panama hat. I sold my car the morning I left and rid myself of key rings. After all, I had only my storage unit key to worry about. After a stopover to attend the wedding reception of my best friend I arrived in Valencia on March 28. Nine weeks and two Airbnb apartments later, I placed a deposit on my two-bedroom apartment in the central historic district of Valencia; the sale was closed Sept. 20, 2016. Remodeling was completed for the most part by mid-November of the next year. Because I was operating on a tourist visa that only allowed me to stay up to 90 days in a row in the eurozone, I have lots more tales to tell about my ongoing adventures... The wedding reception in a French castle... a week in Marrakech, Morocco during Ramadan... nine days in Portugal... three weeks in Cape Town, South Africa... two months in Buenos Aires, Argentina... When I set out, the "grand" plan was to explore the world in search of my new home and make no decisions until the journey was over. As the author and cartoonist Allen Saunders wrote in 1957, "Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans." My future life seems to have been determined at a Valencia baggage claim carousel in 2015... Sincerely, Kathleen Peddicord Founding Publisher, Overseas Opportunity Letter P.S. Yesterday I promised details on just how much (that is, just how little) it can cost to embrace a Continental lifestyle. Let's look specifically at the charming eastern Algarve town of Tavira, Portugal, the place we have named as the number-one place to retire overseas in 2021. Here's a detailed budget for what it could cost you to call Tavira home:
P.P.S. If you dream of a new life in Europe, I can help you make it a reality in 40 days. No kidding. I've just produced an all-new "40 Days To Your New Life In Europe." This is your chance to have every one of your how-could-I-possibly-manage-to-retire-to-Europe questions answered in detail. This new program provides everything you need to know about residency and taxes... bank accounts and mortgage financing... rental management and health insurance... shipping, cell phones, decorating an apartment, furnishing a house, enrolling your children in school, learning a new language, and becoming part of your new community... Wherever it is on the Continent that's calling your name. More details are here.
The United States of America is 245 years old this weekend... And we're celebrating with star-spangled discounts all weekend long. I hope you're gearing up for a relaxing, long weekend... You're going to want all of that down time to devour our most popular package of international living resources... It's one that includes our famous Overseas Retirement Index (available right now on our bookstore for US$49), along with our best getting-started resources, at the lowest price you'll ever see... Get it all for just US$17 now. Until midnight tonight, you can get 12 months of Overseas Living Letter for the grand total of only US$17... And that's not all—this special rate also comes with the same famous welcome package as the full-priced version. These are our most popular and useful guides, and they're all included for this special offer today only:
Learn more and claim your special US$17 holiday offer right now. "Kathleen, I was very interested to read the comments you published from one reader about Portugal, specifically the Algarve. Is it really like he described? "I am seriously thinking of relocating there on your and Lief's recommendations. Otherwise I might consider coastal France down near the Spanish border. "I like pretty areas to live in." --Georgina R., United States Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The area is dry, as the reader whose comments we published recently noted. I would say the landscapes are very similar to those in southern Spain, Italy, and Greece... though the reader who got in touch specifically disagreed on this point. I prefer the Algarve to much of Italy, Spain, and Greece. Its coastline is remarkably, dramatically, extraordinarily beautiful. Plus, I like the Portuguese people, their approach to life, the history of this country, the sunshine, and the super low cost of being here. A few points along this coast have been developed for tourism and not in a good way. But that's a few small spots. Elsewhere along this coast is wholly untouched by man and pristine. But that's my take. You should visit to make your own determination. For sure you should visit before making a decision to make a move. Enjoy the trip... and let us know what you think after you've had a look for yourself.
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