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Why Wintering is Good For You
In our last article, we talked about the beautiful beaches you can find on the west coast of the Alentejo. Of course, this is just one of the amazing reasons to winter in Portugal. But there is more! In this article, we will talk about a couple of reasons why it’s good for you to spend a winter in Portugal.
Good for your health
During the winter months in Portugal, there is an average of 6 hours of sun per day. So if you’re used to having a lack of vitamin D, it might be good to visit Portugal for a couple of months. Normally you should get around 45 minutes of sun per day to make sure that your vitamin levels are alright. And the sun as well makes sure that you won’t be experiencing the winter blues.
Also, the bones and muscles will benefit from the warmer climate. The average temperatures in the southern part of Portugal are about 16°C during the winter. There is not a lot of frosty weather, except maybe during the night occasionally, but then you are normally lying in your cozy bed or enjoying a cup of tea or hot chocolate in front of the fire.
People with asthma or respiratory problems will also benefit from being in the south of Portugal. Heavy industry isn’t present here, which makes that the air is cleaner and purer. The lungs itself won’t be irritated that much. Above all, you can sporadically enjoy the smell of Eucalyptus, with the many plantations available in the country.
Your overall health will benefit as well just from being in the middle of the peaceful nature.
Great for your wallet
In general, the cost of living is lower than in a lot of European countries and the US. Therefore, you can easily live on a budget while you are spending time in Portugal, while you are still enjoying everything that the country has to offer. Coffee, for example, costs about €0,50.
Eating out itself isn’t expensive either. Generally, you’ll be paying around €15 per person. And this includes the main course, dessert, and liquor at the end of your meal. The Portuguese kitchen is quite simple, but yet they know how to prepare their meats and fish well and full of flavors. For vegetarians, it isn’t always easy though to find something appropriate to eat.
You do need to look out where you are, as prices are very regional. On the south coast or in bigger cities you’ll pay a bit more than when you are in the countryside.
Renting a holiday place itself also isn’t that expensive. At Maravilhas we have special prices for those who’d like to stay at our place for the winter. People who are staying for longer than a month, we will be offering a discount.
Authentic markets
Another great thing about Portugal is that they love their regional products. And to promote those, they have a lot of fairs going on throughout the whole country. The yearly fairs that are going on are not that hard to find, and every week you’ll find one if you want to. There won’t only be amazing regional food, but some amusement mostly is provided as well.
To deepen yourself into the Portuguese culture these fairs are ideal to attend. And often you’ll also find the traditional dance-styles they have, which you can practice yourself, or just look at from the sideline. One of these fairs is in São Barnebé, where you’ll find some local products like the medronho liqueur, but also a festive hall where the traditional dancing will take place.
How to get there
To get there you have a couple of options. Well, that is if you are living in Europe. When you are coming from further, you’ve only got the plane.
Normally during the winter months, it’s cheaper to travel. This is if you take the holidays into account as well. So good planning before you leave is a must. When you arrive by plane, you can decide to rent a car for a couple of months. This is also fairly cheap to do and often rental places will give a discount if you rent a car for a couple of months. Be sure to ask us whom we cooperate with to know the fairest price.
For people who’d like to winter and are living in Europe, it’s also possible to travel by car. Coming with your car might be a nice thing to do as you don’t have to think about how much luggage you’ll be taking. Therefore it’s more comfortable, and you don’t have to get used to a different car. For American drivers, be aware that in general, European people drive manual. The only downside of coming by car is that it’s a bit more expensive.
Conclusion
There are several advantages of wintering in Portugal. Of course, it’s always good to give some notice to your friends and family before you leave. Most of them won’t have a problem with you leaving for a while, and if they do, you can always ask them to come and visit yours.
If you’d like to visit Portugal during the winter months, during the period from November until March we have special prices available. Contact us for more information.
