Some Don’t Like It Hot! Could Costa Verde Be The Answer?

Not everyone who is thinking of relocating abroad is looking for endless hours of heat and sunshine. In fact, many people don’t enjoy the extreme summer temperatures that can be found in some parts of Southern Europe. If you simply want a different and much more affordable and laid back lifestyle, could it be that the Costa Verde region of Portugal is the answer?

The Costa Verde (green coast) region is situated in the northwest and is the most northern region in Portugal. It includes the provinces of Minho and the Douro coast. 

It borders the Galician province of Spain and it is often said that it bears more of a resemblance to its Spanish neighbour than Portugal, in terms of its dialect (many people speak Galician Spanish as opposed to Portuguese) and Celtic customs. 

It is the greenest part of Portugal, mainly due to the large amount of rainfall in the region. The countryside is lush with rolling hills and mountains, woods and pine forests, fertile valleys and vineyards, and there are many unspoilt, long, sandy beaches and quiet coves. The landscape is like a patchwork quilt of small farms and houses, and there are some very beautiful stately homes and mansions, as well as ancient castles dotted about. 

Costa Verde hasn’t changed much in hundreds of years and is still a very conservative, rural and traditional region.  In fact, you can still see oxen pulling carts to plough fields. 

Three rivers can be found in the region: the River Lima, the River Minho (which forms the border with Spain) and the River Douro. 

A wine known as vinho verde (green wine) is produced in Minho, and in Porto, Portugal’s second largest city, the famous vinho do Porto (Port Wine) is made.

The main cities and towns in this region are: Braga, Guimarães, Porto and Viana do Castelo. The Peneda Gerês National Park can also be found here.  

Portugal’s longest motorway, the A1, which goes from Lisboa to Porto, enters this region and then connects with the A3 towards Braga. There is also a coastal road, which goes through Vila do Conde until Valença.  As well as the improved road networks in the region, there are good railway links to both Porto and Vigo across the border in Spain, and with the recent introduction of twice-daily flights to Porto from the UK with Ryanair and an airport at Vigo less than an hour’s drive away, access to the region from other parts of Europe has never been better.

Costa Verde has seen little in the way of tourism, but visitors are increasing year on year. Viana do Castelo, the largest and main town in Minho province, is known as the folklore capital and is an attraction to outsiders for its many festivals, especially in the summer months.

The climate is very damp and more akin to Northern Europe and certainly less reliable than more southerly parts of Portugal. However, the summers can still be very warm and pleasant, and many people prefer the beauty of the unspoilt countryside and fresh air in this region in comparison to the more brown, arid and occasionally oppressive south.

Many surfers also enjoy the challenges of the Atlantic Ocean further north and there are a large number of other water sports and activities to enjoy in the area.

More and more foreign buyers are now coming to the region, especially those of retirement age. Porto also has a fair number of foreigners, especially British expatriates, working in the Port wine industry. The Costa Verde region offers excellent value for money, as the property prices and cost of living are substantially cheaper in comparison to other parts of Portugal, particularly the South. 

In general, there are more rural farmhouses and town property for sale, as opposed to new builds.  Ruins or dilapidated old manor houses and tumbledown granite cottages are also available for renovation, especially in rural areas, as due to large-scale emigration by local people over the years, a lot of properties have been left to fall into disrepair.

The region is ripe for investment and whilst capital growth might seem low compared to regions like Algarve, there is still a fairly active property market, especially for renovation projects.

Areas in particular to watch out for are around Valença, Viana do Castelo, Modelo do Minho, Ponte de Lima and Ponte da Barca, and in general along the Lima and Minho Valleys.

A golf development with a hotel and other property is planned at Soajo in the hills near to the Peneda Gerês National Park for 2008 and the Pisão Valley Nature Resort just outside Porto is already under construction. This development, set on a 100 hectare site amongst woodland hills, will have a 9-hole golf course and other leisure facilities, including a golf range, swimming pools, health club, tennis club and a 4 star hotel.