5 Best Places to Retire in Portugal

By Betsy Burlingame

6 of 6 slides

5) Lisbon, Portugal

Famous Pasteis de Belem in Lisbon

If you're a city person, Lisbon should not be overlooked. An expat in Lisbon discussed how she met locals and learned the language, "in my experience, restaurants and cafes [in Lisbon] afforded me the opportunity to meet new people, develop friendships, and practice speaking the language. At nearly every turn, I was able to find people willing to speak English with me and to offer useful help in developing the ability to speak Portuguese. For my part, I have not made any attempts to join expat communities. Instead, a little humility and lots of hard work trying to learn the language has opened doors to friends and families in the local community. All this began by trying to frequent the cafes and restaurants that had employees and clients who were willing to communicate."