Sounds like something I would absolutely ex-pat. Of course I am older and care nothing about activities and prefer a slow and relaxed pace. I would take that even further by wanting a bit of land where I can sit outside and drink some coffee or wine and grow some fruits and vegetables. Not having a car is also not an option. Distance and time are all relative and expectations are set based upon what you are used to. If I wanted to live there and fly out of Porto, it's only about a 1.5 hour drive which is nothing by my standards and not much further than what it takes me now to get to my nearest airport. And I quite like flying in and out of Porto compared to most other airports I have used.

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Very cool to hear, Chris! Thanks for posting. - Josh & Kalie

@rotate14

23 күн бұрын

You would love Chaves, with rafting and mountain biking... But trust me. Chaves is a much slower pace than Porto.

@mariacorreia8362

18 күн бұрын

Hey Chris , just saying … there’s a lot à buses companies in Portugal also they inexpensive as well. If you got the app or go online u can get a ticket ahead a time for $7 euros, so just saying …. Gas is more pricey in Portugal than USA . I was there in March and I went from Lisbon to faro , to Porto , to Aveiro , to Sintra Back to Lisbon . All public transportation : trains and buses . I mean 20 euros from faro to Lisbon is gem. Bc $20 dollars for gas here u barely go anywhere . My opinion but … just saying there’s more options. What kind of expat work do u do I am trying to find out what kinda jobs are out there ?

@mariacorreia8362

18 күн бұрын

Hey Chris , just saying … there’s a lot à buses companies in Portugal also they inexpensive as well. If you got the app or go online u can get a ticket ahead a time for $7 euros, so just saying …. Gas is more pricey in Portugal than USA . I was there in March and I went from Lisbon to faro , to Porto , to Aveiro , to Sintra Back to Lisbon . All public transportation : trains and buses . I mean 20 euros from faro to Lisbon is gem. Bc $20 dollars for gas here u barely go anywhere . My opinion but … just saying there’s more options. What kind of expat work do u do I am trying to find out what kinda jobs are out there ?

@chriskasprzyk6235

18 күн бұрын

@@mariacorreia8362 A car would be an absolute requirement if I were to move to Portugal, full stop. This is especially the case since I would be more interested in living in a rural area and not near a large city. I was there for almost a month last April-May to scout around and we traveled Porto, Tomar, Evora, Elvas, Sintra, Cascais, and the whole length of the Algarve. We rented a mid-size SUV with a diesel engine and it was quite efficient. The cost of fuel is ridiculous by US standards but the tolls are about average. Cancellation of the NHR means moving to Portugal will not happen for me, at least until I retire and move my assets in a way to minimize taxes. Portugal can't figure out why their economy is not good and wages are so low, it's real simple: taxes are absolutely insane. Money is not an issue for me and I would be happy to spend it there and create jobs, but I'm not giving ANY government about 70% of my income.

Thank you for highlighting Chaves. I was born in Chaves in 1949 & came to the US, with my family, when I was two. I have been back twice and hope to return, for a visit, again soon. Its a lovely place. Quiet but lovely.

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

This is such an awesome comment to read! Thank you for taking the time to watch and write. - Josh & Kalie

Great video! My father was born in Chaves :) Valencia's appearance and lines were the cherry on top! SO CUTE!! Congrats guys!

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Thank you! Her appearance was very much improvised. She asked if she could say something and we filmed and that's what came out. It's pretty funny. - Josh & Kalie

Thank you for allowing me to see the land of my parents. My origins are all from Chaves... and they are right when they say, that it is a city little talked about and with so much to offer...

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Thanks for watching, Carlos. We hope we did it justice. - Josh & Kalie

Well it finally happened, a video on where my family is from and where I'll be ex-patting to in the next couple years. I'm actually building a house in a northern village of Chaves that borders Spain. I always tell all my friends, here in America, that I'm from the Montana of Portugal. The closest Spanish city would be Verin and small like Chaves but gives some different options to do. Something else to do in Chaves is going to the Casino (if you're into that). I know there is a small ex-pat community there already, but like me, are Portuguese-Americans. On the transportation aspect, I would definitely have a car. Buses cost 12 euros ish from Porto to Chaves, I used to do that all the time but now just rent a car. Also, they are working on a small airport on the border of Spain and Portugal between Verin and Chaves. However I'm not sure on the details on that, just something I heard about recently. Happy you guys enjoyed your time in Chaves. It's beautiful, affordable, quiet, and the people are kind. Oh! My wife and I also went to the thermal spas for the first time last year and it was amazing!

Actually it's just a coincidence the name of the town is the same as the word for "keys". The name was founded by the Romans and called "(Aquae) Flavia", literally Flavian water, because of the thermal springs there. It was founded in the reign of emperor Titus, which belonged to the Flavian dinasty, hence the name. And it just so happens that words that in Latin had a consonant cluster with L (like CL and FL) became all just "CH" in Portuguese. "Chaves" the town was "Flavia" in Latin, "keys" were "clāvīs" and both became "chaves" in Portuguese

You guys never disappoint. If you guys get the chance, Castelo Branco is also very nice. I love your sincerity. Josh's Portuguese accent is on point. I'm so proud. Nao e nada facil.

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Castelo Branco is on the 2024 list of places for us to go. Step by step we're working on our Portuguese but thank you. We're actually taking an official course starting Monday. We'll report back on that when it's finished. - Josh & Kalie

It looks like my kind of town because I am 63 and I have slowed down a bit , so if I lived on the fringe of town (suburb) is there a bus that goes down town and back? Great video! As you know, I'm looking for a carless cheap town with just a bit going on. Love your video's 💖

@FantasySoldier

21 күн бұрын

There are buses that run to the villages outside of the city. Also, they have trucks that come through the villages to sell bread, meat, fish, produce and other things.

I love Chaves! It is right on the east side of Gerês National Park, and that is a physical barrier that is protected by law. It's doubtful any further roads are going to cut across that lovely area west to east and v.v.. It is however, a 45 min drive to Montalegre, a stunning little village well worth a visit, Vila Real too, where you can see the famous Palace Casa de Mateus (where the well known Mateus wine is made) and a bit over an hour to Braga, less to Guimarães, Amarante, etc. So with a car, one is never that far from other bigger cities in Portugal; after all, PT is a small country. Thanks for highlighting Chaves, a wonderful little place with Thermal Baths that are a total steal price wise.

@GazilionPT

24 күн бұрын

You mean *east* of Peneda-Gerês National Park.

@Alfablue227

24 күн бұрын

@@GazilionPT That's exactly what I meant.. tks for correcting.

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Thanks for the comment. :-) - Josh & Kalie

thank you for highlighting my city! you guys hit the nail on the head! it's lovely for a visit but it really is very far away from anything with little to no public transportation. definitly a slow pase of life with a lot of on tapped potential.

@ExpatsEverywhere

19 күн бұрын

Our pleasure. Thanks for the feedback and comment. - Josh & Kalie

I loved Cia’s cameo appearance!❤️

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

We thought you'd like that. ;-) - Josh & Kalie

Valencia! You’re a very articulate young lady! 💕

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Aw thank you, Martha. We appreciate hearing that. - Josh & Kalie

Great video of Chaves. Chaves is also surrounded by beautiful little towns like Vidago , Boticas,etc

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Thanks, Daniel! There are so many places! - Josh & Kalie

@joeramos5387

19 күн бұрын

Viva Chaves ❤

I'm looking forward to visiting.

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Enjoy your visit. - Josh & Kalie

Great video and Valencia is so adorable! Btw, Chaves is a city, albeit small, not a town. Rather different denominations from the English vocab. Chaves is gorgeous and has lots of potential. Would you be visiting Braganca? Keep it up. X0

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Thank you. Bragança is on the list short-list of places to go next. - Josh & Kalie

So happy you enjoyed your visit to Chaves. It does have a lot to offer for such such a remote region (especially the crepes at Avelã). Valencia is so stinking cute and well-spoken! Wonderful video.

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Thank you very much. We appreciate it. :-) To be honest, we were surprised at what she wanted to say. - Josh & Kalie

What a fantastic place. I definitely want to visit Chaves. From the location near the Spain border, the smaller population, to the temps.... Chaves checks off a lot of wants on my list. Hi, Cia... You did a great job.

Budget-wise, this sounds great! Looks like a quaint little town!

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

100%. Thanks for watching. - Josh & Kalie

Hey guys, great video with good info. You guys need to stay in Evora for a couple of days, and tie in a winery trip while in that beautiful Alentejo region. You’ll find that Evora is not as sleepy as what it seems, there is plenty of tourism, particularly in the spring/summer, the culinary scene is smaller but amazing, and it has one of the oldest universities in Portugal, bringing in 5k-8k students from all over Portugal every year. Keep up the good work

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Hi Andre, we've already been to Évora and produced a video about it. We've visited wineries in Alentejo as well as olive oil production. - Josh & Kalie

Very nice video and very informative. BTW did you ever "do" Ponte De Lima?

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Thanks, Alex. Ponte de Lima is still on the list of videos to do. It's on the 2024 list though. It just takes time and money for us to do. You know? - Josh & Kalie

@alexgray1905

23 күн бұрын

​@@ExpatsEverywhere Great, waiting patiently for your review of our new home town. Cheers

In that weekend you must visit Pedras Salgadas and Virago nearby. They are home of the best natural sparkling waters in Europe. Also, the main thermal hotels have that Belle Époque feel quite lovely and grand.

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

We love Pedras. It's our second favorite drink behind Super Bock. - Josh & Kalie

@diogorodrigues747

23 күн бұрын

@@ExpatsEverywhere Pedras water comes from Pedras Salgadas.

@module79l28

23 күн бұрын

*Vidago. 😉

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

@@diogorodrigues747 based on eacreal's comment, that's why we said that. ;-)

That’s a pretty good analysis of the pros and cons of trying to live in Chaves vs. just going there on a weekend trip to check it out. My main objection to living in Chaves would be trying to find suitable accommodation, but I would definitely consider it if I were a retiree trying to find some remote town that still has a couple of perks, such as the Roman baths. P.S. Cia’s grown up so much, my God! 😲

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Thanks, Paulo! Yeah, it's a tricky one. Chaves would likely work really well for certain people and it's not really on anyone's radar that we know. As a resident having access to the baths would be great! Yep, Cia is growing up fast. She'll be doing our videos in Portuguese soon. - Josh & Kalie

Cia is adorable!

@ExpatsEverywhere

19 күн бұрын

Thank you. - Josh & Kalie

Did you heard about imperor Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasianus Augustus. The name Chaves came from Flavius the name of that roman imperor. He liked wash himself in those waters. Chaves was a roman little town. Half of my family is from chaves. The other half is from Mirandela.

@rogerdiogo6893

24 күн бұрын

Chaves, home of the best Portuguese prosciutto, where pigs feed on truffles 😂

@GazilionPT

24 күн бұрын

Yes, originally the name of Chaves had nothing to do with keys, it was just the phonetic evolution that took it there. In Roman times, the town was called "Aquae Flaviae", meaning "The Water [Springs] of Flavius". But during the evolution from Latin to Portuguese, many "cl", "fl" and "pl" consonant clusters evolved to "ch". So, both "claves" (keys) and "Flaviae" (of Flavius) evolved to "Chaves".

What an amazing portuguese accent you have !

The main problem with this area that there are lithium deposits found here, and up to development. It means taking farm lands for lithium mines, dust, movement of heavy mashineries etc. Also the new plant for lithium treatment is under construction in the area, and will be operational soon. I love this area in the North, but no- go for me due to this reason

In my pursuit of finding an ideal location to establish a business that can capitalize on the economic opportunities of two different regions, I have encountered practical challenges that have led me to reconsider my original plan of targeting a border town. The viability of sustaining a business in such a location has been brought into question, prompting me to explore alternative areas with a more stable population base. Recent trips have seen me journeying from Madrid, a strategic starting point due to its convenient connectivity to various flight options. Despite the occasional necessity of driving for three hours to reach my destination, the flexibility and greater number of available flights make this a practical choice. Additionally, some connecting flights requiring a brief stopover in Madrid before proceeding to Portugal have further streamlined my travel arrangements.

I couldn’t live in chaves ! I need to be able to have a job but if ppl don’t mind the drive and go to Spain to work and live in Portugal might work bc housing most expensive but u going to pay for lot gas so …. Is it worth it ? To me no … personally . I lived in a village ( Santa Marinha, nearest city was Seia, located in Serra da estrela ) , so for me cold I am all set and I can’t do small towns , love Lisbon 🫣 has so many things to offer: pastel de Belem , Cristo rei , pink street, baixo chiado is nice to walk, bunch restaurants everywhere , rossio , u got aquarium etc …. So I would pick Aveiro versus chaves . I love Aveiro

Cars in Portugal might be incredibly expensive. I see some rentals as low as 400 for T1; a car would explode my budget. At least Chaves has public trans, but I wonder in what ways it's not great.

The reason is almost always the same, it is a border, on any border in the world you will always see uninhabited places, there are few borders that are not, just cross the border from Chaves to Spain and you will find the same, uninhabited places , travel through Spanish Extremadura near the border and tell me what you will find.

The romans called it "Aquae Flaviae"... now guess why!

If you want to take a trip from north to south on the N2, it's best to rent a campervan 😊

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Good call. - Josh & Kalie

@RuiCBGLima

23 күн бұрын

There's a beautiful work on this subject. It's a literary and photographic book called "Depois da estrada" (After the road) by Duarte Belo. It's a documentary (non-fiction) work about a 5 day car journey through the N2 road. I really advise this and other works of the same author, as it tackles the geography social and phisical of the country. Most are available on the same publisher (Museu da Paisagem), but I think only in portuguese. Although well worth, I believe, very interesting views and understandings of the country. - I'm not being paid for saying this ahahaha xD I really like it though

It’s a bit cold in winter otherwise lovely city

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Yeah, the interior locations get chilly in the winter and can get really hot in the summer. - Josh & Kalie

2500 for a single person is not cheap at all though. Pretty sure you can live in Porto for that price. Then again.. depends on how much you really spend.

@GazilionPT

24 күн бұрын

I think he said 1500 for a single person, 2500 for a couple. And he meant to live *comfortably* and with no worries - of course you can live OK for less than that.

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

€1,500 and €2,000 for a couple. - Josh & Kalie

The other question I'd have is: would you retire there?

@joeramos5387

19 күн бұрын

Yes

@ExpatsEverywhere

19 күн бұрын

Good question. We can't see our retirement yet, at least not that granularly. One step at a time. ;-) - Josh & Kalie

Are there trains from Porto and Lisbon to Chaves?

@PedroCoelhoPessoal

24 күн бұрын

No

@mochilascostas

24 күн бұрын

No but there are buses

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Nope. It's buses. We took Flixbus. - Josh & Kalie

It's a city!

@ExpatsEverywhere

19 күн бұрын

This isn't a hill we're willing to die on but for most North American, they would consider it a town. It's 17,500 people in the "city" and 40k in the whole municipality. It's not densely populated either. We understand that it's classified in Portugal as a city but we're trying to add nuance here. - Josh

One more city that will be swarmed by digital nomads, raise prices to astronomical levels, to just be discarded by them when that happens. Bravo.

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

You know true digital nomads stereotypically buy nothing, right? 😅 - Josh & Kalie

Maybe I was distracted, but it seems you didn't mention the fact that Chaves has a Casino. (I'm not into casinos, and I don't know how good or bad this one is, but I think it may be relevant to some people.)

@rodimussubprime

24 күн бұрын

It’s small, but still really fun

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

We didn't discuss it because it doesn't seem to be a real focal point. Do you think it is? - Josh & Kalie

@GazilionPT

23 күн бұрын

@@ExpatsEverywhere For someone wanting to move there, I don't think it is. But since you also mentioned tourists visiting for a few days, I think it adds to what the region has to offer, for those interested in that kind of stuff.

@ExpatsEverywhere

20 күн бұрын

@@GazilionPT Yea, that's definitely a fair point. Thanks for bringing it up. - Josh

You didn't address medical options 😮

@diogorodrigues747

24 күн бұрын

Chaves has a hospital.

Imagine a Country that is all like Chaves - very nice, very touristy, great atractions, but far from everything, because there's not enough Public transports - that's Portugal. Sure, there's a busy rout by the Sea Side, especially between Porto and Lisbon, but everything else, just 30Km from the coast becomes far from everything, which make no sense. The country is practically empty, which is a shame, the "inside" is Beautiful. But basically, is not that Chaves or any other town or city in the "Inside" are far away, is just that there's not enough Public transportation, and that's what th inside needs. (Autoways don´t count!)

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Yep. - Josh & Kalie

@RuiCBGLima

23 күн бұрын

@@ExpatsEverywhere on the flip side, it's cheap to live there, and retire, especially as portuguese person. Otherwise it'd be very hard for a national to live in it's own country

Beautiful town if only there was a train service.

@ExpatsEverywhere

23 күн бұрын

Yeah, pretty much. Although the bus isn't bad. - Josh & Kalie

Maybe confusing the name Chaves with (Hugo) Chavez 😂

En Portugal se habla portugués, no se habla inglés¡¡¡¡

@diogorodrigues747

24 күн бұрын

Pero ellos son estadunidenses... 😅

@ruisantos9332

24 күн бұрын

Nosotros ablamos muchas linguas.

@Fernando-dt8je

23 күн бұрын

Por que fez o comentário em espanhol, então?

@diogorodrigues747

23 күн бұрын

@@Fernando-dt8je Talvez seja porque ele não é português, não?

@Fernando-dt8je

23 күн бұрын

@@diogorodrigues747 óbvio. Assim como os KZreadrs também não. Mas o comentário foi para criticá-los. Pela lógica dessa pessoa, deveria ter comentado em português.

So another claim to fame of this city. Come and improve the visibility of Chaves and not the housing speculation market.