What It's REALLY Like in Espinho, Portugal 🇵🇹

Josh and Kalie from ExpatsEverywhere break down what life would be like in Espinho, Portugal. The town is in the Aveiro district but is close to Porto. Is it too small though? The town is gridded out and right on the water so could it be the perfect place for those looking for something small but not too remote? Check out the details of Espinho and what Josh and Kalie think.
ABOUT US *
Josh and Kalie left the US for a life abroad in 2009 and haven't looked back. They have lived in Spain, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and are currently in Portugal. Yes, they realize they only moved to countries starting with the letter "S" until they spoiled that streak with their move to Portugal. Follow ExpatsEverywhere as we aim to get information to you through expat interviews, city breakdowns, expat life, travel, vlogs, and more.
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AROUND PORTUGAL
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[@seanawillisblake521]

We chose Espinho to put down our immigrant roots and, after almost 1 1/2 years, are really glad we did. Your commentary is spot on, but additional information to consider includes: the massive weekly (Monday) market that one reviewer cited; the Camara ensures constant cultural activities in the form of visiting art exhibitions, musical acts, community involvement parades and activities which are well advertised; the locals are extremely friendly and helpful; the library is well-stocked including a small English-language section; there is a planetarium (!). It gets a little hectic in the summer with the surf schools, day camps and International Beach Volleyball competition, not to mention all of the cabanas and pop-up beach bars, but a local can still find peace on the well-maintained boardwalk that goes up the coast through the protected dunes. There is a relaxed rhythm to life in Espinho and we are proud to call it home.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Hi Seana, thank you. That information should reveal itself a little more when we publish an interview with an expat that lives there that will eventually be linked to this video. :-) - Josh & Kalie

[@kunkkaralho]

It's too bad that I can't afford to live there. I was born and grew up in Espinho, but was forced to go abroad. I'm happy for you tho. Espinho is a small paradise.

[@vibrantly50]

Yet, it is also very close to Aveiro! So much more restaurants, etc. to see - you both tend to think “Porto” as the only direction to go for variety. Of course, we live in Aveiro! It’s only 38 minutes to the south…27 minutes to Porto.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

You're right but the main reason we do that is because it's a geographical anchor for people as Porto and Lisbon are the two most well known cities in the country. Also, we're preparing an Aveiro episode now. 😁 - Josh & Kalie

[@adrianacardoso5523]

I lived in Espinho for over 20 years before coming back to the US for family reasons but they were the best years of my life. My kids attended the public school system and also attended a private English institute called Lancaster College completed their high-school diploma exam with them . Espinhos music academy is a fabulous and internationally well known, my oldest son attended from a very young age with vocal classes and later with piano. The variety in sports activities go from swimming team to volleyball,tennis,soccer,handball ,dance academy, badminton,chess,roller hockey surf school....and goes on and on. You can walk everywhere without needing to use a car which makes it fun for kids to be independent as the grow up. The weekly outside market on ever Monday come rain or shine is fabulous. The community in itself is amazing. A small city with amazing beaches ...board walks on the beach that extend for miles. Espinhos will always hold a big spot in my ❤

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you very much for commenting and adding your experience in Espinho. Where are you now? - Josh & Kalie

[@m000Theevilcow]

I love Espinho, the sea waterfront, the quiet environment, the great quality and cheap restaurant prices, the train access to Porto and more appealing house prices to me, as a person that prefers quiet time away from big crowds more it's a plus.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for sharing! Great list. - Josh & Kalie

[@chriskasprzyk6235]

Going to go Team Kalie on this one. I have zero interest in nightlife and restaurants. I want decent year round weather, low prices, and a relaxed pace of life. Never been fond of big city living and have no problem driving a few minutes if I need something I can't get local. This is even closer to Porto than I am to my closest "big city" now. I'd be more than happy to go out even further and with something even smaller. We'll be flying into Porto in mid April to do some scouting throughout the country for 3 weeks. Looking forward to seeing the country firsthand.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for watching. 😁 We hope you have a great trip. Kalie's pleased that you're with her. 🤣 😅 - Josh & Kalie

[@marei11]

Espinho is great! It has all the necessary amenities. It's right on the ocean and has many great cafes and restaurants. It has a major musical venue and a multimedia center with all sorts of happenings. On Mondays Espinho has the largest market in Portugal. It's easy to get to Porto or Aveiro, and even Coimbra. Most major trains stop in Espinho. It has bicycle paths that can take you all the way to Porto and it is generally in a bicycle friendly area though the bike paths tend to be along the main streets. And it is definitely quieter, at least during the low season. Not all people are looking to live in busy and noisy areas like Porto. Espinho is closer to nature. You can ride your bike to the Parque Buçaquinho in Ezmoriz and it's fairly close to the Ria de Aveiro. And you don't need a car if you don't want one. The hospital many people use is in Santa Maria da Feira which can be easily reached by Bolt, Uber or taxi.

[@suespencer6563]

I absolutely love Espinho! Walkable, bikeable, easy and inexpensive to get around if you don't do either. In addition to the beautiful beach areas, Espinho has a fantastic Market where you can find just about anything you can imagine. It's fabulous! And it's authentic Portuguese. Not being an overpopulated tourist area is a huge plus for me. I hope it doesn't change. Another thing that's really wonderful is that you don't have ugly monster cruise ships sitting out there in the water ruining the view like you do in the bigger, more touristy cities. I'm personally not interested the see-and-be-seen nightlife anymore, so Espinho is absolutely perfect for me.

[@artistintransition]

Do you live in Espinho?

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for sharing, Sue. - Josh & Kalie

[@alfredos.vilelavilela5337]

Apesar de morar no Brasil quando viajo para Portugal esta Cidade de minha preferencia. Sou apaixonado por Espinho.

[@Alfablue227]

Not just Espinho, but most cities on the Coast up North are just beautiful! Highly suggest you chk out Esposende, Caminha, Vila Praia de Âncora, and others.

[@christinabayma119]

We’re looking forward to exploring Espinho later this week. Went past it on the train today and it was simply adorable and beautiful beaches. Plus much flatter and less touristy than Porto but just a quick train ride away.

[@paulogarciadesousa]

“Quieter and more affordable.” That pretty much sums it up. I’m with Josh on this one: Totally middle of the road for me.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for watching, Paulo! Good to see you back in the comment section. We have 1 for Team Kalie and 1 for Team Josh. 😁 - Josh & Kalie

[@moward301]

I'm sooo glad you guys did this!!! I've been interested in this area as well! Thanks for the comprehensive breakdown, as usual. You guys can do NO wrong! Bullseye, every time! You rock! Thank you!❤

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Glad you enjoyed it! We're happy to do this one even though it gets less exposure than other places that are more well known. To you and anyone reading this, if you know someone interested in Portugal, please share this video with them to improve its chance of being seen. Places like Espinho need to be seen and considered an option for sure. Thanks again for all the support, Mo. - Josh & Kalie

[@jetfowl]

You should check out Barcelos, home of the famous Portuguese rooster sculptures.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

We hope to do a video in Barcelos at some point. - Josh & Kalie

[@Isochest]

Espinho is lovely. As a young man I visited here in the late 80s and early 90s. I visited a Radio Ham friend Alfredo Silva who's passed away now but I think I should have bought something here. You need to know Portuguese which I do. I learnt out of necessity.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you for sharing! - Josh & Kalie

[@josephfragnoli6337]

Espinho is great. Love it there.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for sharing, Joseph! - Josh & Kalie

[@droops63]

Ohh, sounds chilly overall. I need my heat in the Summer.

[@rosalindhb]

Quieter and affordable I'm sold. I want to be by the beach, but away from the overall crowd. I think you have to think of your age and activity level. I'm 53 and not into the bar/party scene. Your close enough to go to other areas.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for watching, Rosalind. Great input. - Josh & Kalie

[@jshanks]

I would totally be tempted to expat that. I don't need much of a "night life", although I would want to see some live music from time to time. The train would be great for getting to Porto, but I would also be getting and electric bike to get around. Do they have a lot of bike lanes on the roads there?

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Hi Jon, thanks for watching. There's a bike lane along the coast but not as many within the town's streets. It seems a lot of people bike for recreational reasons there rather than transportation, but that's just an observation that we made. - Josh & Kalie

[@JenShea]

Hi Guys, For some reason I had been missing your videos... I think this is the first video I've ever seen on Espinho. It looks fairly charming. Kalie, I'm with you... but I must say, it's really all the terrific comments from people who live there, that is convincing to me! I prefer central coastal Portugal, but I'll definitely check this out! Cheers ~

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Hey Jen, It's probably the algorithm. We've not been producing much for a wider audience and our views overall are taking a hit so because of that our content won't get served as wide as it did before. We're going to change that soon though and do some different stuff. We are going to continue with these city guides and since we've gone through many of the larger places, it's time to visit the smaller ones, hence, Espinho. ☺️ Thanks for watching and commenting. - Josh & Kalie

[@JenShea]

@@ExpatsEverywhere Got you. Glad I saw this one. There are so many interesting small towns in Portugal. How is the house hunt coming along?

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

@@JenShea There really are. We are planning to cover more. Appraisal today and now we wait to get that back before the final deed is drafted. Next Vertical Community Venture episode is being edited now and should be out next Saturday. This Saturday is our annual "What we spend in 30 days" episode. - Josh & Kalie

[@JenShea]

@@ExpatsEverywhere 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@GeraldFigal]

I find it so funny that all you all like gridded streets so much as a selling point! It’s the opposite for me. I can get grids in the States and I find them boring and predictable. Why would I want the usual? Gimme a winding meandering medieval street layout any day-I want to get lost wandering around, not knowing what’s around the next bend or where it will lead. That’s one reason I love Tokyo so much-it has a crazy organic non-logical logic throughout diverse spaces without any centralized urban planning.

[@suespencer6563]

Hmmmm....When we're visiting new places and if we're not focused on being somewhere at a specific time, we will intentionally walk around not knowing where we're headed, essentially "lost". We call it a "god-trip". God only knows where we will end up - grid pattern or not. I wonder where those grid streets originated ~ (hint: not in the U.S.).

[@2clarityin30]

Espinho sounds great to me. The grid system is appealing since I have an awful sense of direction and I appreciate the more relaxed pace. One could get a bike and ride to the areas that are further than walking distance. Can you walk from the train station to the beaches or would you need an Uber? Is it challenging to find English speakers in Espinho? Thanks for your great content as always.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Hey, Michele. Thank you. It really is easy to navigate. Yes, the walk from the station to the beach is really quick. Most everything in the center seems to be a 5-15 minute walk. It might be more challenging to find native English speakers but again you'll have Portuguese and Brazilians there that will know English. There's not a large foreign community there but there is one. - Josh & Kalie

[@ForeignAffair822]

Your channel is the best source of information about Porto. We are moving to Porto or at least close to the city in May, what type of place would you suggest to stay at first, a hotel or an airbnb? I'm going with a digital nomad visa but I have no idea where to stay yet, I just know that I love the vibe over there! I have been looking up to areas like Matosinhos or Vila Nova de Gaia, or even a little further, I'm looking for an affordable area but don't know much about the rentals over there. Thank you very much!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you very much. We appreciate hearing that. The rental situation is tight at the moment with not many good things available and high demand. - Josh & Kalie

[@danielsemyck7683]

Thanks guys! Looks like you're having a blast! I wish you would have done the laughing gas - LOL!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

You're welcome. We are enjoying it for sure. - Josh & Kalie

[@instantrelocationportugal]

Portugal ❤

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

🇵🇹 💪 - Josh & Kalie

[@western1010]

People in Espinho don´t have to only go to Porto to get what they need from a big a city . They can get it from Gaia which is right "next door" .

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Yes, for sure.

[@brigidspencer5123]

If any place is quieter it’s always because there’s less activity. Not everyone wants a lot of noise, activities, etc. In the past people not only walked around they also would speak to other people, that’s how a sense of community is built, by actually connecting with people. If you’re ADHD then you need to be stimulated all the time. Young people today tend to be spoiled and entitled to constant entertainment. This place which is spine in English, sounds perfect for independent people who want to enjoy being part of a community and enjoy being in one.

[@terrisokolow7796]

Nice video!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you very much. ❤️ - Josh & Kalie

[@allgood21c]

How long does the train take to get to Porto? How frequent are the trains? What's the cost of train tickets?

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

It's 36-47 minutes depending on the train you take and most tickets are priced at €1.80. The frequency varies a little between 30 and 60 minutes. - Josh & Kalie

[@stephenjarzombek2903]

Why wouldn't anyone just take the train from Espinho via Aveiro to Lisbon, rather than taking the train back north to Porto and then flying? I was kind of surprised to see that it takes longer to get to Lisboa-Oriente from Espinho than from Porto-Campanha due to the Espinho-Aveiro leg being a local train with many stops, but it's still about 3 hours without the hassle of airport security.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Because you can take an Uber or Bolt from Espinho to the Porto airport for €20-30 and if you can get the flights you want, you cut out the train and that time commuting. - Josh & Kalie

[@fredericopereira9456]

Grande terra

[@Miruschenko]

These prices for rent and buying similar to Lisbon area.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for the comment, Alex. Where in Lisbon are we talking about? - Josh & Kalie

[@luisramos1609]

Does Espinho have any nice large parks?

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Truth be told, not really. Parque Municipal de Campismo in the norther part of the city is nothing to write home about. - Josh & Kalie

[@luisramos1609]

@@ExpatsEverywhere Thank you. Having great parks is super important for me and my family.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

@@luisramos1609 You're welcome.

[@suespencer6563]

Not really, not BIG parks, but there are green spaces and fountains. Espinho "only" has the Atlantic Ocean right there. Great beaches, boardwalks with benches, and restaurants for family enjoyment.

[@luisramos1609]

@@suespencer6563 That's really not enough, when other cities offer that & large green spaces.