Today we meet Faith Canter who moved to Portugal from the UK in 2018.

How did you find out about Pure Portugal? Did you know of us before moving to Portugal?
I came across Pure Portugal because a friend of mine who had travelled around it a little bit recommend your Facebook page.

What made you decide to move to Portugal from the your home country?
After my marriage broke down I kind of decided I wanted to do all the things we weren’t able to do together by myself instead. So I sold our home and all my belongings and purchased a campervan (dream and step 1). Then a spent some time travelling around Scotland one last time (this had been where I was living the last 7 plus years). My plan then was to drive to Asia over a year or 2 and settle there with my dogs. However a friend of mine suggested I check out Madeira first as it was within Europe (Portugal in fact) but closer to Africa and thus had a very different climate and terrain than the rest of Europe. So I did, and wow! Such beauty, so warm (all year around) and so many walks, waterfalls, an abundance of water and many, many tropical fruits, vegetables and flowers growing there. It was a bit like Europe’s own version of Asia, so I decided Madeira was the place I wanted to settle. Having spent a couple of months there I realised finding a flat piece of land (as the Island is mainly a bunch of large inactive volcanoes) that I could open retreat space on and that had the opportunity to grow all our own produce from within my budget probably wasn’t going to happen this time around. However by then Portugal had won my heart, so I started my almost year long search to find somewhere in mainland Portugal instead.

Have you moved to any other countries before moving to Portugal?
I had previously lived in Sri Lanka for a few months and on Mallorca also for a winter, so the idea of moving away from the UK was not a new idea for me.

If you could give one tip to someone still thinking about making the move what would it be?
Take your time to travel around and find the right place and budget for that also. Everyone says it takes a long time to find the right place and it certainly seems to be that way. Also, you don’t need as much land as you think, it all need maintaining and all take a lot of time, think small to start with and you can always buy or rent more later.

What is the most difficult thing about living in Portugal?
Everything takes 5 times longer here to do than back in the UK. You’ll need to back your patience in your purse every time you go out.

What is the most positive thing about your move so far?
The warmth of the people, place, weather and life.

If we had just one day in the area you have moved too what would you tell us is a must do/see?
There are so many fantastic places to visit near to my project, Monsanto (Holy Mountain) village, the Serra da Estrela Mountain Range (the highest mountains in
mainland Portugal) and Covilha (especially the old town) and Castelo Branco (with it’s veggie/vegan restaurants and health food shops).