Are you interested in living in Portugal? If you wonder about the liveability in Porto. If you want to know if it is a place to settle, you have come to the right place. Many digital nomads have found Porto a great place to live in the short term. Though is Porto a place you could live long term. Here, I will discuss the standards found for Porto’s livability.

Overall, I will discuss my observations of the liveability in Porto. These observations will involve subjects essential to living in a healthy environment as we enter a new country.

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Get to know Porto

If you do not already know, Porto is Portugal’s second-largest city. Porto is located in northern Portugal along the Duoro Valley estuary. Being one of the oldest European Centers earned Porto recognition. UNESCO made it a historical National Monument of Portugal by proclaiming it a World Heritage Site.

Porto’s settlement dates back many centuries. The Roman Empire used Porto as one of the westernmost outposts. The combined Celtic-Latin name, Portus Cale, was the original name for Portugal, based on transliteration and oral evolution from Latin. 

Port wine, one of Portugal’s most famous exports, is named after Porto. The cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia, part of the metropolitan area, were responsible for the packaging, transport, and export of fortified wine.

How Liveable is Porto?

To satisfactorily understand living in Portugal, I have devised a rubric. Liveability in Porto can mean many things to different people so I suggest you do something similar for your scouting trip. I employ five attributes to develop a basic understanding of these different Portuguese communities. The five subjective measurements are safety, walkability/transport, green/clean, healthcare, and community.

I selected these five elements to measure because they are essential elements to a healthy community, in my opinion. I could add more for a top 10 list, but an essential list of five qualities seemed appropriate. Please list your most significant elements for a healthy community in the comment section if you want a more detailed list.

The scale of the rubric goes from 1-10. The rubric scale considers a score of 9-10 excellent. While every place has flaws, obvious pros outweigh the negatives, making it extraordinary. I believe a 7-8 is very good. Anything 4-6 is meh, and a score of 3 or below is awful.

Safety in Porto

One’s safety is an essential characteristic of liveability in Porto. Safety is the concept of being protected from or unlikely to experience danger, risk, or injury. Defensive measures and practices taken to preserve individuals’ life, health, and bodily integrity would describe the threats found in a city.

Knowing the dangers and safety of your new residential areas is essential when traveling in a new town. Security can be calculated by the rate of vehicular near misses, injuries, or dangerous situations a city may present. To estimate the safety of Porto, I used personal experiences to rate the safety from 1-10. One being extremely dangerous and ten being relatively safe.

My Porto experiences involved traveling through the city during the day and night. My rating is based on observing safety protocols to protect myself from dangerous incidents.

Observing the Safety of Porto

Overall my observation of Porto was a very safe city. I walked around Porto during the day without any issues. More often than not, drivers were extremely courteous when pedestrians approached crosswalks. People on the streets were friendly during the day. 

Not as many people were witnessed out on the streets when the sun went down. Most of my encounters were people coming or leaving restaurants or bars. Overall, most appeared just to be living and not engaging in dangerous situations.

Many times in bigger cities, I have been stopped by a stranger asking me if I wanted to purchase drugs. Not once did I encounter someone peddling drugs. Granted, this probably does occur, but I did not experience anyone trying to sell me drugs. 

The only times I sensed a necessity to safeguard myself was transiting at night or on the metro. My defensive mechanisms naturally increase when traveling at night or surrounded by many people. No dangerous situations ever presented themselves while I was in Porto.

Portugal continues to be one of the most peaceful countries in the world in 2021, keeping its standing as one of the securest. It is ranked in 13th place in the “Global Peace Index 2021”, with 1.267 points (the fewer points, the better), having dropped two positions compared to last year’s ranking. 

If you are looking for the number one peaceful country globally. In that case, you should consider Iceland as it continues to lead the list, with 1.1 points.

Safety Bottom Line

Overall, I discovered Porto to be a very safe city and rated it an 8. Most likely, you will never have any problems with safety in Porto. The drivers are very courteous to pedestrians and other drivers. I did not witness any aggressive drivers during the day or at night.  

As secure as I am representing Porto, it is crucial to watch for pickpocketers. It is okay to be conscious of your valuables in increased densities of people. Make eye contact and other safety recommendations. The safety certainly is favorable for the liveability in Porto.

Walkability and Transportation in Porto

I find walkability influential for a neighborhood livability factor. I describe walkability as how pleasant an area is to wander. Elevated walkability improves the community’s fitness and environmental and economic benefits. 

A more elevated score represents the neighborhood is exceptionally walkable. The lower the score indicates fewer places to walk or the pathways are challenging to travel on foot. 

How Walkable is Porto?

I wanted to answer the question, “How Walkable is Porto?” Doing so will allow me to know the quality aspect associated with the liveability in Porto.

When walking to places is inappropriate, utilizing transportation is essential to comprehend. In some cities in Portugal, it might be necessary to possess a vehicle. 

Ideally, I do not want to be required to own a vehicle. So alternative transportation such as metro stations, buses, taxis, and access to trains is essential.

Porto’s Public Transportation

Transportation is excellent as metros, trains, taxis, and even Uber drivers are readily accessible. If you need a sense of adventure, you can always grab a boat to float down the Duoro River. 

Porto has an excellent metro station that can transport you to virtually every part of the city. You can ride the metro to neighboring towns such as Matosinhos. The metro stations are a secure and hygienic method of travel. 

Access to Amenities in Porto

Whether you require a cup of coffee or a light snack, there are numerous prospects as you walk down the street. The same can be said of other modern conveniences. No matter the neighborhood, you can get your hair cut, go to a Mercado, and bring home food. 

Walkability and Transportation Bottom Line

Overall, I would rate Porto a 9 for Transportation and Walkability. Access to almost all your necessities can be acquired by walking a short distance. If you do not need a commodity, a journey on the metro is readily accessible. Therefore, the quality of liveability in Porto is very encouraging.

Is Porto Green and Clean? 

A green and clean atmosphere is vital to living in a healthy community. Returning into sites of green spaces is essential to my emotional and mental health. A clean environment is also critical for my emotional, mental, and physical health.

Is Porto a Clean City?

Others have stated Porto is a clean city. The air quality has been measured and has almost pristine air quality. It also indicates that the quality of the parks and green spaces is relatively elevated. 

In my discussion, a higher score indicates the city is cleaner and or green.

When discussing if Porto is green, I question if green spaces are nearby. Green spaces are land zones partially or surrounded by grass, trees, shrubs, or other vegetation. Green space comprises parks and community gardens.

My observation of the cleanliness of Porto was founded upon several factors. Three observations I utilized in my assessment are how much litter was encountered on the street, access to trash bins on the road, and the ability to recycle. Air quality is an olfactory observation I also used in this assessment.

Some neighborhoods in Porto are more pristine than others. Practically every community has a nearby greenspace. However, the amount of green space is not as effortlessly encountered as in nearby Matosinhos.

Green and Clean Bottom Line

Overall I ranked Porto as a 7 for it being Green and Clean. Overall, the air was relatively clean. Porto was coming out of shutdown during my visit. So much of the rehabilitation had not materialized. Recycling bins could be discovered around neighborhoods, but they were less frequent than in different locations in Portugal. I believe much of the city will be cleaner in the future. The city’s green spaces are attractive—especially Porto City Park. Also, I was in Porto during the autumn months, so I anticipate the parks to be additionally beautiful during the spring and summer.

Healthcare in Porto

The liveability in Porto index’s next topic is about healthcare. Digital nomads can generally access the Portuguese subsidized state healthcare. As to be expected, there is some bureaucracy you have to navigate to get it. The Portuguese healthcare system contains both public and private healthcare benefits. The general standard of healthcare in Portugal is elevated.

Portugal ranks 17th in the 2021 World Index of Healthcare Innovation, up from 21st in 2020, with an overall score of 46.92. The Iberian nation is a top-tier performer in quality (#3, 63.15), garnering lofty marks for patient-centered care and health outcomes.

Due to Portugal’s world healthcare rating being outstanding, one should expect the second-largest city in Portugal to be elevated too. The increased height of my score is to illustrate more promising healthcare. Since Portugal has high-quality healthcare, a lower score could mean less access than less quality healthcare.

Public vs. Private Healthcare in Porto

Overall, Porto appeared to have significant access to healthcare. There are dozens of hospitals where you can meet your emergency needs. Numerous clinics are set up in most neighborhoods, so you can take a short walk to see a healthcare professional.

Between Matosinhos and Porto was a max Covid vaccination site. Sites like these are how Portugal was the first country to get over 90% vaccinated.

Healthcare Bottom Line

Overall, I would rank Porto’s healthcare a 9. Thankfully I did not require to access healthcare in my travels through Portugal. I came to my assessment by observing the access and speaking with others about their healthcare experiences.

Porto Community

As the second-largest city in Portugal, Porto may have you thinking it is painless to assemble a community of friends. Many people in Porto Lisbon and Coimbra can speak English fluently. However, it would be best to learn to speak Portuguese to build relationships with the Portuguese. 

All of the individuals I encountered in Portugal were exceptionally considerate and friendly. However, most of the people in Porto are engaged in their lives. While communicating effectively in English benefits you, it also facilitates more immediate transactions for them.

Learn Portuguese

If your objective, like mine, is to integrate into a community, anticipate it will take some time to make Portuguese friends. Comprehending the language and practicing speaking to people is a beautiful manner to make friends.

Consider learning some simple Portuguese phrases. Begin with learning to request a coffee. To express thanks, saying obrigado if you are male or obrigada, if you are female, is a great way to practice.

Porto has a relatively extensive digital nomad and ex-pat community. So if you need assistance navigating the ins and outs of Porto, they are a resource you can utilize. These established communities are vital if you intend to stay in Portugal.

Community Bottom Line

Overall, I would rank Porto’s community as an 8. Porto, along with all of Portugal, has cordial citizens. I do not communicate Portuguese fluently, and I acknowledge I could integrate into communities in Porto with a better understanding of the language. I tried speaking in Portuguese, but considering the COVID situation, I was limited with my connections. Creating connections and friendships with US immigrants seemed easier.

Atypical Last Thoughts

In conclusion, these are the rankings I gave Porto for safety, walkability/transportation, green/clean, healthcare, and community. Each of these elements of liveability in Porto might be a more useful determining factor in choosing where you want to live than others.

To help compare different places, I believe giving a comprehensive score is essential. To supply this score, I added the overall scores from above. I divided them into five since there are five categories. The score I created here will be defined as a livability index score.

So, when I added the scores, I came up with 41 total points. The livability index score for Porto is 8.2. 

Overall, a location score over 8.0 should be regarded as a very livable local. If you have been to Porto or intend to go to Porto soon, let me understand your views of the city.

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