If you are a digital nomad, you might ask yourself, “How liveable is Coimbra?” If so, I had the same question. I went on a scouting trip to find out if Portugal or Coimbra could be my next home.

Are you interested in living in Portugal? If you wonder how livable Coimbra, Portugal, is 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 a long time. Here, I will discuss the standards found for Porto’s livability.

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

Get to know Coimbra

If you do not already know, Coimbra is Portugal’s fourth-largest city. Coimbra is located in Central Portugal. Coimbra is the biggest city in the Centro Region and district of Coimbra. About 460,000 people reside in Coimbra. The town comprises 19 municipalities and extends into 4,336 square kilometers.

Among the many archaeological structures are its unspoiled aqueduct and cryptoporticus. Likewise, structures from 1131 to 1255 A.D. remain from when Coimbra was the capital of Portugal. 

During the late Middle Ages, Coimbra evolved into an important cultural center. The descent of the Kingdom of Portugal’s political center was primarily helped by establishing the University of Coimbra in 1290. The University of Coimbra is the oldest Portuguese university and one of the oldest in the world. 

Coimbra attracts many European and international students; the university is visited by tourists for its historical monuments and buildings. These buildings were classified as World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2013: Royal Palace of Alcáçova (main University building), St Michael’s Chapel, and Joanine Library. Botanical Garden, 12th-century Cathedral of Santa Maria, and Monastery of Santa Cruz.

Overall, Coimbra has a rich history to explore. You will be impressed with the culture as you explore these historic sites. 

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How Liveable is Coimbra?

To satisfactorily understand living in Portugal, I have designed a rubric. 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 a necessary 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, the apparent 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 Coimbra

How does safety affect how liveable it is in Coimbra?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 is the rate of vehicular near misses, injuries, or dangerous situations a city or town may present. My safety estimate of Coimbra used personal experiences to rate the safety from 1-10. The scale is one being extremely dangerous and ten being relatively safe.

My experiences in Coimbra 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 Coimbra

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

Compared to Porto, the drivers seemed more in a hurry here. A higher population of tourists could easily explain the reason. The drivers were more interested in getting through intersections but still courteous. 

When the sun went down, few people were observed in the streets. Most people were visiting or leaving restaurants or bars. Being a university town, most of the people out were also students.

Overall I felt very safe

Most appeared to live their lives and were not engaged in dangerous situations.

Traveling in bigger towns, I have been stopped by a stranger propositioning me for drug purchases. Not once did I encounter someone selling drugs. Granted, this probably does occur, but I did not experience anyone trying to sell me drugs. 

Even at night, I did not feel a need to safeguard myself. My defensive mechanisms naturally increase when traveling at night or surrounded by many people. Overall I was cautious but did not feel any dangerous situations were about to occur.

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. 

Safety Bottom Line

Overall, I discovered Coimbra to be a safe city and rated it a 9. Safety would, therefore, make how liveable it is in Coimbra very desirable. Most likely, you will never encounter any dangerous situations in Coimbra. The drivers are polite to pedestrians and other drivers. I did not witness any aggressive drivers during the day or at night.  

As secure as I am depicting Coimbra, watch for pickpocketers. This is true for any tourist area. Be conscious, but do not make it a life mission. Make eye contact and other safety recommendations.

Walkability and Transportation in Coimbra

How does walkability affect how liveable it is in Coimbra? I find walkability influential for a community livability element. 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 Coimbra?

I wanted to answer the question, “How Walkable is Coimbra?”

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 own a vehicle in Portugal. So alternative transportation such as metro stations, buses, taxis, and access to trains is essential.

Public Transportation in Coimbra

How does transportation affect how liveable it is in Coimbra? If one can’t walk, public transportation will be necessary. Transportation in Coimbra is excellent as trains, taxis, and even Uber drivers are readily available. If you need a sense of adventure, you can always grab a kayak to paddle down the Mondego River. However, this is more about recreation than a realistic mode of transportation.

Coimbra has no metro station to transport you to every part of the city. However, you can ride the bus to every neighborhood. Portugal’s train system conveniently connects to Coimbra and is a median distance from Lisbon and Porto.

Access to Amenities in Coimbra

Whether you require a cup of coffee or a light snack, there are numerous cafes and pastelarias you will pass 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. 

Two shopping malls are conveniently located in the Solum and Santa Clara neighborhoods. Alma Shopping can be found in Solum and Forum Coimbra in Santa Clara. Both have movie theaters and pretty much everything you would want or need. 

If you need to get a bus pass, you must go to Forum Coimbra to their Kiosk Station. SMTUC now has other offices all over Coimbra

Walkability and Transportation Bottom Line

Overall I would rate Coimbra an 8 for Transportation and Walkability. A short wall will allow you access to almost all your necessities. If you need a specific commodity, you might need to go on a long walk or catch a bus or taxi. Unfortunately, metro stations are unavailable in Coimbra. You can find what you need within a short walk for basic needs.

Is Coimbra Green and Clean? 

How does green zones affect how liveable it is in Coimbra? A green atmosphere is vital to living in a clean and healthy community. Returning to 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.

Several factors defined how I will communicate my observation of the cleanliness of Coimbra. 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. My assessment also took into account the overall air quality.

Others have stated Coimbra is a clean city. The World Health Organization measures the air quality. Overall, they found the quality was almost pristine. It also indicates the quality of the parks and green spaces is symbiosis with the community. 

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

When discussing if Coimbra 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.

Some neighborhoods in Coimbra are more pristine than others. Practically every community has a nearby greenspace.

Green and Clean Bottom Line

Overall I ranked Coimbra as an 8 for it being Green and Clean. Overall, the air was relatively clean. Coimbra was coming out of shutdown during my visit. So much of the rehabilitation had not materialized. All neighborhoods had recycling bins. They were less frequent than in different locations in Coimbra. 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 Coimbra during the autumn months, so I anticipate the parks are additionally beautiful during the spring and summer.

Healthcare in Coimbra

How does healthcare affect how liveable it is in Coimbra? Digital nomads can generally access the Portuguese subsidized state healthcare. However, how good is the healthcare when you live in Coimbra? The Portuguese healthcare system contains both public and private healthcare benefits. As expected, there is some bureaucracy you must navigate to obtain public healthcare. The general standard of healthcare in Portugal is excellent.

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 fourth-largest city in Portugal to be excellent, too. The increased height of my score is to illustrate high-quality 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, Coimbra appeared to have significant access to healthcare. There are numerous hospitals nearby where you can obtain emergency help. Many neighborhoods have set up clinics. If you take a short walk to see a healthcare professional.

On the Santa Clara side of the Mondego River was a park with a max Covid vaccination site. Since I have left Coimbra, I believe this max COVID vaccination site has moved closer to the hospital in Celas. 90% of Portuguese citizens became vaccinated due to the easy access.

Healthcare Bottom Line

Overall I would rank Coimbra’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.

Coimbra Community

How does a community affect how liveable it is in Coimbra? Coimbra may have you thinking it is painless to assemble a community of friends as the fourth-largest city in Portugal. Many people in Porto Lisbon and Coimbra can speak English fluently. However, it would be best to communicate in Portuguese to build Portuguese relationships. 

All of the individuals I encountered in Portugal were exceptionally considerate and friendly. However, most Coimbra citizens are engaged with 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 an excellent manner to make friends. How will learning Portuguese help define how liveable is Coimbra?

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

Coimbra has a relatively extensive digital nomad and ex-pat community. So if you need assistance navigating the ins and outs of Coimbra, 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 Coimbra’s community as a 9. Coimbra, along with all of Portugal, has cordial citizens. I do not communicate Portuguese fluently, and I acknowledge I could integrate into communities in Coimbra with a better understanding of the language. I tried speaking in Portuguese, but considering the COVID situation, I was limited with whom I could communicate. Creating connections and friendships with U.S. immigrants seemed easier.

Atypical Last Thoughts

In conclusion, these are the rankings I gave Coimbra for safety, walkability/transportation, green/clean, healthcare, and community. Each of these elements of liveability might be a more useful determining factor in choosing where you want to live than others. To answer the question, “How liveable is Coimbra?” I found it pretty high on my list.

Analysis

Therefore, it was essential to compare different places, I believe giving a total 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 is my livability index score.

So, when I added the scores, I came up with 41 total points. The livability index score for Porto is 8.6.

Locations with a score over 8.0 is regarded as a very livable location. If you have been to Coimbra or intend to go to Coimbra soon, let me understand your city views.

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