Hints and tips for living in Vila do Bispo & Aljezur
The rugged & wild end of the Algarve
VILA DO BISPO | BURGAU | SAGRES | CARRAPATEIRA | ALJEZUR
Quick facts - Vila do Bispo & Aljezur
Population: 5,800 (Vila do Bispo municipality), 6,000 (Aljezur municipality)
Distance to Lisbon: 3.5 hours by car. 5+ hours by bus or train.
Distance to airport (Faro): 70-90 mins by car.
Highlights: Burgau, the wild west coast beaches, the annual Perceves (goose barnacle) festival in Vila do Bispo and sweet potato festival in Aljezur
Weather: 300+ days of sunshine a year with hot summers and mild winters, but it does get windy. Usually cooler than Lagos.
Need a car? Yes, definitely
Fun fact: The Vila do Bispo municipality has the lowest heating degree days (lowest demand for heaters) of any populated place in Europe.
A locals view on Vila do Bispo & Aljezur
Matt D. - Lagos & Vila do Bispo resident for 11 years (and co-founder of Portugalxpert)
What’s your favourite thing about living in the Vila do Bispo region?
Burgau. It’s just the most charming, beautiful village with a wonderful beach and an incredible, laid-back vibe. It has the perfect mix of locals and foreigners and is one of my favourite places on Earth.
What should a new expat know if they are thinking about moving to the Vila do Bispo region?
You can feel pretty remote sometimes. Across history, the Portuguese referred to the headland at Sagres as ‘the end of the World’, and the area can feel like that sometimes - but that isn’t always a bad thing!
Favourite thing about the Vila do Bispo region that most tourists don’t know?
On the road between Barao de Sao Joao and Barao de Sao Miguel, there’s a guy that sells the best free-range, organic, grass-fed meat. He doesn’t have a shop, or even a sign, so you’ll need to ask around to find him…
What do you wish you’d known when you arrived in Vila do Bispo?
It took me years of trial and error (mostly error - and very expensive errors at that!) before I finally built a good network of excellent professionals to assist me with life stuff - I’m talking lawyer, accountant, mechanic, builder, plumber, electrician, handyman and so on. Helping others slash that learning period is really one of the main reasons I set up Portugalxpert.
Least favourite thing about living in Vila do Bispo?
It’s hard to pick anything really, as it’s such a wonderful place, but if I had to choose, I’d like a little less seasonality and a few more things going on in winter - this is personal preference though as most of my friends say the opposite!
Best recommendation you could give a new expat in Vila do Bispo?
Get outside, connect with nature, and explore.
Our Vila do Bispo & Aljezur recommendations
Move here if you like: The great outdoors. Wild, unspoiled beaches. Hiking. Surfing.
Don’t move here if you like: Big cities.
Secret highlights: The coastline between Figueira and Furnas is a stand-up paddleboard and snorkeling heaven - Fish everywhere.
Best restaurants: Seafood at Boia in Salema, Pizza at Corso in Burgau.
OUR BESPOKE PRIVATE TOURS IN VILA DO BISPO & ALJEZUR
Vila do Bispo & Aljezur Essential Scouting Tour
Make an informed decision on whether moving to the Western Algarve is right for you
Flexible dates
6-7h
€330
price per tour
MEET YOUR WESTERN ALGARVE RELOCATION CONSULTANT
Hi! I’m Matt (and that’s Steve)
YEARS IN LAGOS AND VILA DO BISPO: 11
I’m really excited to show you around the Western Algarve. Before settling in Portugal, I travelled to over 75 countries and lived in Australia, the US, France, New Zealand, the UK and Honduras, and of all the places I ever visited, I chose to live in the Western Algarve, my favourite place on Earth. I’ve lived in both Lagos and Vila do Bispo municipalities. I love it here, and I’m sure you will too.
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