Whenever I travel, people often ask me about Canada’s weather. I often reply, “We have six months of cold weather — and six months of winter.” That’s met with lots of laughter, and yes, it’s a bit of an exaggeration.

But the fact remains that Canadian winters can be brutally long. That’s why, as semi-retired empty nesters who can work remotely, my wife Dee-Anne and I are now looking for an ideal winter home away from home.

We didn’t want to choose somewhere in the United States, and we aren’t “lie on the beach” people; we don’t, by any means, relish the thought of a day spent cooking under the blistering sun. To us, that eliminated destinations like Florida and Mexico, which consistently rank atop Canadian snowbirds’ lists. Our “ideal” daytime temperature tops out in the low 20s Celsius.

The flip side of that is that we’ve spent a lot of time over the past decade in Europe. Between vibrant cities such as Paris, Vienna, Rotterdam and Copenhagen, we’ve experienced a compelling mix of arts, culture and history you won’t find on this side of the Atlantic.

On that basis, our initial thoughts were to go somewhere in southern Portugal or Spain by virtue of their milder winter climates.

And after getting a first-hand perspective from three separate well-travelled couples whose judgment we trust, we decided on Portugal. Our friends shared phenomenal experiences while visiting the country and said the Portuguese, on the whole, are a friendly, welcoming people keen to share the many experiences they have to offer. 

As we’d discover, they really do have a rich palette of experiences that await. In February, we spent two weeks testing out Portugal as a potential snowbird destination. Read on to discover more about our trip, and our verdict on whether we’ll be back.

Finding history at your doorstep in Porto

After a long flight and a late arrival in Porto, it was tempting to stay in for the night. But curiosity got the better of us. We took a brief stroll down the steep cobblestone road next to our apartment hotel, only to stumble across the Clérigos Tower and Church, which dates back to 1732.

It was so stunning at night that we had to head back the next morning, when we could go inside. What impressed us as much as the architecture was that, in addition to church services, it also acts as a venue for local entertainment.  

During our stay, there was so much to experience. That includes — as the city’s name suggests — port (fortified wine) tastings offered by some of the country’s best-known wineries. Many are based in the waterfront neighbourhood of Ribeira, including Cálem, where we took a tour followed by wine and cheese pairings.

While there, we learned that Cálem also hosts live Fado shows, a music and storytelling tradition unique to Portugal that dates back to the early 1800s.

Apart from the wineries, dozens of restaurants — many with outdoor patios — can be found along the waterfront, making it an ideal go-to destination for lunch, dinner or a glass of wine on a sunny afternoon.

The Portuguese love their seafood, and there’s no better place to experience that than the Mercado do Bolhão, which combines a market, shopping and dining under one roof. There, you can choose your fresh-caught fish and have it prepared at one of the on-site restaurants.

As music aficionados, we went out of our way to visit the Casa da Música, a futuristic-looking concert hall that’s home to the Porto Symphony Orchestra. During our visit, we had dinner at the hall’s upscale restaurant before taking in an opera recital — our first-ever opera experience. Afterward, we were pleasantly surprised to come across a laid-back folk concert in the venue’s ground-floor cafe-bar.

Despite the fact that it rained on and off during our stay in Porto, the temperatures remained mild (on one day it was 15 degrees Celsius compared to -15 degrees Celsius back home). And even during inclement weather, there was no shortage of things to do.

An open and closed case for Lisbon

Lisbon is a bigger and arguably hillier city than Porto. Still, you can experience much of the downtown core on foot. Many narrow streets are closed to cars and are pedestrian-only, helping to explain why Lisbon is a European Green Capital Award recipient.

As in Porto, many of the sidewalks and streets are made from small hand-cut pieces of white limestone and black basalt set in geometric patterns. This makes the simple act of discovering new patterns a unique walking experience.

Lisbon’s downtown core is highlighted by exceptional architecture, much of which dates back to the 1700s. This includes Praça do Comércio, a grand riverside square where people converge to sit, relax and socialize.

On the city’s edge, the LX Factory offers a post-industrial cluster of shops, restaurants and bars, only more affordable. It’s not unlike Toronto’s Distillery District.

Pros and cons of travelling to Portugal

From our initial “taste-taste” visit, we found the Portuguese to be polite, friendly and quick to help. The fact that English is widely spoken makes everything easier, from shopping to dining.

Both Porto and Lisbon are extremely pedestrian-friendly, provided you don’t mind staying active and traversing some of the hillier neighbourhoods. And for visitors not keen on hills, both cities have extensive metro systems.

Uber is also a quick, easy and surprisingly affordable way to get from A to B. And we appreciated the option of requesting an electric vehicle; it was often cheaper than gas-powered cars.

Overall, we found the cost of living broadly comparable to Canada’s, reflecting Portugal’s tourism-driven economic growth.

Weather-wise, in mid-February, it was often sweater weather, rarely above 16 degrees Celsius. Fine for us, but for anyone looking for a warmer option, Portugal’s Algarve region might be a better fit.

In terms of places to stay, there’s no shortage of Airbnbs, but we’ve found in recent years, quality and cleanliness in those places can vary considerably. In contrast, the centrally located Feel Porto apartment hotel was well-furnished, clean and spacious. Likewise, Lisbon’s Best Apartments adheres to higher standards.

Another long-term accommodation option worth noting, which we toured but didn’t stay in, is the Martinhal Lisbon Oriente, which features every amenity you can imagine, from an indoor-outdoor pool to an on-site restaurant to workspaces. The ultra-modern Park of Nations neighbourhood, where the hotel is situated, feels distinctly different than the city’s downtown, with an abundance of park space and walking and biking trails. 

Portugal travel pros

• Vibrant arts and culture scene

• Growing number of car-free, pedestrian-friendly streets

• Strong public transit system

• Easy to get by with only English

• Abundance of short-haul flights to other European destinations

Portugal travel cons

• Winter and spring weather can still be cooler — definitely not a lay-out-in-the-sun destination for snowbirds

• Hilly terrain can be tough for travellers with mobility issues (but transit is great)

• Not a good option for snowbirds averse to flying, with longer/more involved travel than Mexico or Florida

• Not a budget/discount destination (costs are comparable to Canada) 

How to get to Portugal from Canada

While many airlines fly direct to Lisbon, the same can’t be said about Porto. If Porto is your destination and you’d rather not transfer via train or bus, TAP Air Portugal is your best bet.

This airline can be less expensive than competitors, offers more frequent flights and connects to other Portuguese cities. We found the staff were efficient and friendly, and the food was better than average plane food. Plus, there were plenty of in-flight entertainment options.

The verdict: Is Portugal a good travel destination for Canadian snowbirds?

Based on our experience, Portugal is a vibrant, refreshing alternative to spending part of your winter in hotter climates. Between the two cities, we preferred Porto’s slower, more relaxed pace. But it’s also cooler than Lisbon, meaning we’d likely push off any future visit until mid-March — something to keep in mind if you’re looking for warmer winter weather.

So, has Portugal become our de facto winter destination moving forward? The honest answer is we’re not sure yet. We loved it, but there are still a handful of other destinations in Europe we’d like to test out before committing.

Next winter, we may try Portugal’s southern Algarve region. But southern Spain is on our radar as well.

For more snowbird research, we would also love to travel between cities along the Mediterranean coast, spanning Portugal, Spain, France and Italy, to see which locale ultimately feels like a true home away from home.

The ultimate goal? I can see us deciding on one city — or perhaps two — with the idea of alternating from one year to the next. And Porto or Lisbon could very well be one of those.

Let us know what you think by emailing us or threading us @yahoocanada. Follow us on TikTok, WhatsApp and Instagram.