There’s One Key Reason Nobody Talks About Chaves, Portugal
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2024
- Have you heard of Chaves in Portugal? Josh and Kalie from ExpatsEverywhere breakdown the town of Chaves for both tourism and living there. Is it too small? Is there enough going on? How is the location? Would we live there? Let's take a look at what Chaves has to offer.
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Josh and Kalie left the US for a life abroad in 2009 and haven't looked back. They have lived in Spain, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and are currently in Portugal. Yes, they realize they only moved to countries starting with the letter "S" until they spoiled that streak with their move to Portugal. Follow ExpatsEverywhere as we aim to get information to you through expat interviews, city breakdowns, expat life, travel, vlogs, and more.
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Sounds like something I would absolutely ex-pat. Of course I am older and care nothing about activities and prefer a slow and relaxed pace. I would take that even further by wanting a bit of land where I can sit outside and drink some coffee or wine and grow some fruits and vegetables. Not having a car is also not an option. Distance and time are all relative and expectations are set based upon what you are used to. If I wanted to live there and fly out of Porto, it's only about a 1.5 hour drive which is nothing by my standards and not much further than what it takes me now to get to my nearest airport. And I quite like flying in and out of Porto compared to most other airports I have used.
Very cool to hear, Chris! Thanks for posting. - Josh & Kalie
You would love Chaves, with rafting and mountain biking... But trust me. Chaves is a much slower pace than Porto.
Hey Chris , just saying … there’s a lot à buses companies in Portugal also they inexpensive as well. If you got the app or go online u can get a ticket ahead a time for $7 euros, so just saying …. Gas is more pricey in Portugal than USA . I was there in March and I went from Lisbon to faro , to Porto , to Aveiro , to Sintra Back to Lisbon . All public transportation : trains and buses . I mean 20 euros from faro to Lisbon is gem. Bc $20 dollars for gas here u barely go anywhere . My opinion but … just saying there’s more options. What kind of expat work do u do I am trying to find out what kinda jobs are out there ?
Hey Chris , just saying … there’s a lot à buses companies in Portugal also they inexpensive as well. If you got the app or go online u can get a ticket ahead a time for $7 euros, so just saying …. Gas is more pricey in Portugal than USA . I was there in March and I went from Lisbon to faro , to Porto , to Aveiro , to Sintra Back to Lisbon . All public transportation : trains and buses . I mean 20 euros from faro to Lisbon is gem. Bc $20 dollars for gas here u barely go anywhere . My opinion but … just saying there’s more options. What kind of expat work do u do I am trying to find out what kinda jobs are out there ?
@@mariacorreia8362 A car would be an absolute requirement if I were to move to Portugal, full stop. This is especially the case since I would be more interested in living in a rural area and not near a large city. I was there for almost a month last April-May to scout around and we traveled Porto, Tomar, Evora, Elvas, Sintra, Cascais, and the whole length of the Algarve. We rented a mid-size SUV with a diesel engine and it was quite efficient. The cost of fuel is ridiculous by US standards but the tolls are about average. Cancellation of the NHR means moving to Portugal will not happen for me, at least until I retire and move my assets in a way to minimize taxes. Portugal can't figure out why their economy is not good and wages are so low, it's real simple: taxes are absolutely insane. Money is not an issue for me and I would be happy to spend it there and create jobs, but I'm not giving ANY government about 70% of my income.
Thank you for highlighting Chaves. I was born in Chaves in 1949 & came to the US, with my family, when I was two. I have been back twice and hope to return, for a visit, again soon. Its a lovely place. Quiet but lovely.
This is such an awesome comment to read! Thank you for taking the time to watch and write. - Josh & Kalie
Great video! My father was born in Chaves :) Valencia's appearance and lines were the cherry on top! SO CUTE!! Congrats guys!
Thank you! Her appearance was very much improvised. She asked if she could say something and we filmed and that's what came out. It's pretty funny. - Josh & Kalie
Thank you for allowing me to see the land of my parents. My origins are all from Chaves... and they are right when they say, that it is a city little talked about and with so much to offer...
Thanks for watching, Carlos. We hope we did it justice. - Josh & Kalie
Well it finally happened, a video on where my family is from and where I'll be ex-patting to in the next couple years. I'm actually building a house in a northern village of Chaves that borders Spain. I always tell all my friends, here in America, that I'm from the Montana of Portugal. The closest Spanish city would be Verin and small like Chaves but gives some different options to do. Something else to do in Chaves is going to the Casino (if you're into that). I know there is a small ex-pat community there already, but like me, are Portuguese-Americans. On the transportation aspect, I would definitely have a car. Buses cost 12 euros ish from Porto to Chaves, I used to do that all the time but now just rent a car. Also, they are working on a small airport on the border of Spain and Portugal between Verin and Chaves. However I'm not sure on the details on that, just something I heard about recently. Happy you guys enjoyed your time in Chaves. It's beautiful, affordable, quiet, and the people are kind. Oh! My wife and I also went to the thermal spas for the first time last year and it was amazing!
You guys never disappoint. If you guys get the chance, Castelo Branco is also very nice. I love your sincerity. Josh's Portuguese accent is on point. I'm so proud.
Nao e nada facil.
Castelo Branco is on the 2024 list of places for us to go. Step by step we're working on our Portuguese but thank you. We're actually taking an official course starting Monday. We'll report back on that when it's finished. - Josh & Kalie
Actually it's just a coincidence the name of the town is the same as the word for "keys". The name was founded by the Romans and called "(Aquae) Flavia", literally Flavian water, because of the thermal springs there. It was founded in the reign of emperor Titus, which belonged to the Flavian dinasty, hence the name. And it just so happens that words that in Latin had a consonant cluster with L (like CL and FL) became all just "CH" in Portuguese. "Chaves" the town was "Flavia" in Latin, "keys" were "clāvīs" and both became "chaves" in Portuguese
I loved Cia’s cameo appearance!❤️
We thought you'd like that. ;-) - Josh & Kalie
It looks like my kind of town because I am 63 and I have slowed down a bit , so if I lived on the fringe of town (suburb) is there a bus that goes down town and back? Great video! As you know, I'm looking for a carless cheap town with just a bit going on. Love your video's 💖
There are buses that run to the villages outside of the city. Also, they have trucks that come through the villages to sell bread, meat, fish, produce and other things.
I love Chaves! It is right on the east side of Gerês National Park, and that is a physical barrier that is protected by law. It's doubtful any further roads are going to cut across that lovely area west to east and v.v.. It is however, a 45 min drive to Montalegre, a stunning little village well worth a visit, Vila Real too, where you can see the famous Palace Casa de Mateus (where the well known Mateus wine is made) and a bit over an hour to Braga, less to Guimarães, Amarante, etc. So with a car, one is never that far from other bigger cities in Portugal; after all, PT is a small country. Thanks for highlighting Chaves, a wonderful little place with Thermal Baths that are a total steal price wise.
You mean *east* of Peneda-Gerês National Park.
@@GazilionPT That's exactly what I meant.. tks for correcting.
Thanks for the comment. :-) - Josh & Kalie
Valencia! You’re a very articulate young lady! 💕
Aw thank you, Martha. We appreciate hearing that. - Josh & Kalie
thank you for highlighting my city! you guys hit the nail on the head! it's lovely for a visit but it really is very far away from anything with little to no public transportation. definitly a slow pase of life with a lot of on tapped potential.
Our pleasure. Thanks for the feedback and comment. - Josh & Kalie
Great video and Valencia is so adorable! Btw, Chaves is a city, albeit small, not a town. Rather different denominations from the English vocab.
Chaves is gorgeous and has lots of potential. Would you be visiting Braganca? Keep it up. X0
Thank you. Bragança is on the list short-list of places to go next. - Josh & Kalie
Great video of Chaves. Chaves is also surrounded by beautiful little towns like Vidago , Boticas,etc
Thanks, Daniel! There are so many places! - Josh & Kalie
Viva Chaves ❤
I'm looking forward to visiting.
Enjoy your visit. - Josh & Kalie
Budget-wise, this sounds great! Looks like a quaint little town!
100%. Thanks for watching. - Josh & Kalie
So happy you enjoyed your visit to Chaves. It does have a lot to offer for such such a remote region (especially the crepes at Avelã). Valencia is so stinking cute and well-spoken! Wonderful video.
Thank you very much. We appreciate it. :-) To be honest, we were surprised at what she wanted to say. - Josh & Kalie
Very nice video and very informative. BTW did you ever "do" Ponte De Lima?
Thanks, Alex. Ponte de Lima is still on the list of videos to do. It's on the 2024 list though. It just takes time and money for us to do. You know? - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere Great, waiting patiently for your review of our new home town. Cheers
What a fantastic place. I definitely want to visit Chaves. From the location near the Spain border, the smaller population, to the temps.... Chaves checks off a lot of wants on my list. Hi, Cia... You did a great job.
That’s a pretty good analysis of the pros and cons of trying to live in Chaves vs. just going there on a weekend trip to check it out.
My main objection to living in Chaves would be trying to find suitable accommodation, but I would definitely consider it if I were a retiree trying to find some remote town that still has a couple of perks, such as the Roman baths.
P.S. Cia’s grown up so much, my God! 😲
Thanks, Paulo! Yeah, it's a tricky one. Chaves would likely work really well for certain people and it's not really on anyone's radar that we know. As a resident having access to the baths would be great!
Yep, Cia is growing up fast. She'll be doing our videos in Portuguese soon. - Josh & Kalie
Hey guys, great video with good info. You guys need to stay in Evora for a couple of days, and tie in a winery trip while in that beautiful Alentejo region.
You’ll find that Evora is not as sleepy as what it seems, there is plenty of tourism, particularly in the spring/summer, the culinary scene is smaller but amazing, and it has one of the oldest universities in Portugal, bringing in 5k-8k students from all over Portugal every year.
Keep up the good work
Hi Andre, we've already been to Évora and produced a video about it. We've visited wineries in Alentejo as well as olive oil production. - Josh & Kalie
In that weekend you must visit Pedras Salgadas and Virago nearby. They are home of the best natural sparkling waters in Europe. Also, the main thermal hotels have that Belle Époque feel quite lovely and grand.
We love Pedras. It's our second favorite drink behind Super Bock. - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere Pedras water comes from Pedras Salgadas.
*Vidago. 😉
@@diogorodrigues747 based on eacreal's comment, that's why we said that. ;-)
Cia is adorable!
Thank you. - Josh & Kalie
Did you heard about imperor Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasianus Augustus. The name Chaves came from Flavius the name of that roman imperor. He liked wash himself in those waters. Chaves was a roman little town. Half of my family is from chaves. The other half is from Mirandela.
Chaves, home of the best Portuguese prosciutto, where pigs feed on truffles 😂
Yes, originally the name of Chaves had nothing to do with keys, it was just the phonetic evolution that took it there.
In Roman times, the town was called "Aquae Flaviae", meaning "The Water [Springs] of Flavius".
But during the evolution from Latin to Portuguese, many "cl", "fl" and "pl" consonant clusters evolved to "ch". So, both "claves" (keys) and "Flaviae" (of Flavius) evolved to "Chaves".
What an amazing portuguese accent you have !
In my pursuit of finding an ideal location to establish a business that can capitalize on the economic opportunities of two different regions, I have encountered practical challenges that have led me to reconsider my original plan of targeting a border town. The viability of sustaining a business in such a location has been brought into question, prompting me to explore alternative areas with a more stable population base.
Recent trips have seen me journeying from Madrid, a strategic starting point due to its convenient connectivity to various flight options. Despite the occasional necessity of driving for three hours to reach my destination, the flexibility and greater number of available flights make this a practical choice. Additionally, some connecting flights requiring a brief stopover in Madrid before proceeding to Portugal have further streamlined my travel arrangements.
The main problem with this area that there are lithium deposits found here, and up to development. It means taking farm lands for lithium mines, dust, movement of heavy mashineries etc. Also the new plant for lithium treatment is under construction in the area, and will be operational soon. I love this area in the North, but no- go for me due to this reason
It’s a bit cold in winter otherwise lovely city
Yeah, the interior locations get chilly in the winter and can get really hot in the summer. - Josh & Kalie
If you want to take a trip from north to south on the N2, it's best to rent a campervan 😊
Good call. - Josh & Kalie
There's a beautiful work on this subject. It's a literary and photographic book called "Depois da estrada" (After the road) by Duarte Belo. It's a documentary (non-fiction) work about a 5 day car journey through the N2 road.
I really advise this and other works of the same author, as it tackles the geography social and phisical of the country. Most are available on the same publisher (Museu da Paisagem), but I think only in portuguese. Although well worth, I believe, very interesting views and understandings of the country.
- I'm not being paid for saying this ahahaha xD
I really like it though
Cars in Portugal might be incredibly expensive. I see some rentals as low as 400 for T1; a car would explode my budget. At least Chaves has public trans, but I wonder in what ways it's not great.
I couldn’t live in chaves ! I need to be able to have a job but if ppl don’t mind the drive and go to Spain to work and live in Portugal might work bc housing most expensive but u going to pay for lot gas so …. Is it worth it ? To me no … personally . I lived in a village ( Santa Marinha, nearest city was Seia, located in Serra da estrela ) , so for me cold I am all set and I can’t do small towns , love Lisbon 🫣 has so many things to offer: pastel de Belem , Cristo rei , pink street, baixo chiado is nice to walk, bunch restaurants everywhere , rossio , u got aquarium etc …. So I would pick Aveiro versus chaves . I love Aveiro
Are there trains from Porto and Lisbon to Chaves?
No
No but there are buses
Nope. It's buses. We took Flixbus. - Josh & Kalie
2500 for a single person is not cheap at all though. Pretty sure you can live in Porto for that price.
Then again.. depends on how much you really spend.
I think he said 1500 for a single person, 2500 for a couple. And he meant to live *comfortably* and with no worries - of course you can live OK for less than that.
€1,500 and €2,000 for a couple. - Josh & Kalie
The romans called it "Aquae Flaviae"... now guess why!
The other question I'd have is: would you retire there?
Yes
Good question. We can't see our retirement yet, at least not that granularly. One step at a time. ;-) - Josh & Kalie
The reason is almost always the same, it is a border, on any border in the world you will always see uninhabited places, there are few borders that are not, just cross the border from Chaves to Spain and you will find the same, uninhabited places , travel through Spanish Extremadura near the border and tell me what you will find.
You didn't address medical options 😮
Chaves has a hospital.
It's a city!
This isn't a hill we're willing to die on but for most North American, they would consider it a town. It's 17,500 people in the "city" and 40k in the whole municipality. It's not densely populated either. We understand that it's classified in Portugal as a city but we're trying to add nuance here. - Josh
Maybe I was distracted, but it seems you didn't mention the fact that Chaves has a Casino.
(I'm not into casinos, and I don't know how good or bad this one is, but I think it may be relevant to some people.)
It’s small, but still really fun
We didn't discuss it because it doesn't seem to be a real focal point. Do you think it is? - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere For someone wanting to move there, I don't think it is. But since you also mentioned tourists visiting for a few days, I think it adds to what the region has to offer, for those interested in that kind of stuff.
@@GazilionPT Yea, that's definitely a fair point. Thanks for bringing it up. - Josh
Beautiful town if only there was a train service.
Yeah, pretty much. Although the bus isn't bad. - Josh & Kalie
One more city that will be swarmed by digital nomads, raise prices to astronomical levels, to just be discarded by them when that happens.
Bravo.
You know true digital nomads stereotypically buy nothing, right? 😅 - Josh & Kalie
Imagine a Country that is all like Chaves - very nice, very touristy, great atractions, but far from everything, because there's not enough Public transports - that's Portugal.
Sure, there's a busy rout by the Sea Side, especially between Porto and Lisbon, but everything else, just 30Km from the coast becomes far from everything, which make no sense. The country is practically empty, which is a shame, the "inside" is Beautiful.
But basically, is not that Chaves or any other town or city in the "Inside" are far away, is just that there's not enough Public transportation, and that's what th inside needs. (Autoways don´t count!)
Yep. - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere on the flip side, it's cheap to live there, and retire, especially as portuguese person. Otherwise it'd be very hard for a national to live in it's own country
En Portugal se habla portugués, no se habla inglés¡¡¡¡
Pero ellos son estadunidenses... 😅
Nosotros ablamos muchas linguas.
Por que fez o comentário em espanhol, então?
@@Fernando-dt8je Talvez seja porque ele não é português, não?
@@diogorodrigues747 óbvio. Assim como os TH-camrs também não. Mas o comentário foi para criticá-los. Pela lógica dessa pessoa, deveria ter comentado em português.
Maybe confusing the name Chaves with (Hugo) Chavez 😂
So another claim to fame of this city. Come and improve the visibility of Chaves and not the housing speculation market.