Guimaraes to Live or Only to Visit? | What You Need to Know

Josh and Kalie from ExpatsEverywhere explore the city of Guimaraes (Guimarães) and what it would be like to live there as an expat. The city is widely recognized as the cradle of Portugal due to it being the birthplace of King Afonso 1.

Guimaraes has a good amount of young people because of the number of universities there including one of the campuses of Universidade do Minho. Guimaraes also has one of the best soccer (football) fanbases in the country that enthusiastically supports Vitória de Guimaraes. The city itself does a have a smaller feel so if that’s what you’re looking for in a place to call home, it might just be for you.

Josh and Kalie break down different costs for you as you consider life here as an expat. There aren't many English-speaking expats in Guimarães but see what this charming town has to offer. You can spend time around the UNESCO World Heritage site city center or check out the castle and palace. Learn why this town is considered the birthplace of Portugal. Try the yummy food, take in the beautiful architecture, and ride the cable car up to see the town from above. Could you be an expat in this small town?

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[paulogarciadesousa]

I’m probably partial towards Guimarães, as the heart does have its reasons, but I think there’s a couple of additional features that would endear it to people looking for that charming-yet-amenable vibe: The Pousada de Santa Marinha (great bar and fireplace lounge for those long winter nights), the Santuário da Penha (the restaurant at the top of mountain has got a stunning view of the valley and the city) and, for those looking for affordable recently built housing, the neighbourhoods slightly up the mountain slope. Just off the top of my head, there’s probably more stuff that I’m forgetting right now. Anyway, great content! What’s next on the menu? Amarante?? You’ll love the old town and the river beaches!

[vibrantly]

We just went to Guimaraes for three nights and stayed at the incredible Villa Margaridi! If you are looking for a cooler climate yet, not as rainy as Porto and a feel of being in like Tuscany - with the hills all around - with a small town, relaxed feel - this town would suit you!

[CarlosPT-hbzb]

I choose Guimaraes 30 years ago to live with 3 children, prefering over Braga or Porto, because this fantastic city (not so small as you say...) has everything for families: work; fantastic schools (private or public); dozens of different sports to learn and pratice for me and children; culture (the density of festivals and culture clubs is attonishimg); dozens of restaurants of all specilities; motorways to everywhere (in 10 minutos you can arrive to Braga; in 20 minutes to Porto; in 25 minutes to beach); a good public hospital; etc etc

[michaelbrohl]

Cute, quaint, and mellow. Love it. My kind of place.

[NunoMeneses]

You have lots of festivals in Guimarães which are really worth. Jazz, dance, theater, rock, etc.
Lots of nature in Guimarães too.

Transportation in Guimaraes in mainly by BUS. There's a City Bus that goes around the municipality limits and then Buses to many destinations, Braga, Porto, Vila do Conde, Lisbon, Coimbra, and many others. There's also a direct Bus to Porto airport that takes around 50m, costs 8€ (taken it many times...).
Train you can go to Porto (it's a parallel line from Braga that intersects in a station called Lousado), but also has direct trains to Lisbon (Intercidades).

[moward]

You have knocked it out of the park again! The information was rich in details. You are helping so much by being eyes and ears for future expats. I appreciate you guys and what you do! ❤👍🏽

[vodcome]

Neat little town…. Worth visiting
Once again… nice video, good info 👍
I just love the architecture

[terrisokolow]

What a beautiful little town! Great video again!

[verapinto]

Minha cidade Guimarães é maravilhosa linda aqui Nasceu Portugal 🏰💯👌🇵🇹🙏😘❤

[JenShea]

Obrigada Team Expats Everywhere. I didn't know very much about this town and I think it looks like a great city. I'm partial to being close to the water, but this looks like a great place for people who aren't interested in seeing the ocean every day!

[geechen]

Very charming architecture. Another great video! Thank you. =)

[teodoro]

Of course I went first to Street View & looked for graffities (where all the mugging starts). I found not a single one. Nice town, the "cradle of Portugal" deserves at least a visit. Thumbs up. Greetings.

[Yasin_Affandi]

Thanks for this wonderful video n thanks for showing Guimaraes, Portugal.

[cbliss]

Thanks for the overview, guys! You give great info. We are planning to visit Guimaraes and Braga soon. I guess we will be taking the bus in between! :)

[dickielarue]

I've been to Guimares several Time's...Love the History of the City...Many good restaurants and cultural activities...I also enjoyed the nature outside of the city where hiking and biking is a wonderful way to explore...I eventually chose Ponte de Lima as my home in the North...The access to the Braga train station gives me the AP train to Lisboa...Guimares does not have AP train...If you do not have a car like We do...Strategies need to be considered when living in the Interior of Portugal...Food for thought...You will get more Bang for your buck living outside the city Centers...Braga is 30 minutes from Ponte de Lima and gives me the thing's I need and like in a short time frame...I.M.H.O. there is so much to Portugal then Oporto, Lisboa and Algarve...Blessings and Positive Energy from Monte Estoril today...🇵🇹✌🤘🤙

[flavial.]

It seems a great place to visit and to live! I was checking here, definitely very affordable outside the city.

[alexandracastro]

Hi! Girl from Guimarães here!
Yes it's a bit tough to find housing and live in the main historical area that you've shown. A very few % of Guimarães people actually LIVE there.
We have a small downtown and a very big number of suburbia that is connected with fairly sparse/nature areas between them.

The city is extremely cultural with usually lots of festivals and activities: International Jazz, Music, Art, festivities, cultural clubs, etc. The tech and textile companies are all around those suburbia areas too.
We have lots of green spaces and park areas for families.
We also have another big Shopping Mall (bigger than the one you've shown) in one of those suburbia areas.
Being born and raised here, you really need a car most of the time. A lot of us don't go inside the historical downtown that often too in our day to day. It's sometimes just a way to somewhere else we want to go or you just want to relax on your down time.
Hope that helped!

[nikim]

Looks beautiful! Thank you both for what you do

[NationalSafetyInc]

My wife and I just got back from Guimaraes. We were there for 4 days right before Christmas and stayed at the Villa Margaridi. The owner, Jose and his family, traces back 14 generations of his family owning the villa which celebrated it's 1, 000th aniversary (yes, 1, 000th. It dates back to 1021). His has turned an outbuilding that used to store grain, dried fruits, nuts, potatoes and wine into a beautiful Airbnb. He will give you a tour of his gardens that were based on the Versaille gardens. I won't tell you more so as not to ruin the tour for you but I will say that the 300 year of Camellias are worth the trip, especially this time of year as they are just starting to flower. He also produces a vinho verde branco and a vinho verde tinto that are 100% organic and very good. If you decide to visit I can't recommend Villa Margaridi enough. You'll thank me for the recommendation.
I agree that I don't think we could live there either but it is a must see if you are in Portugal. We weren't able to take the cable car up as the morning we were going to do so the "mountain" was in the clouds and mist and we would have missed the view which is the main reason to go there in the first place.
Absolutely LOVED the old town area, especially this time of year with the Christmas lights and decorations up. I reminded me of a Charles Dickens Christmas.
My wife and I moved here to Portugal this past August and live in Aveiro. When are you guys coming down to check out Aveiro? Smaller than Porto but big enough to be referred to by some as the city that's a town. There are 78, 000 people that live here but we rarely go for a walk without running into someone we know. It is extremely walkable with beautiful canals with the Moliceiro boats, Ovos Molles, the Mercado that's open everyday, the salt flats and the beach that's only 6 miles away. Let us know when you're ready to explore the "little Venice of Portugal"!