10 things I don’t like about Portugal

10 things I hate about Portugal

Today, I’m talking about a rather controversial subject, which is 10 things that I don’t like about Portugal. Now many of you know that I’ve spent a lot of time in Portugal, in fact it’s actually my second home. I’ve spent over a year studying Portuguese at Coimbra University and generally can’t stop raving about the place. However, nowhere is perfect, and there are always drawbacks anywhere you go.

This blog comes with the preface that I absolutely love Portugal and would completely spend forever there given half the chance. I don’t want this blog to come across as negative, but rather advice for anyone who is considering travelling, studying, or living in Portugal. I always try to give a balanced viewpoint in my blog articles, and so this is just one blog about the downsides of Portugal, compared to over forty blogs that I have written shedding Portugal in a positive light! Please know that I am a genuine blogger and speak my mind, and this includes me looking at the positives and negatives of each place when I visit, so that you can make the best of your time there!

10 things that I hate in Portugal!

So, come on then, here goes…my honest opinion about 10 things that I dont like in Portugal!

#1 Slippery Pavements – Calçadas

First on the list is the very slippery pavements which are called Calçadas. If you havent been to Portugal before, have a look at some pictures of these calçadas or pavements online – they are absolutely beautiful. Some parts of Portugal even have pictures artistically put into the calçadas. Lisbon has lots of patterned pavements, particularly around Baixa, Cais do Sodre and Chiado. If you go down to Lagos, you’ll even see octopuses and anchors in the pavement. Its beautiful! However, they may look beautiful, but they are dangerous! Basically, when it rains, these calçadas get so slippy that you can easily injure yourself.

Octopus Calcadas Lagos
Octopus calçadas in Lagos

I fell on a calçada in Lisbon and the only thing that’s saved my knee was the fact that I’ve been clothes shopping, and I landed on my bag of shopping! When I took my Mom to the Algarve, we went to Loulé and she had quite a bad slip and actually banged her head on the pavement. In Lisbon, people generally don’t go out as much in the rain and that is the reason why. You need to avoid going on these Pavements when it’s really, really wet – only go on these Pavements when you’ve got proper sturdy walking boots on. Do not – I repeat DO NOT attempt to walk on the calçadas in heels or slippy footwear! It’s deadly!

#2 Bureaucracy

The second thing that is challenging about Portugal is the bureaucracy. If you want to spend any amount of time here and you’ve NOT got an EU passport, say for example you’re a Brit trying to come to Portugal post Brexit or maybe you’ve got an American passport and you want to get residency here, there are going to be challenges.

One of the biggest challenges people seem to face here is that sometimes people behind the desks don’t know the rules or how to process visas or your residency applications. Sometimes, you may find that it depends on the person behind the desk knowing their stuff or being efficient, and so if you go to an office and you don’t get what you want, try going again the next day when it’s a different person and a different time and you might well find that they stamp it or sign it off! What we found is that some people have been asked to get an atestado, which is like a witness from a Portuguese citizen, but some people haven’t been asked for that – some people have just had things go straight through. Some people have been asked to have evidence of money in their bank account and others haven’t. This is even sometimes in the same city, for example, we’re studying in Coimbra and even here, sometimes people are being told things that are not actually true or that have been interpreted differently. It’s a bit of a minefield.

My best recommendation if you want to try and navigate this is to learn Portuguese, because you’ll find you get a lot further if you speak some basic Portuguese. My Portuguese is level B1 now, which is just about enough to be able to navigate some of these things and it definitely definitely helps.

Don’t be put off by the bureaucratic challenges, keep on ploughing through, because it’s worth it in the end!

#3 Bad Weather in the North

Number three on the list is bad weather in the North of Portugal! Now I am British, I’m so I always talk about the weather! One of the things that surprised me about Portugal was in the north they do still have have really quite bad weather. It is very hilly and wet, with chilly winters. Expect quite a bit of rain in Porto and expect December and January to be rather cold throughout Portugal, particularly at night.

Highlights of Portugal Ribeira Porto
A grey and rainy day in Porto

If you’re visiting the North and you’re coming in November or December, don’t pack as if you’re going to the Algarve in summer, because you will freeze! You need to think practically – pack lots of pairs of jeans and lots of sweaters. You might find this article on What to wear in Portugal helpful.

If you’re traveling to the north in the winter, just keep an eye on the weather report as well. If you are heading up to the Serra Estrela mountains, they have snow, and with that comes great opportunities for skiing!

#4 Barking Dogs

Next on the list is the barking dogs! We experienced this in the south in the Algarve and I’ve also experienced it in Bragança. Many Portuguese people do have big dogs as guard dogs and some of them don’t seem to control the amount they bark. Sometimes they can be left out barking all night, which is obviously a bit of an annoyance if you want to go to sleep.

We have our own little dog – Blakey! if you didn’t already know about Blake, he’s very cute! He’s a little Patterdale terrier cross, and when we first bought him for a trip to Portugal he was a bit stressed out and scared of the big dogs because they have quite big mongrels that come across rather aggressive when they are territorial, so be aware that when you choose a place to stay, scope out the situation with dogs beforehand if possible.

Our dog Blake making friends with a Portuguese dog in Bragança

They’re off lead as well sometimes, which can be quite scary if you’re walking your own dog and they show aggression. We experienced stray dogs and owned dogs off lead following us in Portugal and the same thing has happened to my friend Tara who has a black lab in Coimbra. Its unpleasant when you get followed, especially if you don’t know the dog and your dog is not a fan of other dogs.

#5 Dog poo in the streets

This one links into the previous point – as well as the barking dogs, you may experience dog poop left in the streets. Now I don’t know why this is, but we have a dog and we clean up after him. We take poo bags everywhere! In some parts of Portugal, people just don’t seem to scoop the poop after they’ve walked their dogs. Sometimes they even just let the dogs out without walking them, so it’s out without a collar and lead – they just poop in the streets! So be careful about where you’re treading! I actually went to a whole class at university with a shitty shoe!

#6 Brits abroad on the Algarve

The next thing that I want to mention is this issue of Brits abroad. Now, I’m going to have to be slightly insulting to my own kind here, but there are a lot of parts of the Algarve where it’s a little bit embarrassing to be British. For example, Albufeira and Praia de Rocha (Portimao). So, if you don’t want a binge drinking culture or a culture which is quite highly British, you want to avoid those areas and choose somewhere more authentically Portuguese. In some of these holiday areas, you’re not going to hear very much Portuguese being spoken, but you are going to be able to get your fish and chips!

Vilamoura Marina
Vilamoura Marina, Algarve

If you want to avoid that, choose somewhere more authentic. I really like Loulé as an option in the Algarve, because to me it just feels a lot more Portuguese with the Mercado and Portuguese speaking restaurants. Make sure that you select destinations according to what you want the city or town to offer. If you are going to Vilamoura, you’re going to see a lot of fast cars and yachts along with fancy restaurants. Thats all well and good if this is what you want, but if you are looking for authentic Portugal, you wont find it in Vilamoura, Albufeira or Praia de Rocha. In fact, if you want a truly Portuguese experience, I recommend that you consider the North.

is Loule worth visiting Portugal
Loulé, Algarve

#7 Forest Fires

Forest fires are quite a serious matter. There were forest fires in Portugal when I arrived in Porto last summer. I found it almost impossible to get to Coimbra because the forest fires had just basically taken over all of central Portugal. It was really dangerous. There were several deaths. There were people who lost their houses and even people who lost their lives, people who had pets killed by the fires – it was absolutely awful. The roads were all blocked off and it took the firefighters in Portugal at least 3-4 days to even start getting the fires under control. They had to send in the big water planes from Spain and Greece along with several other countries to put out the fires.

The year prior to that, when I was on the Algarve, there were also forest fires in Monchique, so it’s really important to be aware of the forest fire situation, particularly if you’re coming in the summer, which is when they’re more likely to happen due to the very very dry weather and the heat. So be aware of how this could affect your travel plans.

In the summer fires last year, I had my bus cancelled so then I to get a taxi, but the taxi wouldn’t take me, so then I finally I had to get a train and I go to Coimbra about 7 hours later than I should have. Be aware of how it affects the reigon where you are staying – you don’t want to be booked for a region prone to fires in the height of the season. Do your research – areas in central Portugal and in the Algarve are very prone to it.

Even if you are not staying directly in an area affected by forest fires, if you are nearby then the air quality can be affected by the smoke, and this can be terrible for breathing conditions such as asthma. I suffered quite a lot of with my asthma in Bragança due to nearby forest fire and I ended up being in hospital from the smoke inhalation.

I’ve done a whole video about traveling with asthma, if you’re interested in looking at that. But, please be aware that the issue of fires is a very serious one in Portugal, and so I cannot stress enough that you should do your research.

#8 Couvert in Restaurants

I want to talk now about something that happens in restaurants that is quite different to what happens in the UK – and that’s the concept of couvert. For me, it’s not actually something that I hate about Portugal, because I’m quite used to it, but I know that it can catch a lot of people out. Some Brits even comment about being ‘ripped off’ in Portuguese restaurants, but paying for your couvert or snack starters such as bread and olives is completely normal. In England, when bread arrives on the table without you ordering it, it’s complimentary. In Portugal, you need to pay for it, or send it back! The same can happen with cheese, olives and sardine paste – if you don’t want it you can just tell them ‘nāo obrigado’ and they will take away and you will not be charged for it on the bill. But, if you eat something, even if you never ordered it, expect to see it on your bill!

10 things I hate about Portugal
Eating out in Portugal – Expect to be charged for your ‘couvert’!

#9 Mosquitos

Another thing I hate about Portugal is the mosquitos. Now, the mozzies in Portugal don’t carry deadly diseases such as malaria. But, they still bite! I got bitten by Mozzies in the Algarve and also in Lisbon, and I react quite badly to being bitten. So antihistamines and hydrocortisone cream are a must for me! Remember to close your windows properly at night and wear bug spray. I recommend the Jungle Formula and you can buy it on Amazon here.

#10 Leaving!

Let’s be honest here – the last thing I hate about Portugal is the day you have to pack up and leave! Seriously, this place has drawbacks that I have mentioned, but overall, Portugal is AMAZING! I genuinely dread the day I have to fly back to freezing and depressing UK. Yep, the worst thing about Portugal is having to leave!

is Lisbon worth visiting yellow tram
A yellow tram in Lisbon

Portugal is truly a wonderful destination to visit, and remember that no where is perfect. Every country has drawbacks and flaws. I hope that you found this article interesting. If you are thinking about traveling in Portugal or even moving to Portugal to study or to work, it’s absolutely fantastic. I’m always raving about Portugal – I absolutely love it! I’ve made quite a few videos on my YouTube channel about Portugal and so if you want to watch them, please subscribe to my channel here.