Buying Property in Portugal? Check out Castanheira de Pera
Published on 21 September 2007
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If you’re thinking of buying property in Portugal check out Castanheira de Pera because if you want Portuguese real estate as an investment or even for your own relocation or retirement, the beaches are not the only place to look.
Within Portugal’s central region you’ll find a completely different world that’s well worth exploring – especially if a quaint lifestyle and reasonable property prices are what you desire. One area that many find is more than worth a closer look is as stated, the municipality of Castanheira de Pera.
Castanheira de Pera enjoys an incredible natural backdrop provided by Lousa Mountain and it is this mountain and the general visual impact of this part of Portugal that is now luring in growing numbers of visitors.
Those who do visit find that the town of Castanheira de Pera’s history dates back hundreds of years and the historical references are still so evident in the town’s many interesting sites and attractions which provide the tourists with plenty of activities to keep them occupied.
The Chapel of Santo Antonio da Neve for example, which is found at the top of Lousa Mountain is a popular draw and this chapel’s history dates back to 1787. This site is considered one of the major must-see locations for visitors and mountain climbers - and tourists and residents in Castanheira de Pera will also find entertainment in the form of everything from artificial waves on Rocas Fluvial Beach at the area’s waterpark for example, to plenty of wild terrain for four-wheel drive fun.
In addition to all of these sites and activities, visitors to Castanheira de Pera delight in the gorgeous countryside and the much slower pace of life that is found here in rural Portugal – slower in comparison to the hectic pace of life you find in some of the more modernised resort areas of Portugal such as on the Algarve and now increasingly along the Silver Coast as well.
Castanheira de Pera property investment opportunities are a little different to what you’ll find in the bigger resorts and destination areas too. Here you’ll find old farmhouses ripe for renovation, interesting and character pieces of property and a backdrop that is more than just picturesque! The area around Castanheira de Pera boasts a population of under 4,000 so dealing with overcrowding shouldn’t be a concern and it does also mean you can purchase land and develop your own real estate opportunities.
There are some things about the Portuguese countryside that expatriates might need to know before selecting a property there though - living in the Portuguese countryside doesn’t come with all the perks of true city living obviously, but the country is well developed enough that Castanheira de Pera does have running water, electricity, telephones and fairly decent road infrastructure. So, if a less crowded life and beautiful landscape appeals to you, the lack of some amenities shouldn’t prove a huge concern for you.
Properties here run a rather wide range in prices. It is quite feasible to find single family homes in Castanheira de Pera for well under EUR 100,000 for example, although higher-end purchases are also available for in excess of EUR 225,000.
While this part of Portugal does not provide a year-round tourist rental income to investors, a good yield can be obtained by purchasing for the local market to rent your real estate assets. You can also hope for occasional vacation rental or more likely, this is probably a part of Portugal that you will want to buy into for your own personal living.
The cost of living in rural Portugal is considered quite favourable to other European destinations and certainly to the rest of the nation - in fact a budget of about EUR 1,000 will take care of a family of two rather nicely for a month.
If buying property in Portugal is your dream come true, there is more to explore than the major destinations like the Algarve and cities like Lisbon - the country’s interior offers a completely different way of life than you’ll find in the cities and the real estate prices are also far more reasonable making particularly the Castanheira de Pera region worth a closer look for investors and expatriates.
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