Henk(72)

I worked my entire life in the textile industry in Tilburg. When the factory closed and my wife passed away, I had nothing left tying me down. My daughter already lived in Faro, and she suggested: why not come to the Algarve?

Lagos was love at first sight. It is smaller than Faro, but that is exactly what makes it so nice. The old town with its city walls, the spectacular cliffs at Ponta da Piedade, the fish market where I buy fresh sardines every Saturday.

Applying for my NIF was the first thing I did. Without a NIF you literally cannot do anything in Portugal — no bank account, no rental contract, no phone plan. My daughter helped me at the tax office in Faro, and within a day I had my number.

Healthcare through the SNS is excellent. My Centro de Saude in Lagos has a doctor who speaks English. For my arthritis I receive physiotherapy — four sessions per month for a €15 co-pay. In the Netherlands I paid multiples of that.

Social life surprised me. There is a Dutch bowling club, a walking group for over-65s and every Thursday a coffee morning at a local cafe. But my best friends are Portuguese — my neighbor Antonio takes me to his allotment garden and teaches me to grow vegetables.

My pension of €1,800 per month goes much further here than in Tilburg. My rent is €750 for a two-room apartment five minutes walk from the beach. I have my IRS tax return done by a local TOC who charges €200 per year. I live well, and I had not expected that at my age.