Portugal is one of the best countries in which to do Erasmus, the good climate, its exquisite gastronomy, its fabulous beaches and its cheap cost of living make it a destination that is increasingly in demand.
If you're thinking of doing Erasmus in Portugal, but you're not sure which destination you'd like to apply for, don't worry! In this post, we advise you on the 5 best Erasmus destinations in Portugal. Shall we start?
Lisbon
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Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and its most populous city. Due to the large number of international students it receives every year, student life is very good. In addition, several student associations organise events, activities and parties, so you will surely not get bored any day. Some of the activities that you have to try during your Erasmus in Lisbon are partying in Bairro Alto, visiting Cascais and Sintra, eating out in the Baixa Chiado area, or taking a walk through the streets of Lisbon. Every day you will discover something new.
Even though Lisbon is a touristy city, it is considerably cheap. To give you an idea, you can eat in a restaurant for around €5-10.
Porto
Porto is the second most populous city in Portugal and is known for being the capital of wine in this country. If you like wine, you can enjoy Porto wine in the Ribeira area and even do wine-tasting routes through the different wineries located along the river.
Its Universities welcome thousands of students each year to all types of university degrees. In this city, you will always find a good student atmosphere and numerous Erasmus students.
In Porto life is very pleasant and, in general, the inhabitants of the city are very welcoming and will do their best to help you. Also, if you don't speak Portuguese they will make an effort to understand you.
Coimbra
Coimbra is, without a doubt, the most important university city in Portugal, where 20% of the city's population are students. It may not cause a great impact at first glance, but it will surely surprise you little by little.
The University of Coimbra is the oldest university in Portugal and one of the oldest in all of Europe. It was created in 1290 and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In addition, this city is located between Lisbon and Porto, so you can easily visit both cities. It is a really cheap city, more even than Porto or Lisbon.
Without a doubt, Coimbra is one of the best Erasmus destinations in Portugal.
Aveiro
Aveiro is a small city located between Coimbra and Porto and is known as the "Portuguese Venice", due to the many canals that cross the city and the typical boats called "moliceiros", very similar to the Venetian gondolas. Their colourful houses are also well-known in the city.
It is a quiet city, but despite being small (about 80,000 inhabitants), the student atmosphere is very good. Normally, students usually meet at Praça do Peixe.
Like the rest of the Portuguese cities, Aveiro is quite cheap. To give you an idea, you can live well with around €500-600 per month.
Faro
Finally, Faro is located in the south of Portugal, in the Algarve region. It is a characteristic city for its cobbled streets and full of small houses.
A very positive aspect of doing Erasmus in Faro is that you are only a few minutes from the beach. If you like water sports (surfing, windsurfing…) and you are looking for a pleasant temperature throughout the year, Faro is the perfect destination for you. If you decide to do Erasmus in Faro, you cannot forget to visit the other cities in the Algarve region and if you want to travel, you can easily do so from the city itself, since it has an airport.
This is our list of the best Erasmus destinations in Portugal. Have you made up your mind on which city you would like to study? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, looking forward to reading it.