Why study, intern, volunteer or work temporarily in Portugal?

• because there are many English-language courses available.
• because the student cities of Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra have vibrant and dynamic city life. 
• because Portugal has a developed economy with many opportunities for internships and graduate jobs, especially in the tourism, technology and education sectors.

What should you pay attention to?

• that patience is a virtue, and you can develop your patience well in Portugal. 
• that time is relative.

What are the customs in Portugal regarding food?

• Eating is a social activity. Lunch and dinners can take multiple hours.
• Almoço (lunch) is the biggest meal of the day. It traditionally consists of three courses: soup, maincourse and dessert.

What are the best recipes in Portugal?

• A lot of fish is eaten, which is not surprising given the coastline of 850 kilometers. Popular fish dishes are the bacalhau recipes used to prepare dried cod. It is said that there is a bacalhau recipe for every day of the year. Besides dried cod, grilled sardines and caldeirada, stew with potato and different types of fish, are favorites. The Portugese love their meat as well: chicken piri-piri or arroz de sarrabulho (rice with pigblood).

What are the best drinks in Portugal?

• Vinho verde is a light green wine.
• Ginja is a liqueur and it is always served in a shot glass, with a spirit at the bottom. 
• Port is also a typical Portuguese drink.

What are notable holidays and festivals in Portugal?

• Most towns and villages in Portugal have their own traditional festas or romarias.
• Romarias are local religious festivals that honor the saints of a particular area in Portugal.
• About 80-85% of the Portuguese population is Catholic. So most holidays are based on Christian holidays, such as Christmas, Easter and Ascension Day.
• At Easter, beautiful processions pass by in every Portuguese city, with floats decorated with flowers.
• Queima das Fitas: Coimbra's students celebrate the end of the academic year in the first week of May with parties, concerts and exhibitions.
• Festo de Santo António is on June 12 and 13. This is when Lisbon's favorite saint is honored with parties that go on all night in the city streets.
• Festa de São João: Porto and Braga in northern Portugal "go wild" in June in honor of Saint Juan, with fireworks, concerts, bonfires and lots of noise.
• Medieval Festival: The medieval market in the still-walled town of Óbido is the place for two weeks of sword-fighting, singing minstrels, roasted pigs and spirits in July.
• Festival de Sudoeste: One of Portugal's largest music festivals erupts every August in the coastal town of Zambujeira do Mar.

What are the notable habits in Portugal?

• The Portuguese are traditional and conservative. Innovation and major changes within the family or community are not easily accepted. Life in Portugal revolves around the family and even now in the 21st century, old customs and traditions can be seen daily.
• Fado is a typical Portuguese music movement from the 19th century and the life song of the locals. While Fado used to be popular only in bars and brothels of the poorer neighborhoods in Lisbon and Coimbra, nowadays it is very popular and you come across it in many places.
• Typically Portuguese are azulejos, Portuguese tiles that you find a lot on and in railway stations, churches and houses. Often they are blue and white, but they can also be richly colored.
• Time is relative and being late for appointments is very common.