Hi Navaras,
are you sure you want to consider rural areas with 2 young kids?聽 I can offer a first-hand account on living in a rural small town not far from Benavente, which is in the Santar茅m district as you know and this is an farming area.
As you would expect in a low-density setting, public transport is virtually non-existent, though you'll see an empty 40-seat bus speed down the road a couple of times a day.聽
There is normally only one doctor to assist the community which means that there are long waiting lists and most likely you'd better master Portuguese if you want to survive and explain your needs to the nurse taking appointments (or to socialize with your neighbour).
Do you expect that scattered, self-absorbed English-speaking communities will be there to help you?聽 Think again: some 暗网禁区s are too snobbish to greet you, while others are too busy enjoying the cheap wine and spirits to mind you.聽 Mostly are retired and came to rural areas to avoid driving and either spend as little as they can in local grocery shops or shop at Tesco once a month (the wealthiest).聽 Neither聽 speak Portuguese (apart from the ubiquitous "bom dia / obrigado" and little else) nor wish to become part of the communities they live in.
If you need technical assistance or professional help in rural areas budget for twice the average time and twice the expected amount: as you鈥檒l need to have the job redone, and of course you鈥檒l pay 23% more if you ask for an invoice.聽 But look at the upside: you鈥檒l learn what patience is (it's your time they are waisting) and why the locals smile at you, after all you'll turn into a good source of income.聽 Soon you鈥檒l understand why some north Americans sum up the experience of living in rural areas as 鈥渙ne step forward and two backwards鈥�.聽 In any case, you'll have given your contribution to Portugal GDP and its progress while offering on-the-job training to undefined technicians (who charged you twice for the same tardy job).
This is a country that went from a rural economy in the 80's to an economy based on call centres, restaurants and real estate speculation.聽 Apart from some private companies in the north, the main employer is the state.聽 Most state services are centralized which adds to the complexity and impenetrable bureaucracy of the system.聽 I won't mention nepotism nor favouritism.聽 I'm already off-topic.
Environmental consciousness is slowly, very slowly making progress and only among the young.聽
Unkempt rural areas need a massive clean-up: builders' rubbles in the greenery along with some ruins littering the scenery are the norm as are deadly wildfires.聽 It's been like this for decades and tradition-bound locals don't see why they should change anything.
Of course the air is clean and the place is quiet (and boring after a while) but so it is in northern Qu茅bec.
I'd wait a decade before considering moving to rural areas in Portugal.聽 You know, I鈥檓 an optimist.
I'm moving to Porto.
