I still remember the exact moment everything clicked. It was a golden October afternoon in Lagos, and I was perched on the clifftops at Ponta da Piedade, watching the Atlantic carve sapphire patterns into the honey-coloured rock below. My laptop was balanced precariously on my knees, client deadline looming, but I couldn't stop staring at the view. The sun was warm on my shoulders, the scent of wild rosemary drifted up from the scrubland, and I thought:

This is my office now.

Two years ago, I was sitting in a grey Dublin office, scrolling through Instagram feeds filled with sun-drenched coastlines and wishing I could be anywhere else. Today? I'm living that daydream; freelancing as a copywriter and travel vlogger from one of Europe's most stunning coastal regions. If you've ever wondered whether it's actually possible to turn wanderlust into a sustainable career, let me walk you through exactly how I made it happen in the Algarve.

Let's be honest, the idea of quitting a stable job to chase sunsets sounds romantic until you're actually doing it. I worked in marketing for a tech company in Dublin for five years. A good salary, decent colleagues, but something was still missing. Every holiday I took felt too short, every Monday morning a little harder to face.

The Algarve wasn't a random choice. I'd visited Lagos on a summer holiday three years earlier and fell utterly, helplessly in love with it. Not just the beaches (though Praia do Camilo at sunrise? Unreal), but the rhythm of life here. The way people actually stop to chat in the market. The smell of grilled sardines wafting through cobbled streets. The creative community that thrives quietly beneath the tourist buzz.

I started planning my exit strategy on that holiday. Saved aggressively for 18 months, built a small portfolio of freelance copywriting clients on the side, and researched visa requirements until I could recite them in my sleep. When I finally handed in my notice, my manager looked at me like I'd announced I was joining a circus. Maybe I was, in a way, just one with better weather and pastéis de nata.

Starting as a Freelance Copywriter

Copywriting was my entry ticket to location independence. I'd been writing marketing copy in my day job, so I already had the skills; I just needed to package them differently. My first three clients came from LinkedIn connections and good old-fashioned networking. I initially undercharged (a common mistake among freelancers), but those early projects provided me with testimonials and confidence.

The beauty of copywriting is that it's 100% remote-friendly. Whether I'm crafting website copy, email campaigns, or social media content, all I need is my laptop and a decent internet connection. In the Algarve, that's surprisingly easy to find. Lagos alone has half a dozen excellent co-working spaces. My favourite is Second Home Lagos, where the light pours in through huge windows and you can hear the sea if you listen carefully.

Pro tip: Time zones are your friend here. Portugal operates on GMT/WET, which means I'm perfectly positioned to work with UK and Irish clients during their business hours, then switch to US East Coast clients in the afternoon if I want. The flexibility is incredible.

Adding Travel Vlogging to the Mix

The vlogging came later, almost by accident. I'd been documenting my new life on Instagram—coastal walks, market hauls, sunset swims—and people kept asking questions. How did you move? What's the cost of living? Where do you find authentic Portuguese food? I began creating longer-form content on YouTube to answer these questions.

I'm not going to pretend I'm a millionaire YouTuber. My channel earns modest ad revenue, but the real value is in brand partnerships and sponsored content. Tourism boards, hotels, and travel brands will pay for authentic content creators who have an engaged audience. Once I hit 10,000 subscribers, collaboration requests started arriving regularly.

The Algarve is an absolute dream for visual content. Every corner offers something photogenic, whether it's the dramatic rock formations at Benagil, the whitewashed villages of the interior, or the vibrant fishing boats bobbing in Albufeira harbour. I never run out of material, and the golden hour here? It lasts forever, bathing everything in that soft, honey-coloured light that makes even a simple street scene look magical.

Let's pull back the Instagram filter for a moment. Living and working in Portugal isn't all sunset surf sessions and pastel de nata breaks. There are real challenges, and I'd be doing you a disservice not to mention them.

Bureaucracy and Visas

Portuguese bureaucracy moves at its own leisurely pace. Getting my residency sorted took three months of appointments, paperwork, and patience. You'll need to prove income, secure health insurance, find accommodation, and navigate a system that isn't always English-friendly.

My advice? Hire a relocation specialist or lawyer for the first round; it's worth every euro to avoid mistakes that could delay your visa.

As a UK/Irish citizen, the process was slightly easier for me before Brexit fully bit, but even EU citizens face administrative hurdles. Non-EU citizens need either the D7 passive income visa or the new Digital Nomad visa. Both require financial proof and a clean criminal record.

Income Fluctuations

Freelancing means some months are feast, others are famine. My first winter in Lagos was tough; tourism declined, brands reduced their marketing budgets, and sponsored content opportunities dried up. I learned quickly to save during busy seasons and diversify income streams. Now I balance copywriting retainers (steady income) with project work and content creation (variable but potentially lucrative).

Seasonal Tourist Influx

The Algarve transforms in summer. Towns like Lagos swell with tourists, beaches get crowded, and prices spike. It's brilliant for my content (loads happening, vibrant energy), but exhausting if you crave peace. I've learned to embrace the rhythm; work harder during tourist season when opportunities abound, then retreat to quieter villages like Silves or Tavira during the peak of August madness.

Despite the challenges, the Algarve offers something increasingly rare: a genuine quality of life at an affordable price. Here's why it works so well for remote workers and creative professionals.

Cost of Living

My one-bedroom apartment in Lagos costs €750 per month, which is about half of what I paid for a flatshare in Dublin. Fresh fish at the market? €5 is enough for two people. A three-course lunch with wine? €12. Coffee? €1. You can live comfortably here on far less than in most Western European cities, which takes pressure off during lean freelance months.

Obviously, Lisbon and Porto are pricier, but even there, you'll pay less than in London or Dublin for a comparable quality of life. The Algarve strikes the perfect balance, with developed infrastructure, great amenities, and still affordable.

Digital Infrastructure

Portugal has invested heavily in digital infrastructure. My fibre-optic internet in Lagos is faster and more reliable than anything I had in Dublin. Co-working spaces are everywhere, from beachfront spots in Lagos to modern hubs in Faro. The entire country has positioned itself as a digital nomad haven, and it shows.

Mobile data is cheap (€20 gets you unlimited everything), and free WiFi is standard in cafés and restaurants. I've taken video calls from beach bars, edited vlogs in mountain-view cafés, and never once struggled with connectivity.

Community

The international community here is warm, welcoming, and easy to tap into. Lagos alone has countless meetup groups, language exchanges, and networking events. I've found fellow freelancers, photographers, writers, and entrepreneurs from every corner of the globe. There's a genuine sense of mutual support; everyone's figuring out this life abroad thing together.

The Portuguese themselves are incredibly kind, if sometimes bemused by the influx of foreigners choosing their quiet towns over big cities. Learn even basic Portuguese (bom dia, obrigada, por favor) and you'll be welcomed with open arms.

Inspiration at Every Turn

Creative work thrives on inspiration, and the Algarve delivers it in abundance. On tough writing days, I can walk five minutes to the cliffs and watch dolphins arc through the waves. When I'm stuck on a video concept, I'll drive inland to explore abandoned villages or cork forests. The landscape here is dramatic, varied, and constantly changing with the light, recharging my creative batteries in ways a grey office never could.

If you're reading this and thinking 'I want that life', here's how to actually do it, no vague platitudes, just practical steps.

1. Build Your Remote Skills First

Don't quit your job and hope it works out. Build marketable remote skills while you're still employed. Copywriting, web design, social media management, virtual assistance, and online teaching all travel well. Take courses, build a portfolio, and land your first few clients before you buy that one-way ticket.

2. Save an Emergency Fund

I recommend a minimum of six months' living expenses. Things will cost more than you expect (they always do), and having a financial cushion means you can make smart decisions rather than desperate ones. I saved €10,000 before moving, which covered my first six months' rent, deposits, flights, and surprise expenses.

3. Research Visa Requirements Early

Visa rules change frequently, so check the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) website or consult an immigration lawyer for the most up-to-date information. The D7 visa (for those with passive income or remote work) and the new Digital Nomad visa are the main routes. Begin the process at least six months before your planned move; bureaucracy can be time-consuming.

4. Visit First

Spend at least two weeks in your target area before committing. Live like a local, not a tourist. Try the co-working spaces, explore neighbourhoods, and check out the supermarkets. The Algarve varies dramatically; party-hard Albufeira feels completely different from laid-back Tavira. Find your vibe.

5. Network Relentlessly

Join Facebook groups, attend meetups, and connect with people who are already living the life you want. I messaged dozens of expats before moving, asking questions and building connections. That network became my lifeline during the early, lonely days of relocation.

One thing nobody tells you about the 'digital nomad' lifestyle: the lines between work and life blur completely. When your office is anywhere, it can be hard to switch off. I've definitely been guilty of answering emails at the beach or editing videos until midnight because the view from my balcony was just too distracting.

I've learned to set boundaries. Mornings are for deep client work. Afternoons are flexible; sometimes there's more work, sometimes a surf session, or a market trip. Evenings are sacred. The Portuguese do this brilliantly: they work to live, rather than living to work. I'm still learning, but I'm getting better at it.

The key is creating routines that ground you. I start every day with a beach walk before the tourists arrive, followed by coffee at my favourite café (shout out to Café Odeon in Lagos), and then solid work until lunch. That structure keeps me productive without feeling trapped by rigid schedules.

Let's talk money. I'm comfortable sharing this because I wish someone had been this honest with me before I made the leap.

Copywriting retainers:

 Three ongoing clients pay me a monthly retainer (€1,500 total). This covers my basic living expenses and provides me with financial stability.

Project work:

 One-off copywriting projects generate €500-€1,500 per month, depending on the season and workload.

YouTube ad revenue:

 About €300 per month. Not huge, but steady.

Sponsored content:

 This varies wildly. Some months are zero, while others are € 2,000 or more for a single campaign. I average about €800 per month across the year.

Affiliate income:

 Small but growing; around €200 per month from recommending products, services, and tools I genuinely use.

Total: €3,300-€4,500 per month, depending on the season. After tax and expenses, I net around €2,500 to €3,000. That's comfortable here, I live well, save a bit, and still have money for travel and fun.

Here's the thing nobody mentions in the glossy Instagram posts: moving abroad won't fix your problems. If you're running from something rather than running toward something, you'll just end up unhappy in a prettier location.

But if you're genuinely seeking a different way of living, more freedom, more nature, more balance, then places like the Algarve can absolutely deliver. I'm happier than I was in Dublin, without question. But it's not the sunshine or the beaches (though they help). It's the autonomy. The ability to design my days around what matters to me. The space to breathe and create without corporate constraints.

I miss my family and old friends. FaceTime helps, but it's not the same. I get lonely sometimes, especially in winter when the tourist crowds vanish and the town quietens. But then I'll catch a sunset that turns the entire sky pink and gold, or stumble upon a hidden cove where I'm the only person for miles, or share a bottle of wine with new friends who 'get it', and I remember why I'm here.

The Algarve isn't for everyone. If you thrive on big-city energy, cutting-edge culture, and 24/7 buzz, you might find it too quiet (try Lisbon instead). If you hate driving, struggle with slower bureaucracy, or need every convenience at your fingertips, it might frustrate you.

But if you want:

• Stunning natural beauty without the crowds (outside summer)

• Affordable cost of living with European standards

• Excellent digital infrastructure for remote work

• A slower, more intentional pace of life

• Year-round sunshine and outdoor living

• A welcoming international community

...then the Algarve might just be your perfect match.

Turning travel into a career isn't a fairy tale; it's work. Real, sometimes hard work that requires planning, persistence, and a thick skin for rejection and uncertainty. But it's also one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.

Every morning, I wake up to ocean air drifting through my window. I write from cafés overlooking medieval fortresses. I film sunsets that make my followers weep with envy. I have the freedom to take a Tuesday afternoon off to explore a new beach, then work on Saturday when inspiration strikes.

Is it perfect? No. Would I trade it for my old life? Not in a million years.

If you're sitting at a desk right now, dreaming of something different, I want you to know: it's possible. It won't happen overnight, and it won't be easy. However, with planning, courage, and a bit of luck, you can absolutely build a life that makes you excited to wake up in the morning.

The Algarve taught me that. Maybe it can teach you, too.

Written by Emily O’Hara

Originally from Dublin, Emily lives in the Algarve, where she works as a copywriter and travel vlogger. Her writing captures the sensory beauty of Portugal’s coast—sun, surf, and simplicity. Emily’s content blends visual storytelling with emotional connection, inspiring creative nomads to find their rhythm abroad.

📍 From Dublin, now in Lagos (Algarve)
Emily’s lively, visual storytelling brings Portugal’s coast to life—sunshine, surf, and the joy of remote creativity.
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