Tomar, a town of about 20,000 in central Portugal, is drawing a lot of interest from Americans who are thinking about moving to Portugal. Those who have visited, are charmed by its quaint historic district, it’s medieval Templar castle and the delightful Rio Nabão that flows through it.

They like the size of the town, its location and the essential shopping amenities it offers. Tomar is in central Portugal, about 90 minutes by road or train from Lisbon and an hour from the coast. You can also reach Porto, the country’s second largest city, in about two hours, or the third largest city, Coimbra, in about an hour by road. Coimbra is the site of Portugal’s oldest university.

I have traveled extensively in Portugal and I still think Tomar is the nicest town of its size in the country.

I first visited Tomar three years ago, shortly after I retired from my job as a journalist with the Albuquerque Journal, in New Mexico. I spent two months traveling the country, researching whether I could realize my dream to move to Portugal. As luck would have it, I found a beautifully restored old stone cottage in a village near the town and I have been happily living here since July 2019.

Earlier this year, I began freelancing for the new online magazine Portugal Living. My feature article on Tomar appears on page 26 of the Fall issue.

So, if you have an interest in moving to Portugal, check out my article. The magazine also has many articles which provide valuable information on subjects such as finances for expats, buying property and – of course – Portuguese wines!