Miranda & Jan-Willem(56)

Jan-Willem was managing partner at a law firm in The Hague, I had my own interior design firm. At 54 we decided to step back. Not stop — but change. Sintra, with its palaces, forests and mist, felt like the Wassenaar of Portugal, but more romantic.

We bought a quinta in Colares, on the edge of the Sintra-Cascais Nature Park, for €650,000. Five bedrooms, a garden of 3,000m², and views of the Atlantic Ocean. In Wassenaar we had sold our house for €1.2 million. We invested the difference.

The Golden Visa was not necessary for us — we are EU citizens. But the NHR regime was essential. Jan-Willem still earns as of counsel for his firm. Under NHR his income from the Netherlands is taxed at a favorable rate. Our tax advisor at KPMG Portugal calculated a saving of €25,000 per year.

Sintra is not a typical expat destination. It is cooler and wetter than the Algarve, with regular mist due to its mountain location. But for us that is the charm. We hike in the forests of Monserrate, dine at Michelin restaurants in Cascais, and drive to Lisbon in 30 minutes for culture.

The social circle we have built here is more diverse than in Wassenaar. Portuguese aristocrats, British artists, French winemakers. The Sintra area attracts a certain type of person: cultural, curious and slightly eccentric. We feel at home.

Our advice to affluent Dutch people: Portugal is not just for budget travelers. The infrastructure for wealthy expats is excellent — private banking at Millennium BCP, international schools, premium healthcare at Hospital da Luz. You give up nothing in quality, but gain in enjoyment of life.