Forget Lisbon: This City is Portugal's Best Kept Secret
The Ronan McMahon Report
20,205 views
There’s one coastal city in Portugal that most international buyers still haven’t found.
It has long Atlantic beaches, a beautifully preserved old town, mountains, riverfront parks, incredible food—and it’s just 45 minutes from Porto’s international airport.
This is Viana do Castelo. 🇵🇹
While buyers have poured into Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, Viana has largely stayed under the radar. But that’s beginning to change.
More visitors are arriving. International buyers are taking notice. New waterfront developments are appearing.
Yet property here still averages around 45% less than Porto.
My name is Ronan McMahon. For more than 20 years, I’ve been a full-time international real estate investor and scout, looking for places where the real estate story is about to change.
Portugal is a market I know particularly well. I’ve personally invested across the country, from the Algarve and Silver Coast to Portugal’s northern coastline.
And I consider Viana one of the most complete—and overlooked—coastal cities in Portugal.
CHAPTERS ⏱️
00:00 — Portugal’s Last Undiscovered Coastal City
01:03 — Why Viana do Castelo Is Different
03:43 — Why Buyers Are Starting to Notice
05:47 — Buying Property in Portugal
06:55 — What It Costs to Own in Viana
09:36 — The Rental Opportunity
11:03 — Subscribe & Next Steps
In this episode, you’ll discover:
• Why Viana has remained overlooked while the rest of Portugal boomed 🇵🇹
• How prices compare with nearby Porto 💶
• What €200,000 to €300,000 can still buy around the city 🏡
• Why Portugal remains unusually accessible for foreign buyers
• Where I see the most interesting opportunities today 📍
• Why rental demand could strengthen as more international visitors discover the city 📈
What I like about Viana is that it isn’t simply another resort town.
It’s a genuine working Portuguese city.
The old town is compact and walkable. The River Lima runs through its heart. Wide Atlantic beaches stretch north and south. And the surrounding landscape gives you an unusual combination of mountains, river and ocean.
You also don’t need a huge budget to participate.
Small apartments in the historic center can start in the mid-€200,000s. Renovated central apartments can be found from the mid-€300,000s. And in villages just outside Viana, homes close to the beach can still trade in the €200,000 to €300,000 range.
For foreign buyers, Portugal also remains straightforward.
You don’t need citizenship or residency to own property, and non-residents can typically access financing of up to 70% of a property’s value.
There’s an income story here too.
Local agents report a shortage of quality long-term rentals, with well-positioned properties capable of gross yields in the mid-to-high single digits. Short-term tourism is still more seasonal—but that’s part of what makes the timing interesting.
Viana isn’t for someone looking for the crowds and nightlife of Lisbon or the Algarve.
It’s for someone looking for lifestyle, space, walkability, Atlantic coastline—and the chance to buy into a Portuguese city before the rest of the international market fully catches on.
⭐️ Subscribe for more on-the-ground insights into emerging real estate markets around the world.
📥 Download Your FREE Portugal Real Estate Buyer’s Guide:
https://ronanmcmahonreport.com/portugal/
📘 Get a copy of my Big Book of Profitable Real Estate Investing:
https://new.realestatetrendalert.com/...
📸 Instagram:
Instagram: ronanmcmahonreport
🎵 TikTok:
TikTok: ronanmcmahonreport
📘 Facebook:
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💼 LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-...
🎙️ Spotify Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/033l7XM...
🍎 Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
#VianaDoCastelo #PortugalRealEstate #PortugalProperty
16 Comments
Make sure to seriously seriously look into everything before considering buying in Portugal....
Good luck to u ALLLLL
Forget Lisbon: This City is Portugal's Best Kept Secret
The Ronan McMahon Report
20,205 views
There’s one coastal city in Portugal that most international buyers still haven’t found.
It has long Atlantic beaches, a beautifully preserved old town, mountains, riverfront parks, incredible food—and it’s just 45 minutes from Porto’s international airport.
This is Viana do Castelo. 🇵🇹
While buyers have poured into Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, Viana has largely stayed under the radar. But that’s beginning to change.
More visitors are arriving. International buyers are taking notice. New waterfront developments are appearing.
Yet property here still averages around 45% less than Porto.
My name is Ronan McMahon. For more than 20 years, I’ve been a full-time international real estate investor and scout, looking for places where the real estate story is about to change.
Portugal is a market I know particularly well. I’ve personally invested across the country, from the Algarve and Silver Coast to Portugal’s northern coastline.
And I consider Viana one of the most complete—and overlooked—coastal cities in Portugal.
CHAPTERS ⏱️
00:00 — Portugal’s Last Undiscovered Coastal City
01:03 — Why Viana do Castelo Is Different
03:43 — Why Buyers Are Starting to Notice
05:47 — Buying Property in Portugal
06:55 — What It Costs to Own in Viana
09:36 — The Rental Opportunity
11:03 — Subscribe & Next Steps
In this episode, you’ll discover:
• Why Viana has remained overlooked while the rest of Portugal boomed 🇵🇹
• How prices compare with nearby Porto 💶
• What €200,000 to €300,000 can still buy around the city 🏡
• Why Portugal remains unusually accessible for foreign buyers
• Where I see the most interesting opportunities today 📍
• Why rental demand could strengthen as more international visitors discover the city 📈
What I like about Viana is that it isn’t simply another resort town.
It’s a genuine working Portuguese city.
The old town is compact and walkable. The River Lima runs through its heart. Wide Atlantic beaches stretch north and south. And the surrounding landscape gives you an unusual combination of mountains, river and ocean.
You also don’t need a huge budget to participate.
Small apartments in the historic center can start in the mid-€200,000s. Renovated central apartments can be found from the mid-€300,000s. And in villages just outside Viana, homes close to the beach can still trade in the €200,000 to €300,000 range.
For foreign buyers, Portugal also remains straightforward.
You don’t need citizenship or residency to own property, and non-residents can typically access financing of up to 70% of a property’s value.
There’s an income story here too.
Local agents report a shortage of quality long-term rentals, with well-positioned properties capable of gross yields in the mid-to-high single digits. Short-term tourism is still more seasonal—but that’s part of what makes the timing interesting.
Viana isn’t for someone looking for the crowds and nightlife of Lisbon or the Algarve.
It’s for someone looking for lifestyle, space, walkability, Atlantic coastline—and the chance to buy into a Portuguese city before the rest of the international market fully catches on.
⭐️ Subscribe for more on-the-ground insights into emerging real estate markets around the world.
📥 Download Your FREE Portugal Real Estate Buyer’s Guide:
https://ronanmcmahonreport.com/portugal/
📘 Get a copy of my Big Book of Profitable Real Estate Investing:
https://new.realestatetrendalert.com/...
📸 Instagram:
Instagram: ronanmcmahonreport
🎵 TikTok:
TikTok: ronanmcmahonreport
📘 Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
💼 LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-...
🎙️ Spotify Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/033l7XM...
🍎 Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
#VianaDoCastelo #PortugalRealEstate #PortugalProperty
You’ve got the Atlantic coast, a beautiful historic center, mountains and riverfront living—all just 45 minutes from Porto airport. Yet average property prices are still around 45% below Porto.
That’s the kind of gap I pay attention to.
The question is whether Viana stays overlooked—or follows the same path we’ve seen elsewhere in Portugal as international buyers move in.
👇 Would you buy in Viana today, or pay the premium for somewhere more established like Porto or the Algarve?
🇵🇹 Get my FREE Portugal Real Estate Buyer’s Guide here:
https://ronanmcmahonreport.com/portugal/