Its “perfect living conditions” and “high level of security” have secured Portugal’s place as the third safest country in the world, according to the 2020 Global Peace Index.
Along with excellent weather conditions and laid-back lifestyle, the country has made huge strides in the annual ranking, which uses different indicators to evaluate safety and danger levels in 163 nations worldwide.
Increased police presence has resulted in a decrease of crime rates, which are some of the lowest in Europe. This, along with the country’s political climate, which has been stable for years, provides a valuable sense of security to both residents and the millions of tourists who visit the country each year.
Due in large part to its level of safety, as well as its affordable lifestyle, Portugal is also ranked as the best country for retirement in 2020, according to the Annual Global Retirement Index (see here).
Maintaining its decade-long position as the world’s most peaceful country is Iceland, followed by New Zealand in second place.
A safe summer
Besides this accolade, Portugal has also been one of the countries least affected by COVID-19. With hundreds of kilometres of beaches and with safety measures in place, the Algarve has been named one of the 20 Safest Places for Travel and Tourism Post-Coronavirus, according to European Best Destinations (EBD).
Both the Algarve and the Alentejo regions have registered very few cases of the new coronavirus, including in the most popular tourist destinations.
A recent report in Forbes magazine says, “unlike other tourist destinations in Europe, 60% of Algarve tourist accommodations consist of private villas with swimming pools, apartments, guesthouses or small hotels”.
Local golf courses are opening up, with restrictions in place, see here for a current update,
The region is due to open to travellers on July 1st, with no quarantine requested.