Some dreams start with a single moment. Ours started with years of conversations.

For a long time, we talked about owning a holiday home abroad. It was one of those recurring topics that would surface during dinners, holidays, and quiet evenings at home. We discussed different countries, climates, cultures, and lifestyles. Time and time again, we kept coming back to one destination: Portugal.

In September 2025, we decided it was time to turn words into action.

Rather than searching for houses online from the comfort of our living room, we booked a week-long trip to explore Portugal and discover where we truly felt at home. Our mission was simple: forget the properties for a moment and focus on finding the right region first.

Our journey began in Cascais, where we visited a friend who lives there. Located just west of Lisbon, Cascais is a beautiful coastal city with an atmosphere that reminded us of the French and Italian Riviera. Elegant streets, luxury villas, marinas, and ocean views make it an attractive destination for many people.

While we could certainly see its appeal, it wasn’t the place for us. Besides being one of the more expensive areas in Portugal, it simply didn’t provide the feeling we were looking for. We wanted something more authentic, relaxed, and connected to everyday Portuguese life.

From Cascais, we continued north and checked into a hotel in Caldas da Rainha. This would become our base for the week as we explored a large part of the country.

Over the following days, we drove hundreds of kilometers with our rental car. Our route took us from Évora in the south all the way to Aveiro in the north, with countless stops in between. We visited famous coastal destinations, charming inland villages, bustling cities, and quiet countryside communities.

Interestingly, we discovered something we hadn’t expected.

Although Portugal’s coastline is famous around the world, many of the coastal locations we visited did not immediately resonate with us as places where we could imagine spending extended periods of time. We enjoyed visiting them, but they didn’t feel like “our place.”

As the week progressed, one region kept drawing us back.

The greater Caldas da Rainha area offered exactly the balance we were searching for. It provided easy access to beaches, nature, culture, restaurants, and historic towns, while maintaining a relaxed atmosphere that felt genuine and welcoming. The surrounding region, including Óbidos, Foz do Arelho, São Martinho do Porto, Nazaré, and the beautiful countryside inland, offered a lifestyle that immediately felt right.

By the end of the week, we had achieved exactly what we had set out to do.

We weren’t looking for a house yet. We were looking for a feeling.

And we found it.

Our exploration of the Silver Coast gave us clarity and confidence. Instead of searching the entire country, we now knew where to focus our efforts. We had identified the region that matched our vision of a future holiday home and a place where we could imagine spending many happy years.

Looking back, that week was one of the best investments we could have made.

It transformed a dream into a plan.

And it marked the true beginning of what would eventually become Casa Oppidum.

The search for our dream home could finally begin.