Looking to find a Portuguese beauty with brown eyes you can get lost in? Well, then you will want to know what it’s actually like dating Portuguese men.
I can’t say I’ve dated a Portuguese man myself, but I have visited Portugal. My experience of Portuguese men, bearing in mind I was about fourteen years old, was that this one guy tried to get closer and closer to me on the bus. We were sitting next to each other and he wanted to eliminate the space between us. Luckily my grandma was sitting on the seat behind me and saw what he was doing. And in a way only gran can, she smacked him with a newspaper! I don’t suggest men doing something inappropriate when my gran is around. I also don’t suggest you believe all Portuguese men will hit on you in inappropriate ways. So let’s have a look what others, who know a bit more about dating Portuguese men have to say.
They Are Not Spanish
Uhm, so this might be apparent, but as someone from Scandinavia I can tell you there are lots of people who think Danes, Norwegians and Swedes are all the same, but they aren’t. We may be alike, but we have cultural differences. Likewise, the Spanish and the Portuguese are often grouped together, but they have cultural differences. And whilst the Spanish and Portuguese languages may be similar, they are not the same.
As with many other neighboring countries there has been a lot of rivalry between Spain and Portugal. They even have a saying that marriage between people from the different countries are never a good idea: “Just like the East winds from Spain bring storms, likewise, Spanish spouses bring trouble.”
Body Language
While close friends touch each other whilst speaking to emphasize something, the Portuguese don’t get in your space in the same way the Brazilians do. They most certainly don’t try to start kissing you within five minutes in a bar, like some Brazilians. At least not in most instances!
Clubbing
If you want to meet Portuguese men in clubs or bars, it’s recommended you bring some female friends along. The Portuguese are very traditional in some ways and find it weird if a woman goes to a bar by herself.
Likewise, if you are there for business purposes, you won’t want to ask a man for a dinner meeting unless you ask him to bring his wife. Rather stick to lunch. Of course, if you are trying to win the man over you might be able to break the rules…but remember: a man wants to be the one who courts you, not vice versa.
In general, men make the first move. That said, a bit of flirting will probably help them along!
Traditional Values
Women in Portugal are often still seen wearing skirts and dresses as opposed to jeans and skirts, but as everywhere else this is changing. Due to the hot weather though there are some advantages to come dressed in a skirt! Also, some Portuguese men simply appreciate seeing the feminine side of you.
The church still plays a fairly big role in many people’s lives in Portugal. So if you have a strong faith yourself, you will want to talk about it before you get too far dating someone, to ensure your values are similar.
It’s been said that Portuguese men make their women walk behind them, which might be an exaggeration, but there are still some old traditions that live on. Traditionally women stayed at home raising kids and looking after the household and some of that does live on in Portugal today, especially in the countryside. That said, Portugal is a modern country in many ways and more women are joining the workforce there, as most anywhere else. In the bigger cities chances are you’ll see much more equality between the sexes in all ways. Also, remember that just because something is tradition doesn’t mean someone is looking down on you. It just means that’s how they are used to things being.
Jealousy
Portuguese men have a reputation of being a tad more jealous than some other men in the Western world, but of course this varies from man to man.
Public Displays of Affection
A hug or kiss in public isn’t going to offend anyone in Portugal. So don’t be alarmed if he stops to kiss you when taking you for an evening stroll along the beach… In fact, Portugal has such a long coastline that you are certain of getting plenty of romance by the sea if you date someone Portuguese!
By Maria Montgomery – Maria is a freelance writer, director and social entrepreneur. She’s also the spokesperson for The Little Angels Community Center and an avid blogger. You can find her somewhere between Cape Town, London and L.A., where you will most likely find her in the hills, looking out over the city she loves. @OhMyMontgomery
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