A year after relocating to the Azores, a couple with advanced qualifications in healthcare and higher education faces delayed investment funding, limited employment opportunities, and growing uncertainty about their family’s future on the island.
A young family that left Lisbon to build a new life and invest in the Azorean island of São Jorge is reconsidering its long-term future after a year marked by delayed European Union funding, limited professional opportunities, and mounting financial pressures. Madalena and João, both trained physiotherapists with experience in higher education, moved to the island with their two young children hoping to establish a business and contribute to the local economy. Instead, they have encountered obstacles that, they argue, illustrate why smaller Azorean islands continue to struggle to attract and retain young families.
In an interview with journalist Vasco Blayer, published in Diário dos Açores, the couple described the contrast between their expectations and the realities of establishing a household and business on an island with limited employment opportunities and complex transportation connections. Although they insist they do not regret leaving mainland Portugal, they acknowledge that their commitment to remaining on São Jorge is no longer as certain as it was when they arrived.
For Madalena, São Jorge had always been part of her family’s history. Her relatives came from the island, where she spent childhood vacations, and her husband developed an immediate affection for its landscape and way of life during his first visit. When an opportunity arose to acquire her grandparents’ former home, the couple saw a chance to combine a more peaceful family environment with the development of new entrepreneurial projects.
The move required a substantial personal investment. In addition to acquiring and renovating the property, they financed the transportation of their vehicles, furniture, belongings, and family dog from mainland Portugal. They also began converting part of the large traditional house into tourist accommodation, believing that the island’s growing visitor economy offered a viable opportunity for a small family business.
Before proceeding with construction, the couple consulted accountants and explored available investment incentives. According to Madalena, they were advised that the project qualified for financial assistance, encouraging them to commit their savings to the renovation. Their application, submitted in February 2025 under the Azores 2030 program through the European Regional Development Fund, was approved several months later. However, by the time of the interview, the approved financial assistance had still not been paid.
“We invested everything we had in the accommodation,” Madalena explained, noting that the delay has prevented them from moving forward with additional business initiatives. The couple argues that the requirement to finance projects upfront, combined with accounting fees, social security contributions, inspections, and administrative expenses, places a disproportionate burden on young entrepreneurs who lack the financial reserves of established companies.
“We are both under 40, but we pay and face the same costs as a company that is already established,” João observed. Although they have already purchased equipment for a second business initiative, uncertainty over the reimbursement of their initial investment has forced them to postpone further development.
Their first venture nevertheless demonstrated encouraging commercial potential. According to the couple, the tourist accommodation was almost continuously occupied during its first summer of operation, suggesting that their investment responded to genuine demand on the island. Yet the successful opening has not eliminated the financial difficulties created by the delayed assistance.
Employment has proved equally challenging. Before relocating, both worked as physiotherapists and were associated with higher education institutions in Lisbon. João, who holds a master’s degree and a doctorate, maintained his professional connection to the mainland, while Madalena left her position following maternity leave, expecting to find employment suited to her qualifications on São Jorge.
A year later, she remains unable to secure a position corresponding to her education and professional experience. The couple contacted municipal authorities, the University of the Azores, vocational schools, healthcare institutions, and other organizations in search of opportunities to contribute their expertise. João also contacted the Azorean Legislative Assembly but said he received no response.
“I am still looking for work related to my qualifications. A year has passed, and I have still not found anything compatible with my skills,” Madalena said. She believes the lack of specialized employment is one of the principal obstacles to attracting younger residents to the islands, particularly professionals who have invested years in advanced education.
The couple emphasized that their concern is not simply the availability of employment, but the limited opportunities for qualified professionals to contribute meaningfully to local institutions and services. Both have backgrounds in healthcare and university teaching, and Madalena has also undertaken doctoral studies. They believe that their expertise could be valuable to the island, provided that institutions develop more effective mechanisms for identifying and incorporating specialized talent.
Despite these difficulties, the family recognizes significant advantages to living on São Jorge. They praise the tranquility, reduced traffic, quality of schooling, and sports activities available to their children. In these respects, the island has largely fulfilled their expectations of a healthier and less stressful family environment.
However, experiencing São Jorge throughout the year has also revealed shortcomings that are less apparent during summer visits. The couple pointed to a shortage of public spaces where families can gather during rainy or colder weather, including indoor recreational facilities and protected areas for children. João argued that local amenities tend to prioritize the summer season and coastal recreation, leaving residents with fewer options during the winter months.
One of the family’s proposed business projects involved creating a community-oriented gathering place where parents could socialize, read, or enjoy coffee while children played nearby. The initiative remains under consideration, but the financial constraints associated with their first investment have delayed its implementation.
Transportation presents another substantial challenge. Because João continues to work in Lisbon, he must travel regularly between the mainland and São Jorge, losing working time to flights, airport transfers, and connections. Family travel also requires considerable upfront expenditure. Madalena explained that tickets for four people can require an advance payment approaching €1,000, even when reimbursement mechanisms are available.
The combination of reduced household income, professional uncertainty, transportation expenses, and limited family support has prompted the couple to reassess their future. Their closest relatives remain on the mainland, and they acknowledge that relocating again may become an option as their children approach another stage of their education.
“We have had more desire to remain here than we do now,” Madalena admitted, although both parents intend to allow additional time for their business projects to develop before making a final decision.
João stressed that their experience should not be interpreted as regret over the move. Rather, they want public authorities to understand the difficulties faced by families who arrive with professional qualifications, personal savings, and a willingness to invest in the local economy.
“We do not want to live on subsidies. We have our own money, and we invested it here, in São Jorge,” he explained.
For the couple, attracting young families requires more than promoting the islands’ natural beauty or announcing financial incentives. Investment programs must operate within predictable timeframes, qualified professionals need realistic employment opportunities, and new businesses require administrative and economic conditions that allow them to survive their initial years.
Their experience raises a broader question for the Azores, particularly its smaller islands, where demographic challenges and the departure of younger generations remain persistent concerns. Attracting new residents is only the first step; retaining them requires employment, functioning services, accessible transportation, and confidence that long-term investments can produce sustainable livelihoods.
One year after exchanging Lisbon for São Jorge, Madalena and João continue to appreciate the island they chose as their family’s new home. Their business has attracted visitors, their children enjoy the benefits of a quieter environment, and their original ambitions have not disappeared. What remains uncertain is whether the economic and institutional conditions will allow those ambitions to become a permanent future.
Based on reporting by Vasco Blayer, published in Diário dos Açores on November 7, 2026.