Life in Portugal , Lifestyle and culture. It is always exciting to visit a new country. Basically, yes. In , Portugal became the first European country to decriminalise the possession of drugs. Since then, anyone can carry up to 10 doses of any drug on their person, from hashish to MDMA ecstacy , cocaine and even heroin. These substances are still prohibited but the consumption is not. The law was introduced in response to a series of deaths caused by overdoses in the 80s and 90s.
Drug-related crimes and deaths have since decreased. Portuguese citizens can own firearms for hunting, target shooting, pest control and collecting. Self-defense is not considered a legal reason for owning a firearm. Legally, only licensed gun owners can lawfully acquire, possess or transfer a firearm or ammunition.
To gain a gun license in Portugal , one must be over 18 years old and pass a background check, which considers criminal and mental health records. Currently, there are approximately 2. This is enough for one in every four people in Portugal to own a gun. It is legal to hunt some species in Portugal such as red deer, fallow deer, roe deer, mouflon, wild boar and quail but, you need to have a licence.
Monteria is a drive hunt that takes place in fenced hunting grounds. It is a traditional style of hunt where hunters have their stand while beaters and dogs push the animals towards the hunters. Kind of. Portugal is considered one of the best countries in western Europe for free camping.
Free camping is when you camp somewhere that is not a registered campsite. There are lots of places in Portugal where it is possible to free camp either by the beach or further inland. The Portuguese have officially banned free camping in the Algarve but, outside of the summer months, the police do tolerate it.
