KRISTIN • REPORT || Idalina Mendes, 60, suffering from severe osteoporosis since the age of 40, was alone in Lagos, Alvaiázere, when the wind began to push her house. José Mendes, also from the family, was in Lisbon and came as quickly as he could because the route he found was a disaster, with everything blown to one side and the other, over the road and houses. Their house is now slowly falling apart; nevertheless, they offered a room to a couple whose home was completely destroyed. This is not charity; it is the community functioning internally at a time when everything else is failing - and when outside help takes days to arrive. When it does arrive...
For Idalina, "that was death". When José arrived, he was shocked by what he saw
Thursday, 5 February 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
Local accommodation (alojamento local) means short-term tourist rentals—private apartments, houses or rooms rented for days or weeks—that must be registered and licensed with municipal authorities. Municipalities can suspend or cancel licences (Lisbon cancelled about 6,700 licences in early 2026), so travellers and hosts should check a listing's registration and local rules before booking or offering stays.
