Urbex Portugal: Discover and Protect Our Heritage

Discover Portugal through forgotten places and help us restore their history.

Discover Portugal through forgotten places and help us restore their history.

Urban exploration, or "urbex" for short, is an activity that consists of visiting man-made abandoned structures. In Portugal, many properties lie abandoned—about 14% of all housing in the country, which amounts to roughly 700,000 homes. To this figure, we must add the industrial, commercial, and military buildings that have likewise been deserted.

Many people are drawn to Urbex, a movement estimated to have started in San Francisco during the 1970s with an enthusiast group called “The Suicide Club”. Visiting ruins, underground passages, shelters, as well as castles, manor houses, entire buildings, or even abandoned villages is a thrilling pursuit for adventurers seeking history and discovery. The profile of Urbex explorers is quite diverse: primarily photography enthusiasts, but also history buffs, nostalgic souls, or simply tourists who enjoy discovering unique, off-the-beaten-path places that were unfortunately abandoned by their owners.

The true code of ethics for urban explorers rests on a golden rule: "Take only photographs, leave only footprints". This means visiting without altering, damaging, or taking anything from the site. Unfortunately, not everyone abides by this philosophy, often resulting in vandalism and the degradation of buildings with high historical value.

As International Property Finders, De Brito Properties actively leads awareness initiatives to protect Portuguese real estate heritage. Through our field agents across the country, we identify and document forgotten or abandoned properties to raise community awareness, evaluate their architectural potential, and promote their responsible restoration among international buyers and investors.

Support the Protection and Restoration of Historical Heritage

Do you know an abandoned historical property or wish to invest in restoring a property with character in Portugal? Contact us directly by phone, email, or WhatsApp to speak with our team.

Phone: +351 214 083 101 

Email: info@debritoproperties.com 

Whatsapp: +351 929 278 626 

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