Best Time to Visit Portugal

Four places, one rough pattern

Across Portugal, summer is the easy time to go, and November is the wettest month in all four of our places. August is also the hottest everywhere. Faro, in the Algarve, gets the warmest days at 28°C. Porto is next at 25°C, and Lisbon and Funchal sit at 23°C.

Porto is the wettest of the four in November, with 138 mm. If you're heading north for port cellars along the Douro river, May to September is your window. Funchal, on Madeira, is the driest of the four in November at 51 mm. Its season stretches longest, May to November, so it works well for a late trip.

Spring and autumn are the sweet spots

Faro's season starts earliest, in April. That suits golf, coastal walks on the Rota Vicentina and quiet beaches before the crowds arrive. The sea is still cool then, so don't expect warm swimming.

In Lisbon, May to October is the best run. Climbing the hills of Alfama is far nicer when the afternoons aren't baking. Late September and October often give you city days with beach time at Cascais as a bonus.

Holidays and crowds

High season is July and August. That's when Portuguese families and visitors from abroad fill the Algarve, and prices and crowds peak. Book your Faro stay early if you're set on those months.

June is festival month. Lisbon's Santo António celebrations on 12 and 13 June bring street parties and grilled sardines. Porto's São João night on 23 June is loud, fun and a little silly, with plastic hammers and fireworks over the Douro. Both cities are packed then, so expect full hotels.

Easter is busy too, with processions in towns across the country. Funchal's New Year fireworks are famous and draw big crowds, even though winter is outside the best season.

Low season

November to March is quiet. You'll get cheaper rooms and empty streets, but also more rain, especially in Porto. Lisbon and Funchal are the better bets if you want a mild, lower-cost trip.