Best Time to Visit Faro

Summer: hot, dry and busy

From June to September, Faro is sunny and almost rain-free. July and August are the hottest, both with highs of 28°C, and July is the driest, with barely a drop of rain. Evenings stay warm enough for dinner outside in the old town, and the sea is at its friendliest.

This is high season, and it's the school-holiday rush. Beaches on Ilha de Faro, the sandy island by the airport, fill up, and the little ferry from the harbour can have queues. Travelling with kids? This is your window, as the shallow lagoon water is calm. If you hate crowds, go in June or September instead. Both still feel like summer.

Late summer has a nice event too. Faro's Festival F, a big open-air music weekend, usually happens around then, though the dates change yearly.

Spring and autumn: the sweet spots

May is lovely. It's warm at 22°C, the rain has mostly stopped, and the beaches are far quieter. It suits walking the Ria Formosa lagoon trails and watching flamingos and other birds, or wandering Cidade Velha, the walled old town, without the heat.

September is the best month for swimming. The sea has soaked up the summer sun, the crowds thin out, and it's still 26°C. October is still pleasant, but it's the first wet month of the autumn, with 83 mm of rain. Expect some grey days mixed in with the sunny ones.

April is mixed. It's mild, with showers on about eight days. Easter week can bring Portuguese families to the Algarve, so rooms in town get busier.

Winter: mild, damp and quiet

Winter here isn't cold. Highs sit around 15 to 17°C, but humidity is high and it can feel chilly indoors, since many older homes lack heating. November is the wettest month at 89 mm, with rain on 10 days. March and December follow close behind.

So why come? Prices drop, the old town feels like a real town again, and you can have cafés and the Museu Municipal nearly to yourself. It's a good pick for city breaks, birdwatching and long lunches of grilled fish or cataplana, a seafood stew cooked in a copper pan. Just don't plan on beach days. Midwinter sunshine is around five or six hours a day, so it's better for strolling than sunbathing.