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A good place. At the right time.

Best time to visit Portugal.

The short answer

Let your region lead.

Very good weather reaches at least half the scored regions April to October.

Take a closer look

April, at a glance.

Regions with very good weather
5/9
Overnight stays vs August
58%
Regional afternoon highs
66–71°F

Hotel-price season: about usual.

Explore all 12 months Find your region

Based on 9 statistical regions. Historical averages, not forecasts or live room prices.

Illustration of Golden sea cliffs, arch and turquoise cove on the central Algarve coast
The Algarve’s cliffs and coves

First, the timing

Find your month.

Already have dates? Pick your month to see the trade-offs.

Temperature unit

Suggested months for weatherCounts show regions with very good weather.

April, at a glance.

Read the April guide
Very good weather
5 / 9 regions

Weather rated 7.0/10 or above

National visitor season
Moderate season

58% of August's overnight stays

Hotel-price season
About usual

+2% vs average month · national 2024–2025 index

Afternoons 66–71°FNights 48–55°FRain 5–11 days

Available regional averages, not daily extremes. Prices describe a historical season, not a room quote.

The year at a glance.

Broad weather coverage and the busiest months do not always line up.

Very good weatherNumber of regions
Overnight staysAugust = 100%
All 12 months, in detail Weather, visitor season and prices
Portugal · regional averages by month
MonthVery good weatherVisitor seasonHotel-price seasonAfternoonsNightsRain days
January2/9 regionsLow season30% of peak Well below usual−24% vs average month · national 2024–2025 hotel index 56–64°F42–54°F4–14 days
February2/9 regionsModerate season35% of peak Well below usual−22% vs average month · national 2024–2025 hotel index 58–64°F43–53°F4–10 days
March2/9 regionsModerate season47% of peak Well below usual−14% vs average month · national 2024–2025 hotel index 62–67°F45–54°F6–10 days
April5/9 regionsModerate season58% of peak About usual+2% vs average month · national 2024–2025 hotel index 66–71°F48–55°F5–11 days
May8/9 regionsBusy season66% of peak Well above usual+19% vs average month · national 2024–2025 hotel index 69–79°F51–58°F2–9 days
June9/9 regionsBusy season68% of peak Well above usual+14% vs average month · national 2024–2025 hotel index 73–86°F54–62°F0–5 days
July9/9 regionsBusy season83% of peak Well above usual+11% vs average month · national 2024–2025 hotel index 78–92°F57–66°F0–2 days
August9/9 regionsPeak season100% of peak Well above usual+16% vs average month · national 2024–2025 hotel index 80–92°F57–68°F0–5 days
September9/9 regionsBusy season73% of peak Well above usual+19% vs average month · national 2024–2025 hotel index 77–85°F56–66°F2–8 days
October6/9 regionsBusy season64% of peak A little above usual+7% vs average month · national 2024–2025 hotel index 71–77°F54–62°F5–12 days
November4/9 regionsModerate season42% of peak Well below usual−12% vs average month · national 2024–2025 hotel index 61–69°F47–58°F6–14 days
December2/9 regionsModerate season36% of peak Well below usual−17% vs average month · national 2024–2025 hotel index 58–66°F43–55°F5–14 days

Scroll the table for more detail. Temperature and rain ranges run from the lowest to the highest available regional average.

Then, your corner of Portugal

Same month. Different trips.

Compare 9 regions, or look up a place you already have in mind.

9 of 9 regions · Balanced scores for April

Balanced Overall combines weather, crowds and cost. Crowd scores compare each region with its own year; a higher score does not necessarily mean fewer people than in another region. Adjust priorities on a region's guide.

Compare every region across the year 9 regions × 12 months
Balanced Overall scores. Outlined cells mark each region's top three months.
RegionJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Alentejo8.48.58.58.68.78.17.16.37.98.68.78.4
Azores6.56.46.76.56.77.27.67.57.47.27.46.4
Central Portugal4.95.76.67.38.28.68.77.98.77.86.25.5
Lisbon7.27.37.47.88.28.28.48.48.18.07.47.3
Madeira6.86.86.97.27.78.48.68.68.57.97.36.8
Porto & northern Portugal4.35.16.26.57.27.78.37.87.86.85.74.7
Setúbal Peninsula6.97.27.57.98.58.98.37.78.58.37.67.4
The Algarve7.87.87.88.08.68.47.97.58.38.38.27.9
Óbidos, Nazaré & the Tagus Valley6.36.97.37.68.38.78.57.98.67.97.26.8

Scroll for all 12 months. Each rank compares months within one region.

Where is my destination? Browse the place-name directory

Each place uses the figures for its whole statistical region. Places spanning more than one region appear below the directory.

Across the year

Portugal, season by season.

Winter

Dec–Feb

December falls in moderate season; January falls in low season; February falls in moderate season.

56–66°FRegional afternoon averages

Spring

Mar–May

A quieter start, a busier finish.

March and April fall in moderate season; May falls in busy season.

62–79°FRegional afternoon averages

Summer

Jun–Aug

A busy season for visitors.

June and July fall in busy season; August falls in peak season.

73–92°FRegional afternoon averages

Autumn

Sep–Nov

A busier start, a quieter finish.

September and October fall in busy season; November falls in moderate season.

61–85°FRegional afternoon averages

Ranges span available regional monthly averages, not daily extremes or a forecast. Check your region for local conditions and seasonal openings.

Before you book

Pack a little context.

Fewer crowds

January is quietest.

National overnight stays reach their lowest recorded monthly level, at 30% of the busiest month. This describes seasonal accommodation demand, not queues at individual sights.

Weather & timing

Start with April.

These months are on the weather shortlist and have national overnight stays below 60% of the busiest month. Check your region: the same month can suit different trips differently.

Hotel prices

January has the lowest historical hotel-price signal.

The national accommodation index is about 24% below its annual average. This is a historical seasonal pattern, not current booking quotes or a comparison of regions' room rates.

Source: national hotel index, 2024–2025.

School holidays

Summer break meets the busy season.

For US summer breaks (June–August): June and July fall in busy season; August falls in peak season. For spring breaks (March–April): March and April fall in moderate season. These are national visitor patterns; check your school's dates and your chosen region.

Local school holidays: at least 30% of people in Portugal live where schools are out on a typical day March, June to August and December. September: calendar not fully published yet. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

How we know Sources and what the numbers mean

National figures are built from Portugal's 9 statistical regions (NUTS 2), not from a separate national series. Visitor season is the country's total tourist nights that month (Eurostat regional data, primarily 2024–2025; earlier published years where a region has gaps) against its own busiest month. This measures overnight demand, not queues or day-trippers.

Weather coverage counts regions whose displayed Weather score is at least 7.0/10 (very good or better). We do not average weather scores across a country. The opening shortlist uses at least three-quarters of scored regions rated very good and visitor nights below 60% of the national peak. Where no month meets both, the page names months with broad weather coverage instead, if any qualify.

Regional Overall scores use the default Balanced mix: weather 50%, crowds 30%, cost 20%, with the existing weather cap. All rankings on this country overview are Balanced; region guides let you adjust your priorities. Crowds compare a region with its own year, so a higher Overall score does not necessarily mean fewer people than in another region.

Hotel-price season uses the 2024–2025 national consumer price index for hotels against the country's usual month, not room quotes. Separately, Portugal's 2024 restaurants-and-hotels level is well below EU average (76 where the EU average is 100).

Temperature and rain ranges span the regional monthly averages available, not daily extremes. Individual region pages explain withheld measurements and geographic coverage. Full methodology.