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Where to go in December / Portugal in December / Alentejo / December

Portugal · Countryside

Alentejo
in December.

Illustration of Whitewashed old-town streets in Évora, Alentejo; representative streetscape, no exact street or facade claimed.
Whitewashed streets in ÉvoraDestination view, not month-specific.

Is December a good time?

Temperature unit

Mild days.
Fewer overnight stays than November.

December averages 61°F afternoons and 62°F seas, with about 7 rain days.

Afternoons
61°F
Sea
62°F
Visitor demand
23%of August peak

Historical Alentejo regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Évora and Comporta; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

8.4/10 · scores & priorities

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#7 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather7.6/10Very good
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, busier than most of Europe this month
CostCheapfor Europe

Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.

Plan your December

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 61°F (16°C): light layers; nights around 44°F (7°C): a warm coat. About 10 hours of daylight. About 7 rain days in a typical December.

Can I swim in December?

The sea averages 62°F. Our swimming guide: cold: short dips, or a wetsuit. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.

Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.

A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details

About 10 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 07:41Sunset 17:1244°F61°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 07:41 and sets about 17:12 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 44°F (7°C); afternoons reach about 61°F (16°C). Expect rain on about 7 days in a typical December.

Typical afternoon
61°F (16°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
44°F (7°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
62°F (17°C)
cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
9h 31m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late December?

Early and late December have similar afternoon averages. The afternoon high averages 62°F on the 1st, versus 60°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 23% to 19% between those dates.

Early December 1 December

62°F

Typical afternoon high

23% historical wet-day frequency

Mid December 15 December

61°F

Typical afternoon high

26% historical wet-day frequency

Late December 31 December

60°F

Typical afternoon high

19% historical wet-day frequency

Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.

Public holidays · 2026: 1 Dec Independence Day; 8 Dec Immaculate Conception Day; 25 Dec Christmas.

Daily calendar & holiday datesDecember 2026 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

December 2026 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2026.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
162°262°362°462°562°662°
762°862°961°1062°1162°1262°1361°
1461°1561°1661°1761°1861°1961°2061°
2161°2261°2361°2461°2561°2661°2761°
2861°2961°3060°3160°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

Afternoons hold at about 61°F (16°C) all month. The chance of a wet day runs 17–27%. Local schools are out 16–31 December 2026.

Schools here are off 16–31 December 2026 (Christmas holidays). Public holidays: 1 Dec Independence Day; 8 Dec Immaculate Conception Day; 25 Dec Christmas. Elsewhere in December 2026, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 39%, Germany 29%, Italy 35%, Spain 32%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds and cost

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Low season. December averages 23% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than November.

Overnight stays across Alentejo do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, busier than most of Europe this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

Well below usual. Historical regional hotel revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €53 per guest-night. An average, not a booking quote.

Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.

Historical hotel average
€53
2024–2025 monthly average; hotel revenue per guest-night; not a current booking quote. −17% vs this region's usual month.
Portugal as a whole
Well below EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 76 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.

The historical regional amount comes from INE Portugal, Inquérito à Permanência de Hóspedes: hotel room revenue per guest-night; the country price level is national. Hotel averages are not live booking quotes.

Year-to-year variation

How much does December vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 58°F (15°C) and 65°F (18°C); in 13 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 61°F (16°C). Rain days ranged from 2 to 15; half the years had 4–9.

Rain days in each December

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 3 rain days320112012: 8 rain days82013: 7 rain days72014: 2 rain days22015: 5 rain days52016: 7 rain days72017: 6 rain days62018: 4 rain days42019: 8 rain days82020: 9 rain days92021: 9 rain days92022: 15 rain days152023: 5 rain days52024: 2 rain days22025: 13 rain days132025
Rain days
7
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 11 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
9 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no December in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
23 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded DecemberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201159°F3
201260°F8
201360°F7
201458°F2
201565°F5
201662°F7
201760°F6
201862°F4
201963°F8
202059°F9
202164°F9
202264°F15
202361°F5
202462°F2
202559°F13

Checked against official climate averages for Evora. How we check

Compare dates

November, December
or January?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs August peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsNovDecJan
Afternoons65°F61°F59°F
Sea64°F62°F61°F
Rain days977
Overnight demand29%23%18%

November: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and more rain days than December. More overnight demand. November guide →

January: Cooler afternoons than December. Less overnight demand. January guide →

Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.

Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with December Show comparisonHide comparison

Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. December stays as your reference.

April to June and September to October have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than December, but more overnight stays.

Your comparison

December or November?

Overnight stays are 29% of the busiest month.

Historical regional hotel revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €50 per guest-night. An average, not a booking quote.

Read the November guide →
December compared with another month
Typical conditionsDecemberNovember
Afternoons61°F65°F
Nights44°F49°F
Sea62°F64°F
Rain days79
Visitor seasonLow seasonLow season
Overall / 108.48.7
Month rank#7#2
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January8.4#859°F43°F61°F77.2Low season
February8.5#662°F44°F59°F67.7Low season
March8.5#566°F46°F59°F68.1Low season
April8.6#471°F49°F61°F89.0Moderate season
May8.7#179°F52°F63°F49.5Moderate season
June8.1#986°F56°F65°F18.8Moderate season
July7.1#1192°F59°F66°F07.6Busy season
August6.3#1292°F60°F66°F07.6Peak season
September7.9#1085°F60°F67°F28.8Moderate season
October8.6#377°F57°F67°F79.1Moderate season
November8.7#265°F49°F64°F98.4Low season
December8.4#761°F44°F62°F77.6Low season

Near here

Nearby places in December

Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.

Elsewhere in Europe

Same dates, elsewhere in Europe

Alentejo's weather ranks 1 of 117 countryside regions this month. We found no countryside regions outside Portugal with a weather score at least 1.0 point higher on these dates.

All of Portugal in December · Everywhere in December

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

It's low season, 23% of the busiest month and 48% below its average month. That means about 6,400 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 68% of them from Portugal itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 1,400 more: 21 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100)73
How our weather was checkedOfficial climate averages for Evora from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.8°C), night lows within 2°F (0.9°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day14
Busiest month hereAugust · 59
Visitors as share of people present1.3%
Rank among Europe's regions this month77th percentile
Domestic share of nights68%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights21
Visitor share if every platform night were extra1.6%
Population used475,000
Statistical regionPT1C · Alentejo

Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national; the first figure is regional (INE Portugal, Inquérito à Permanência de Hóspedes: hotel room revenue per guest-night). Full method · this region's data.