The weather

Would you also like to enjoy the wonderful weather in the Algarve?
So can you go to the beach in January or not? Do you need air conditioning in July or not? The answers to these questions and more are below in a monthly characterization of one of Europe's most popular destinations, the Algarve.

January
After the busy party week at the end of December, peace returns to the Algarve in January. Winter visitors often choose to arrive in January. The days are already starting to lengthen and the weather is ideal for long walks on the beach. And during those walks on the beach you will always see that there are also people just lying in their swimwear, sunbathing. The days in the Algarve are longer in the winter than in the Netherlands anyway, you have more than two hours more daylight.

Restaurants often have great winter deals, so why have lunch at home when you can have it on the beach for next to nothing? January is by far the quietest month of the year, but it is certainly pleasant. Temperatures regularly reach 18 degrees and the sun is always stronger than in Northern Europe. The number of hours of sunshine in January is no less than 174, which is twice as many as Bordeaux and four times as many as Amsterdam.

February
If it gets cold in the Algarve, it is at night in January and February. Every year, the night temperature almost reaches zero on a few days. Not on the coast of course, but especially a bit further away. Fortunately, warm February nights also mean that the temperatures can quickly rise to 20 degrees during the day. After all, the sun is already much higher in the sky, because of that sun it always feels much warmer than in the Netherlands. February is therefore often a month of many outdoor lunches and beautiful walks, and in the evening the fireplace or the heating with the air conditioning on.

March
March is an in-between month in all respects. Tourism is already starting up but is of course still far removed from what we are used to in summer. There are still plenty of winter visitors because it is still quite cold in Northern Europe. The sun is increasing in strength, but the sea water is still far from warm. Without sun, the days can still be quite chilly. On a typical March day, it pours for a few hours in the morning and the sun breaks through before lunch. Temperatures sometimes reach 22 degrees during the day and on clear days it can still drop to 8 degrees at night.

April
Easter is almost as important as Christmas as a family celebration, and has the special feature that tourism is technically much more interesting. After all, it lasts three days (Good Friday is a real holiday) while Christmas is over in a day and a half. And it falls at a time when spring has really started and the days are already quite long.

Easter is the real start of the holiday season (where carnival is a bit of a false start). Officially the bathing season has not started yet but in April there are plenty of people on the beach, walking and sunbathing. The number of usual rainy days in April is only 6. And that does not mean that it rains all day, it only means that there are six days with some rain. One beach is even more picturesque than the other!

May
May in the Algarve is a fine summer month by Dutch standards. Maximum temperatures vary from 20 to sometimes 28 degrees and minimums do not drop below 10. It can rain once, but then you sit in your shorts on a terrace watching it until it blows over. The summer season has now fully started, there are many tourists and in the opinion of the commercial sector also the better ones: many people with time and money. What they save on travel and accommodation they probably spend in the restaurants.

June
The days are at their longest in June and the temperatures rise quickly. The sun is high in the sky, there are no less than 12 hours of sunshine per day on a total of more than 14 hours of daylight. There is no rain anymore. It is pleasantly busy because the month is just as nice as the high season months and a lot cheaper.

July
July is hot and busy. The Portuguese heat is fortunately dry, because of the very low humidity 37 degrees in the Algarve is more comfortable than 30 degrees in the Netherlands. If there are periods of a number of very hot days in a row (35 and higher) then it is usually in July. However, air conditioning is not always necessary, if you arrange your daily rhythm to the heat and in the early afternoon seek the cool or a swimming pool then you can also have a wonderful day without air conditioning.

The month of July has an average of zero rainy days and it rains an average of 1 mm in July for the entire month. That little bit of rain evaporates before it hits the ground. Fortunately, in the Algarve we have enormous water reservoirs in the mountains, behind large dams that also provide a good dose of ecological (hydroelectric) energy. Portugal is at the top of the European list in terms of ecological energy consumption, 54% of consumption is sustainable energy. You can make cave tours in various places in the Algarve, both in summer and winter.

August
The traditional holiday peak month brings many Portuguese by car to the Algarve. There are many festivals and events with a Portuguese character, very nice for those who like a local touch. The typical Portuguese holiday schedule is: early to the beach, around noon have an extensive lunch, then a “sesta” (afternoon nap), then around four back to the beach and stay there until the sun goes down. After all, the restaurants and supermarkets are open until late in the evening.

September
In terms of weather, September is perhaps the most pleasant month of the year. The sun has lost some of its power, with the advantage that you don't burn as badly if you've been baking for a few days in a row. And the air and water are still warm. The big wave of tourism is over and everything is less tense. Local commerce is doing great. Evenings are often sultry. As far as I'm concerned, it could be September every day. At midnight, it's still lovely outside.

October
There is always some rain in October but there are also many lovely days. Of course it gets dark faster and for the evenings you take a sweater with you just to be sure. But the heating does not have to be on yet. Swimming is fine during the day, the sun is still strong enough. Tourism often experiences a revival because there are school holidays here and there in October. And the first winterers are also starting to drive into the country, fleeing the grey and cold.

November
November is considered a winter month but it certainly is not. Sometimes nights are cold up to 10 degrees but during the day it is often lovely. Although the sun is low in the sky because the shortest day is approaching. Dining outside is becoming less and less common, having lunch outside is certainly common! And sunbathing is also fine, but the pool is starting to get chilly. Of course there is always a period with rainy days, which makes November not so suitable for the “week tourist”. But whoever is in the Algarve the entire month of November will have a wonderful time. A beach is always a party!

December
December is a real festive month. Colourful street lights appear everywhere and every village wishes you a grand “Boas Festas”. The days are getting shorter but not as short as in the Netherlands, it is always two full hours longer light. No long dark days before Christmas, which makes a big difference in the feeling of happiness. The most important Christmas moment is Christmas Eve, on 24 December shops close early and government services often do not even open. Family huddles together, a lot is eaten and presents are handed out (after all, we do not know Sinterklaas here).

In winter, the shadows are long but the water and the air remain clear. In December, the shops are full of great deals and the shopping centres organise all sorts of activities to attract people. Where Christmas is mainly a family celebration, New Year's Eve is mainly celebrated in the cafés. Fireworks are only set off under the supervision of the municipalities, so no unsafe situations. And in the last week of the year, a lot is organised. December is a pleasant month! Fortunately, the serene peace of January is just around the corner ;-).

Faro
Many weather measurements and forecasts are based on Faro, the district capital of the Algarve. However, remember that Faro is located on a coastal bulge in an extension of the Atlantic Ocean. The weather in Faro is therefore not really representative of the rest of the Algarve. Outside Faro it is often somewhat warmer, drier and sunnier during the day, and often somewhat cooler in the evening.

And the rest of Portugal?
The Algarve has a mini climate due to its southern location behind a mountain range. In the rest of the country the weather is relatively less good and often more unstable than in the Algarve. Inland it can be cold in winter and scorching hot in summer. Snow in Guarda is fairly normal.

Along the coast of Northern Portugal, the wind can be viciously cold, even in spring and autumn. In Lisbon, it rains as much as in Amsterdam (with far fewer rainy days, mind you). But that certainly doesn't make it any less interesting to visit. Definitely do it!

This (slightly modified) article about the weather in the Algarve is written by the author Cees Groenewegen, known for the nice book: "Portugal stuk bij beetje", a real recommendation! Photos are ours.

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