Best Time To Travel To: Algarve

The Algarve forms the southern part of Portugal. With its long and varied stretches of coastline the Algarve represents one of the most important tourist destinations in the country. Climatically there's a difference between the coastal area and the interior area. The summer heat on the coastal area is quite pleasant due to sea breezes, the further you get into the interior the hotter it gets. In addition the coast remains relatively mild even in winter, while in the interior you can expect lower temperatures.

The mountain ranges in the north and northwest form a kind of weather divide. They ensure that the Algarve remains relatively protected from cooler land winds. In addition, the influence of the sea provides stable conditions throughout the year. Even from December to February temperatures rarely drop below 10°C during the day. In summer temperatures can reach well over 30°C and as mentioned above, there is always a pleasant wind blowing near the coast.

Winter in the Algarve is rarely very cold. During the day it can even be relatively pleasantly warm. However it rains more and this makes the temperature feel lower. At night it can get chilly but rarely below 5°C. Theoretically, however, it can sometimes go towards 0 degrees in cold phases. So it makes sense to have a heated room in the winter season. But generally spoken winters are mild. From December to February you can expect dry days with temperatures between 15 to 20°C. In this period one should know that the differences between day and night temperatures can be problematic for the indoor climate (mold growth).

Water temperatures

Water temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean are quite stable. The Atlantic Ocean may need a longer time to warm up but then keeps the warmth longer. Thus, the warmth rises from about 20°C in June to 22°C in August and drops to about 21°C in October. May and November show normally still about 18°C, April and December about 17°C. The lowest Water Temperature is according to experience from January to March with 15-16°C.

Precipitation

The Algarve is not a completely dry region. The period from January to April is considered the rainiest. Actually March has been the rainiest month, in recent years April proved to be relatively rainy. In late autumn one must expect extreme rainfall from time to time. Winter is relatively storm-prone and also has somewhat higher precipitation. The months of July and August are usually extremely dry.

When is the best time to travel to the Algarve?

The Algarve is good to visit all year round. Spring to autumn are often considered the best time to travel. However, winter also offers good opportunities - locals advise to travel to the Algarve in winter. Winter is less busy, nights are cool but during the day it usually warms up nicely. Observation has shown that over the last years especially April has shown to be very rainy.

For a beach vacation the best time to travel to the Algarve is usually from July to September.