Best Time To Travel To: Portugal
Portugal is a comparatively small country within the EU. The country is part of the Iberian Peninsula and borders Spain there. Portugal is one of the westernmost countries in Europe. The weather is mainly determined by the Atlantic. Although one can speak of a Mediterranean climate in places, the influence of the Atlantic reduces the temperatures in summer a little.
Two islands in the Atlantic that belong to Portugal are very interesting for tourism: the Azores and Madeira.
The Azores
The Azores consist of a group of nine main islands, which are about 1,300km west of Portugal. The islands are all quite mountainous, the mountains have an average height of between 600 and 2,300 meters. The highest point is the Pico with 2,351 meters, it is also the highest mountain in Portugal.
The climate in the Azores is quite mild and consistent. In summer it is usually pleasantly warm, but rarely hot. The average temperature here is around 25 ° C. The winters are - at least at sea level - very mild. Of course, it gets a little colder at higher altitudes. The winters in the Azores can generally be stormy, especially when Atlantic lowlands pull over the island. On average, however, it does not get much colder than 12 ° C.
Rain actually falls all year round, although it rains more in winter than in summer. Spring and autumn are also rather rainy and mild.
The climate table of the Municipio Angra do Heroismo / Azores could be used as a typical for the coastal regions of the Azores.
Madeira
Detailed description for MadeiraPortugal
Winters are very mild along the coast. In the north and inland on the mountain ranges, the winters are much colder. The Serra da Estrela is known for good winter sports. Summers are also cooler in the mountains.
The table of Braganca in the north would be typical for medium altitudes
Basically, winter is the rainiest season in all of Portugal. In the north, autumn can also be very rainy, there you have to expect heavy rain in places even in summer. Basically, the summers in the north are shorter than in the south and the temperatures decrease towards the north. This can be seen in the comparison between the climate tables for Braganca in the north and Faro in the south of Portugal.
The sunniest and driest region in Portugal is definitely the Algarve on the south coast, which is also likely to be one of the main travel destinations. The heat is kept within limits, at least when you compare it with the very hot southeast of Spain. The water temperatures in the Algarve are always higher than those on the west coast (see detailed description of the optimal travel time to the Algarve)
Snowfall is very rare on the coast, but in the higher inland it can always snow in winter. In the low elevations in the north, you have to reckon with heavy rainfalls and quite stormy weather in winter.
When to go to Portugal
On the whole, Portugal could be recommended as a year-round destination, but the best time for Portugal should realistically be from March to October. The Algarve offers ideal travel times almost all year round. Winter sports enthusiasts will get their money's worth especially between December and April in the high altitudes.
