June is the best month to visit Portugal, and if you get the chance, you should go.
The weather in June is warm and sunny, but without the stifling heat of mid-summer, making it perfect for beach holidays, sightseeing and activity holidays. June is just before the peak summer season, so every tourist activity and sight is fully open, but they won't be completely overrun with visitors.

Portugal takes on a festive atmosphere throughout June, with the celebrations of the Festas dos Santos Populares. The festivities are best experienced in Lisbon (3-13 June) and Porto (23 June) with nightly street parties, traditional dances and the smell of barbequed sardines wafting through the streets.

With the glorious weather, you could choose any part of Portugal to visit for your holiday. You could have a relaxing beach holiday to one of the Algarve’s famous resort towns, such as Albufeira, Lagos or Vilamoura. For a beach holiday away from package tourists, there are the charming resort towns along the Atlantic coastline, including Cascais, Sesimbra, Nazare, Ericeira or Figueira da Foz.

 

 

June is ideal for a city break to Lisbon or Porto, or they could be used as a base to discover the surrounding regions of each. Another popular idea is to combine one of the cities with a few days relaxing on the beach in the Algarve.

If you're more of an activity person, then you could go surfing at Peniche, cycle the Estrada Nacional 2, play a round of golf at Vilamoura, go hiking in the Arouca Geopark, or go wine tasting in the Douro Valley. The sheer variety of places to visit, sights and activities is what makes Portugal such a wonderful tourist destination, and there is no better time to visit than in June.
This article will show you why you must visit Portugal in June, and help to give you ideas for your holiday.
Related articles: 1 week in Portugal – Portugal best beach

When visiting Portugal in June, you can expect to find glorious weather across the entire country. It will be hot and dry, with few clouds and almost no rain. The south of Portugal will be slightly warmer, but there is very little variance throughout the country.

By June, the wet spring weather in northern Portugal has ended, making it a great time of year to visit this quieter region of the country. Daytime temperatures inland will be hot, but conditions remain more comfortable than during the peak summer months.

The best Portuguese holiday in June is either a city break to Lisbon or a relaxing holiday to the Algarve.

Lisbon is fantastic in June, with glorious weather and a buzzing atmosphere about the city. In addition to the sights, beaches and exciting nightlife, Lisbon will be celebrating the Festas dos Santos Populares (June 5th to 13th).

June is the perfect month for a relaxing holiday in the Algarve. The region has ideal weather for lounging on the picturesque beaches or going sightseeing, with the historic towns of Tavira, Silves and Loulé free of the summer crowds.

Deciding exactly where to go in Portugal, greatly depends on the style and length of your holiday. For a short break such as a weekend getaway, consider either Lisbon or Porto – both are fantastic in their own unique ways. Lisbon is larger, more vibrant, boasting wild nightlife and excellent beaches. Porto, on the other hand, is more traditional, calmer and has a much more Portuguese feel than multi-cultural Lisbon.

For a week-long beach holiday, consider one of the larger towns of the Algarve such as Albufeira, Lagos, Vilamoura or Praia da Rocha. While smaller coastal towns are fully open, they haven a quieter ambiance that might not suit everyone. If you do want this calmer atmosphere then you should consider charming Alvor or picturesque Tavira, in the eastern Algarve. In June all of the main tourist attractions will be fully open, including the excellent marine park of Zoomarine and the thrilling water park of Slide and Splash.

Note: If you are wanting a nightlife/party holiday, then Lisbon's Bairro Alto district offers a better choice than the Algarve during June.

June is a fantastic month for a touring holiday or a multi destination trip (such as combining both Lisbon and the Algarve). There are many fantastic touring options for June, and a selection of our favourites are detailed later in this guide.

June's pleasant weather creates the perfect conditions for outdoor activities. This is a fantastic month to learn/improve your surfing skills at Ericeira, play a golfing holiday at Vilamoura or Óbidos, or have a cycling holiday along the Estrada Nacional 2.
Related articles: Our Lisbon guide - Guide to the Algarve

Lisbon is one of the best cities in Europe

With June's fantastic weather, you could choose any part of Portugal for your holiday. Here we have four suggested tours of Portugal:

Tour of the Algarve (9 days)
This tour discovers the picturesque Algarve coastline and mixes lively resorts such as Albufeira and Lagos with traditional fishing towns such as Tavira.
Day 1: Faro
Day 2: Tavira
Day 3: Day trip to Vila Real de Santo António from Tavira
Day 4: Albufeira and beach day
Day 5: Day trip to Loulé from Albufeira
Day 6: Day trip to Vilamoura from Albufeira
Day 7: Lagos
Day 8: Day trip to Silves from Lagos
Day 9: Day trip to Sagres from Lagos

Lisbon Region (7 days)
This holiday is based in Lisbon for 7 nights and takes day trips to explore the entire region
Day 1-2: Lisbon's historic districts (Alfama, Baixa, Belém)
Day 3: Day trip to Sintra (Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, Moorish Castle)
Day 4: Day trip to Cascais or beach day
Day 5: Day trip to Setúbal
Day 6: Day trip to Évora
Day 7: Day trip to Óbidos and Nazaré

Lisbon to Porto Tour (14 days)
This is a mighty tour of central Portugal covering all of the highlights between Lisbon and Porto.
Day 1-2: Lisbon
Day 3: Sintra (Day trip from Lisbon)
Day 4: Mafra and Ericeira
Day 5: Óbidos and Nazaré
Day 6: Tomar
Day 7-8: Coimbra (with a day trip to visit the schist villages)
Day 9: Aveiro and Costa Nova
Day 10-11: Porto
Day 12: Guimarães
Day 13: Braga
Day 14: Douro Valley

Northern Portugal: (8 days)
This holiday explores the best of northern Portugal while being conveniently based in Porto for the entire trip.
Day 1-2: Porto
Day 3: Guimarães
Day 4: Braga
Day 5: Pinhão and the Douro Valley
Day 6: Aveiro
Day 7: Viana do Castelo
Day 8: Lamego

Another good alternative for a holiday in June, is to split your time between two destinations such as Lisbon (or Porto) and the Algarve (Albufeira Lagos or Tavira). This allows you to experience vibrant city life for 3-4 days, followed by laid-back beach days along the Algarve's beautiful coastline.

The interactive map below shows the four suggested tour routes. The red line and markers display the Algarve route, the blue shows the Lisbon trip, the orange line indicates the Lisbon to Porto tour, and the green markers show the Porto tour. Note: zoom in or out to see all the points.

Algarve tour (red): 1) Faro 2) Tavira 3) Albufeira 4) Loulé 5) Lagos 6) Silves
Lisbon holiday (blue): 7) Lisbon 8) Sintra 9) Cascais 10) Setúbal 11) Óbidos
Lisbon to Porto (orange): 7) Lisbon 8) Sintra 11) Óbidos 12) Nazaré 13) Tomar 14) Coimbra 15) Aveiro 16) Porto
Porto holiday (green): 16) Porto 17) Guimarães 18) Braga 19) Pinhão/Douro Valley 15) Aveiro

Insight: Portugal is a relatively small country and has an excellent express train network. It is just 2.5 hours from Lisbon to the Algarve, or 3 hours from Lisbon to Porto. This allows you to easily combine different areas of the country without the need of a car.

Albufeira is an outstanding location for a holiday

A cruise down the picturesque Douro Valley

The hilltop village of Monsanto was constructed around it's huge boulders

(For an in-depth guide to each destination, click on the underlined links)

There are many fantastic beach locations to choose from in Portugal. In the summer months, the majority of tourists flock to the Algarve and the region between Lagos and Vilamoura.

Albufeira is Portugal's largest and liveliest resort town, ideal for those seeking a vibrant nightlife. Vilamoura is a sophisticated resort town known for its golf courses and modern marina complex.
The city of Lagos provides the perfect blend of vibrant holiday destination and Portuguese culture, and lies along one of the finest sections of coastline in Portugal.

Smaller and more intimate beach towns within the Algarve include Alvor, Carvoeiro, Olhos de Água and Praia da Luz. All of these towns would make an ideal choice for a family holiday in June.

Note: All of the Algarve's waterparks, theme parks and activities will be open in June.

Tavira in the eastern Algarve is the most traditional and charming town of the entire region, offering a more authentic Portuguese experience for visitors.
Our opinion: For a cultural holiday, choose Tavira, for a lively holiday go to Albufeira, and for a mix of both styles head to Lagos.

The beautiful beach at Carvoeiro

Atlantic coastline beach resorts
The western Atlantic coastline of Portugal has many beautiful beaches and characterful resort towns to choose from. June is the ideal time to visit the Atlantic coastline, as the northwesterly winds bring gentler sea breezes and fewer coastal mists.

Cascais is the premier resort town of the Lisbon coastline, offering a lively atmosphere, stunning beaches, and rich Portuguese culture. Sesimbra is a calmer alternative close to Lisbon, which is a popular choice of destination for Portuguese holidaymakers.

The Atlantic coast is famed for its surfing, with the town of Ericeira regarded as the fashionable centre of surfing culture. Further north is the charming town of Nazaré.

To the south of Porto is Costa Nova, a picturesque beachside village with its colourful striped houses. Popular with the residents of Porto is the modern resort town of Povoa de Varzim.

For more peaceful beach destinations, consider Foz do Arelho on the mouth of the Lagoa de Óbidos lagoon, or São Martinho do Porto, a cove beach sheltered behind a high cliff.

The pristine beaches and unspoilt countryside of the Alentejo coastline remain relatively unknown to foreign tourists. This is a fantastic region to visit if you'd prefer to escape the tourist masses, with the best beach towns being Vila Nova de Milfontes, Porto Covo, Zambujeira do Mar or Odeceixe.
To the northern side of the Alentejo coastline are the paradise beaches of Troia.

Cascais is always a fun holiday destination

The pristine and deserted Alentejo coastline – this is the Praia do Almograve close to Vila Nova de Milfontes

The map shows the locations of the best beach resort towns in Portugal – the yellow marks are for the Algarve coastline, and the green pins are for the Atlantic coastline.

Algarve: 1) Albufeira 2) Vilamoura 3) Lagos 4) Alvor 5) Carvoeiro 6) Olhos de Água 7) Praia da Luz 8) Tavira
Atlantic coastline: 9) Cascais 10) Sesimbra 11) Ericeira 12) Nazaré 13) Costa Nova 14) Povoa de Varzim 15) Foz do Arelho 16) São Martinho do Porto 17) Vila Nova de Milfontes 18) Porto Covo 19) Zambujeira do Mar 20) Troia

Portugal makes the ideal choice of destination for a short break, including a weekend trip.
The most obvious choices for a short trip are Portugal's two largest cities - Lisbon and Porto. Both cities have a vibrant atmosphere and offer a variety of sights to see and activities to enjoy. Each has its own airport, with flights covering much of Europe, making them easy to travel to.

A three-day break in Lisbon could include visits to the Alfama, Baixa and Belem districts, a day trip to Sintra, or some time spent relaxing on one of the region's beautiful beaches. If you have three days in Porto you could explore its historic centre, go port wine tasting, or take a leisurely boat cruise along the Douro River. There are also day trips available to Braga or Guimarães.

An alternative for a short break is to fly into the Algarve. Albufeira, Vilamoura and Praia da Rocha are all amazing resort towns where you can enjoy a quick dose of sun and holiday fun.

Faro is rarely considered for a short trip, however its historic centre is very pretty. From Faro you could take day trips to Loule and Olhão, or visit the beach at Praia de Faro.

Porto sits on the Douro River, where historically boats transported barrels of Port wine to be stored in the huge cellars that line the river.

Sintra just outside of Lisbon is the setting of the whimsical Palácio Nacional da Pena

June is festival month in Portugal, when the Festas dos Santos Populares (the popular saint festival) are celebrated. The patron saint of Lisbon is Saint Anthony, with his feast day being on the 13th of June. The patron saint of Porto, Saint John, is celebrated on the 24th of June. In the weeks leading up to the patron saint days you can join the vibrant street parties, watch traditional dances and see the cities decorated with colourful streamers.

The week leading up to the 13th of June is the best time of year to visit Lisbon. There are massive street parties every evening and a large carnival on the night of the 12th.
For a full guide to the Santos Populares, please click here.

Lisbon is a truly amazing place to visit in June.
The city buzzes with excitement over the Festas dos Santos Populares, with tasty sardine BBQs to try and tinsel decorating the streets. You'll also find traditional dances most evenings from the 2nd to the 13th.

Lisbon is the busiest area of Portugal in June, however, there are fewer tourists than in July and August. This is a great month for sightseeing, as while the weather will be hot, it won't be intensely draining.

You can explore the pretty Belém district that extends along the Tejo estuary, visiting the Torre de Belém and magnificent Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. There's also the Alfama district and its delightful maze of cobbled streets, which is home to many of Lisbon's oldest sights, such as the castle and Se Cathedral.

The glorious weather in June means you could spend time on Lisbon's beaches, many of which are just a short train ride away. Cascais is the best beach resort of the Lisbon coastline. You could also take a day trip to Sintra, the setting of the whimsical Palácio Nacional da Pena.