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The best independent guide to Portugal

MyPortugalHoliday.com

The best independent guide to Portugal

Portugal for a winter holiday – a guide for 2024/25

The winter season can be a fantastic time of year for a holiday to Portugal.
This is the perfect time of year to experience authentic Portugal, discover a deserted beach in the Algarve, or explore the country without the summer tourist crowds.

Visiting Portugal during winter does require some planning and a bit of flexibility - as there’s always a chance of poor weather - but there are many positives that easily outweigh the risk of rain. A major bonus is that winter is the cheapest season to visit Portugal, so it’s the ideal time to bag a bargain flight, find a heavily discounted luxury hotel or book a last-minute city break.

Praia de Dona Ana beach winter

The Praia de Dona Ana beach, near Lagos, on a sunny winter’s day

Because of the unpredictable and possibly wet weather, we’d recommend a holiday in Lisbon (with its many activities and sights) or the Algarve - the southern coastline of Portugal.

Winter is a fantastic season for an activity-focused holiday in southern Portugal, whether that’s a round of golf in Vilamoura, hiking along the Rota Vicentina coastline trails, cycling in the eastern Algarve or surfing at Sagres.

 

 

It’s also the best time of year for a touring or campervan holiday of southern and eastern Portugal. Vehicle rentals are at their cheapest, the roads will be empty, and there is plenty of space in hotels or at campsites.

The two largest cities of Portugal, Lisbon and Porto, are vibrant and buzzing during the winter, and have amazing atmospheres during the lead-up to Christmas.

This article provides a guide to visiting Portugal during winter, helping you to get the most from your holiday.

Praia de Dona Ana beach winter

The narrow streets of the Alfama district of Lisbon, without the crowds of tourists

Winter weather in Portugal

The winter weather in Portugal is best described as mild and unpredictable, however it will definitely be better than in your home country.
The winter climate in Portugal can be divided into three regions:
• The Algarve – Mild and dry weather, with an equal number of bright sunny days as grey days; there is very little rain.
• Porto and northern Portugal – Cool days and chilly nights, with a high possibility of very heavy rain.
• Lisbon and central Portugal – An unpredictable mix of bright and sunny days and grey days – there will be some wet days.

As a generalisation, the weather gets better (drier and warmer) the further south and east you head. The southern Algarve coastline will always have the best weather, while the north will have the wettest and chilliest.

 

 

During winter, moisture-laden winds blow in from the Atlantic Ocean, causing heavy rains to fall over the northern coastlines and the northern mountainous regions. It can be very wet in northern Portugal, and we would not recommend a holiday here during the winter.

The Algarve during winter will have mostly dry and bright days, but temperatures will not be warm enough for sunbathing. This is the perfect season for a touring or activity-based holiday.

Suggested tours and holiday ideas for the winter months

The winter season is a fantastic time of year for a touring holiday of Portugal. The weather is ideal for exploring, and there can be amazing bargains for accommodation.
Some of the best routes and holiday ideas for the winter include:
1 week in Lisbon - Three days exploring Lisbon and day trips to Sintra, Cascais, Setubal, Sesimbra, Evora or Obidos.
Lisbon and the Algarve - Three days in Lisbon (with a day trip to Sintra), then four days relaxing at Albufeira or Lagos (with possible day trips to Silves and Faro)
Lisbon to Porto - Three days in Lisbon with a day trip to Sintra, then one night in Nazare after seeing Obidos, one night in Tomar, two days in the university city of Coimbra and ending in Porto, with a day trip to Guimarães or Braga (weather dependent).

 

 

Central and eastern Portugal – Fly into Lisbon (2 nights), 2 nights in Evora, 1 night in Elvas, 1 night in Marvão or Castelo de Vide, 1 night in Monsanto (then the option to visit the Serra da Estrela mountains), Almeida for 2 nights (which includes the surrounding regions of Trancoso, Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo and Marialva), then drive back to Lisbon - possibly including Viseu and Coimbra. A rental car is needed.
Tour of the Algarve - Fly into Faro (1 night), 2 nights in pretty Tavira, 2 nights in Albufeira or Vilamoura, and 3 nights in Lagos (with a day trip to Silves). A rental car is not needed for this trip

A relaxing Algarve holiday - Either in Albufeira (largest resort town), Vilamoura (upmarket centre for golfing), Lagos (a historic and artisan city) or Tavira (charming Portuguese town). All of these towns will be very quiet during the winter.

Below is an interactive map showing these winter holiday routes. The yellow line shows the Lisbon to Porto tour, the green line is the 1 week in Lisbon, the red line is the tour of the Algarve and the blue line is the tour of eastern Portugal. (Note: zoom in to see all of the points)

Lisbon 1 week (green) 1) Lisbon 2) Sintra 3) Cascais 4) Setubal 5) Sesimbra 6) Obidos
Lisbon to Porto (yellow) 1) Lisbon 6) Obidos 7) Nazare 8) Tomar 9) Coimbra 10) Porto 11) Guimarães
East Portugal (blue) 1) Lisbon 12) Evora 13) Elvas 14) Marvão 15) Monsanto 16) Almeida
The Algarve (red) 17) Faro 18) Tavira 19) Albufeira 20) Lagos 21) Silves

Insight: Portugal is a relatively small country and has an excellent express train network. It only takes 2.5 hours to travel from Lisbon to the Algarve or 3 hours from Lisbon to Porto. This means you can easily travel south if the weather turns poor or head to the north if it's a spell of dry weather. Having flexible plans is the best way to get the most from your winter holiday to Portugal.

Tavira portugal

Tavira is one of the prettiest towns in the Algarve

The Christmas holidays in Portugal

Christmas is a fantastic time of year to be in Portugal. The Portuguese adore the Christmas holidays and the cities are alive with the build-up to the festivities.

The main Christmas meal is celebrated on Christmas Eve (December 24) and children often stay up till midnight to open their presents - this also allows parents a bit of lie-in on Christmas morning!

Christmas day is a public holiday, so most tourist activities and shops will be closed. Boxing day (December 26) is not a public holiday, so most things will be open as normal.

The demand for flights and accommodation during the Christmas holidays (December 22 to January 2) will be similar to that of the summer peak season. It is always advisable to book flights as soon as possible, as the most popular routes do sell out with Portuguese citizens returning home for the holidays.

Christmas tree Lisbon

Lisbon’s Christmas tree in the Praça do Comércio plaza

Finding a bargain hotel during the winter

There can be some real bargains for accommodation during the winter, as hotels slash their prices to attract the few visitors to the country.

One of the best methods for finding a bargain is to use hotel comparison websites and only book rooms with free cancelation. This allows you to continue looking for something better - or change your plans if the weather deteriorates.
Insight: There will be more bargains in the coastal towns, with fewer in Lisbon or Porto.

Personal opinion: We always recommended that visitors stay in locally-owned hotels, which employ local people and keeps tourist money within the country. Rental apartments may seem appealing, but are often owned by foreign investors and push up house prices for locals – this is a real problem in Lisbon, Porto and certain areas of the Algarve.

The Algarve during the winter

The Algarve is a fantastic destination during the winter, as long as you accept that the resort towns will be very quiet, and the weather is not warm enough to sunbathe.

Our advice is to stick to the larger resort towns, such as Albufeira, Lagos, or Vilamoura, which have large permanent populations and will have a decent selection of restaurants and bars open. To experience some Portuguese culture in your holiday, consider being based in the charming town of Tavira or having a day trip to Faro or Silves.

Algarve in the winter

The western Algarve has lively resort towns and golden cliffs

The low season is the time to find a bargain hotel. Search websites can find you last-minute 5-star luxury for the price of 3-star mediocrity. We would strongly advise hiring a car so that you can explore the region, and are not just tied to your deserted hotel complex or quiet town.

The winter months are surfing season in the western Algarve, and the town of Sagres having a great surfing vibe along with some amazing surfing beaches.

Some good ideas for activities for the winter include hiking along the Praia do Vale de Centeanes trail, joining a boat tour from Albufeira or Vilamoura (when the seas are calm!), cycling the quiet roads around Burgau or Tavira.

Albufeira has the best New Years celebrations in Portugal, and all of the large resort towns are buzzing during the Christmas period.

Algarve boat tour

If there is no wind (and the sea is calm!) join a boat tour of the Algarve coastline

Lisbon in the winter

Lisbon is a great option for a winter city-break, or for a longer holiday. There is a lot to see and do in Lisbon, and there are many interesting day trips, that can be reached via public transport.

If it does rain there are numerous museums and indoor activities, along with hundreds of trendy bars and stylish restaurants. There are numerous museums and indoor activities, along with hundreds of bars and stylish restaurants. There’s also the wonderful oceanarium, the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and the Calouste Gulbenkian art museum. If it stays wet, head to the artisan area of LX Factory, sample Portugal's finest foods in the Timeout Market and end the day in the trendy bars of the Bairro Alto district.

Rossio Plaza, Lisbon

Rossio Plaza in central Lisbon

If the sun does show itself, hop on the train to the magical town of Sintra, with it's whimsical Pena Palace and the ruins of the Moors castle. If it is warm, head to the characterful resort town of Cascais or the traditional beach town of Sesimbra.

In the low season, the main tourist attractions will be almost deserted, so you'll be able to visit at your own pace without enduring the summer crowds
Related articles: Our Lisbon guide

Palácio Nacional da Pena

The Palácio Nacional da Pena is one of the highlights of the Lisbon region, and will be free from tourists during the winter

Porto in the winter

Porto in the winter is difficult to predict. The weather could be good, or it could be very wet. If it is raining, the city has significantly fewer indoor activities and sights to offer than Lisbon. The main indoor experience is Port wine tasting in the many cellars that line the banks of Douro River - and with over 14 different Port cellars, there's a lot of Port tasting!

If the weather is dry take a day trip to the pretty city of Guimarães or the religious centre of Braga. If the sun does come out hire a car and explore the Douro Valley.

Our advice: If you are thinking about visiting Porto during the winter, leave your planning to the last minute and base your decision on the long-term weather forecast. If it seems wet, head to Lisbon or the Algarve. If it’s dry, book Porto and get yourself a bargain trip!
Related articles: Porto guide

Porto in the winter

Porto sits on the northern banks of the Douro River

Skiing at the Serra da Estrela

During winter, snow falls over the Serra da Estrela mountains, and there is a ski resort at Torre - the highest point in Portugal (1,997m). These are only a small set of ski slopes (5.9km of slopes and 3 chairlifts), and certainly not comparable to the Alps, but it is an enjoyable activity if you're based in Portugal. For further information and prices, see the Serra da Estrela skiing website: https://www.skiserradaestrela.com/

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Discover more of Portugal with our guides

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