Climate
"We didn't know we had an April," one Lisbon resident said, "until that song came out." As a song and a season, "April in Portugal" is famous. Summer might be the most popular time to visit, but for the traveler who can chart his or her own course, spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit.
To use a North American analogy, the climate of Portugal most closely parallels that of California. There are only slight fluctuations in temperature between summer and winter; the overall mean ranges from 77°F (25°C) in summer to about 58°F (14°C) in winter. The rainy season begins in November and usually lasts through January. Because of the Gulf Stream, Portugal's northernmost area, Minho, enjoys mild (albeit very rainy) winters, even though it's at approximately the same latitude as New York City.
Snow brings many skiing enthusiasts to the Serra de Estrêla in north-central Portugal. For the most part, however, winter means only some rain and lower temperatures in other regions. The Algarve and especially Madeira enjoy temperate winters. Madeira, in fact, basks in its high season in winter. The Algarve, too, is somewhat of a winter Riviera that attracts sun worshipers from North America and Europe. Summers in both tend to be long, hot, clear, and dry.
Lisbon and Estoril enjoy 46°F (8°C) to 65°F (18°C) temperatures in winter and temperatures between 60°F (16°C) and 82°F (28°C) in summer.
Holidays
Watch for these public holidays, and adjust your banking needs accordingly: New Year's Day and Universal Brotherhood Day (Jan 1); Carnaval (Feb or early Mar -- dates vary); Good Friday (Mar or Apr -- dates vary); Liberty Day, anniversary of the revolution (Apr 25); Labor Day (May 1); Corpus Christi (May or June -- dates vary); Portugal Day (June 10); Feast of the Assumption (Aug 15); Proclamation of the Republic (Oct 5); All Saints' Day (Nov 1); Restoration of Independence (Dec 1); Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec 8); and Christmas Day (Dec 25). The Feast Day of St. Anthony (June 13) is a public holiday in Lisbon, and the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist (June 24) is a public holiday in Porto.
