Best time to visit Algarve - worst time to visit Algarve.

Best time to visit Algarve. These are the best (and worst) months to visit the Portuguese Algarve

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What is the best time to visit the Algarve?

The Algarve is a popular holiday destination and attracts many visitors every year. Although Lisbon is also popular, the vast majority of people choose a holiday to the Algarve because of the abundance of golden yellow beaches, Its pleasant climate and the huge range of activities that this region has to offer on and around the ocean. If you are considering a holiday to the Algarve this year or next, you are probably wondering: when is the best time to travel to the Algarve?

Although the weather in the Algarve is better than most of Europe throughout the year, some months are better than others. On this page you will discover the best time to travel to the Algarve for a holiday.

Best time to visit Algarve — The town of Luz, located in the west of the Algarve, is a wonderfully pleasant and peaceful destination outside the high season.

What is the best time to travel to the Algarve?

The Algarve is a great holiday destination all year round thanks to its mild climate and location on the ocean. Yes, it rains here in the winter and the sky is sometimes grey, but not nearly as much as in the UK. In the summer, the sun shines almost every day, but it can also be very hot.

Therefore, the following two periods are the best times to travel to the Algarve:

The period around the May holidays (April and May)
The period around the autumn holidays (September and October)

Below I will explain these two periods

Best time to visit Algarve in the first half of the year: April & May

The first best time to travel to the Algarve is the weeks around the May holiday . This period, April and May, offers a pleasant mix of nice weather and less crowds. Nature is in full bloom thanks to the rainfall in the previous months, so you can enjoy colorful and fragrant flowers and seas of green grass. The chance of showers is small during this period and even if the weather is not so good for a day, there is still plenty to do.

Furthermore, the daytime temperatures are very pleasant, with averages between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. However, it is advisable to avoid the actual May holiday if possible, as prices for flights and accommodation are higher during that period.

If you are flexible, it is best to come to the Algarve in the week before or after the May holidays! Here you will find some nice accommodation tips, from special B&Bs to luxury resorts.

Best time to visit Algarve in the second half of the year: September & October

A second excellent time to visit the Algarve is around the autumn holidays : September & October. Although the chance of rain is slightly higher than in the May holidays, the weather is still pleasant and temperatures are between 23 and 28 degrees. It is, especially in October, less busy than during the high season, so you can enjoy quieter beaches and sights.

Also during this period, avoiding the actual autumn holidays is beneficial because of the lower prices for flights and accommodations.

Although nature may not be in bloom as beautifully as during the May holidays, it is the best time to enjoy the late summer when the temperature in the UK drops below 15 degrees again.

Worst time to travel to the Algarve

Now that you have an idea of the best time to travel to the Algarve, you might be wondering what the worst time to travel to the Algarve is. As an Algarve resident who has experienced all seasons several times, in my honest opinion, these are the two worst times to travel to the Algarve.

Summer holidays. This may sound contradictory, but for me the summer holidays are the least attractive period to come to the Algarve. The prices of accommodation and flights triple, as does the number of visitors you encounter. The most popular beaches are packed with sunbeds and spontaneously walking into a (good) restaurant without a reservation is a challenge. Moreover, July is the hottest month and although I like nice weather, the peaks towards 40 degrees are very tiring if you want to do something active.
The Christmas holidays. Although I understand that many people want to escape the cold of the Northern European weather for a while, the chance of bad weather in December is very high. Despite the fact that the temperature during the day is around 12-14 degrees, there are also many storms from the Atlantic Ocean during this period. Although it is a lot quieter and nature slowly comes to life, the Christmas holidays are specifically a bad time to travel because the prices for flights and hotels are much higher due to the Christmas period than just before or just after this holiday. Nevertheless, you can still have a fantastic Christmas holiday here with a chance of good weather, but if I had to choose a second ‘worst’ time to travel, it would be the Christmas holidays due to the higher prices.

Conclusion: April & May are the best months to visit the Algarve

Considering the weather, the beauty of nature and the crowds, the best time to travel to the Algarve is April and May . If you are stuck with school holidays, then the May holiday and the autumn holiday are the best times to travel to the Algarve. It is a lot less busy during these two school holidays than in the summer holidays and the temperature is a lot more pleasant.

Are you coming to the Algarve with the whole family? Check out some child-friendly hotels and resorts here . For romantic couples, here are some romantic hotels in the Algarve .