The warmest place in Portugal in winter is Madeira: from November to March, Funchal averages 20.9°C by day and 15.0°C at night, about 3°C warmer by day than anywhere on the mainland and about 5°C milder at night than Faro. On the mainland the answer is the Algarve: Faro and Vila Real de Santo António average between 17.5°C and 17.8°C by day, ahead of Lisbon at 16.8°C and Porto at 15.5°C.
So it depends on what you need. If you want warm, Madeira is the only part of Portugal that stays around 20°C by day all winter. If you want mild and fairly dry, the Algarve is the best of the mainland, with about half the winter rain of Porto. Below: 13 places compared on Portugal's official climate averages, a month-by-month answer, and how to choose.
The Warmest Places in Portugal, November to March
These figures are the official 1991-2020 climate normals of IPMA, Portugal's national weather and climate institute (IPMA climate normals), at one weather station per place. "Day high" and "night low" are the average daily maximum and minimum, rain is the average total for the five months, and rainy days are days with 1 mm or more. The linked weather pages use a different source, a 10-year model average for each resort area, so their temperatures can differ by up to about a degree and a half, and their rain figures by more.
| Place | Area | Day high | Night low | Rain, Nov to Mar | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funchal | Madeira | 20.9°C | 15.0°C | 377 mm | 33 |
| Porto Santo | Madeira archipelago | 19.2°C | 14.4°C | 250 mm | 37 |
| Ponta Delgada | Azores (São Miguel) | 18.2°C | 13.1°C | 535 mm | 62 |
| Faro | Algarve (south coast) | 17.8°C | 9.9°C | 304 mm | 31 |
| Vila Real de Santo António | Algarve (east, on the Spanish border) | 17.5°C | 8.8°C | 281 mm | 29 |
| Sagres | Algarve (south-west tip) | 17.2°C | 9.9°C | 308 mm | 36 |
| Coimbra | Centre | 16.8°C | 6.6°C | 503 mm | 52 |
| Lisbon | Lisbon | 16.8°C | 10.0°C | 493 mm | 45 |
| Sines | Alentejo coast | 16.4°C | 9.5°C | 334 mm | 40 |
| Beja | Alentejo (inland) | 16.3°C | 7.1°C | 317 mm | 37 |
| Évora | Alentejo (inland) | 16.1°C | 5.9°C | 353 mm | 41 |
| Porto | North coast | 15.5°C | 7.8°C | 669 mm | 58 |
| Bragança | North-east (inland) | 11.7°C | 1.9°C | 436 mm | 46 |
Three things stand out. The islands are in a different league: Funchal, Porto Santo and Ponta Delgada all have nights in the low to mid teens, while every mainland station averages about 10°C or less. The Algarve's two warmest places are within 0.3°C of each other by day, with Sagres a little behind, so choose by nights and rain instead. And Bragança, at 11.7°C by day and 1.9°C at night, shows how cold the inland north-east gets.
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The Warmest Place in Portugal, Month by Month
November: Funchal, on Madeira, is the warmest place in Portugal at 22.8°C by day and 17.0°C at night. On the mainland, Faro is warmest at 19.6°C.
December: Funchal, on Madeira, is the warmest place in Portugal at 21.0°C by day and 15.5°C at night. On the mainland, Faro and Sagres are level at 17.0°C to 17.1°C.
January: Funchal, on Madeira, is the warmest place in Portugal at 20.0°C by day and 14.3°C at night. On the mainland, Faro and Sagres are level at 16.1°C to 16.3°C.
February: Funchal, on Madeira, is the warmest place in Portugal at 19.9°C by day and 13.9°C at night. On the mainland, Faro and Vila Real de Santo António are level at 16.8°C to 17.0°C.
March: Funchal, on Madeira, is the warmest place in Portugal at 20.6°C by day and 14.3°C at night. On the mainland, Vila Real de Santo António, Coimbra, Faro, Lisbon and Beja are level at 18.9°C to 19.2°C.
A note on the stations: Faro's is at the airport and Lisbon's is in the city, so treat differences of a few tenths of a degree as a tie. A sheltered south-facing beach can feel warmer at midday than any of these numbers.
November
| Place | Day high | Night low | Rain | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funchal | 22.8°C | 17.0°C | 80 mm | 7.3 |
| Porto Santo | 21.2°C | 16.4°C | 64 mm | 8.4 |
| Ponta Delgada | 19.9°C | 14.9°C | 95 mm | 11.8 |
| Faro | 19.6°C | 11.9°C | 76 mm | 6.6 |
| Vila Real de Santo António | 19.1°C | 11.0°C | 69 mm | 6.1 |
| Sagres | 19.0°C | 11.7°C | 82 mm | 8.4 |
| Lisbon | 18.1°C | 11.8°C | 134 mm | 9.9 |
| Sines | 18.0°C | 11.4°C | 85 mm | 8.8 |
| Coimbra | 18.0°C | 8.3°C | 122 mm | 11.5 |
On the islands and at Faro, Sagres and Sines, November is the warmest month of the winter; elsewhere on the mainland, including Lisbon, March is a little warmer. November is also the start of the wet season: November or December is the wettest month of the year at every station here. For more on the month, see Portugal weather in November and where is hot in November in Europe.
January
| Place | Day high | Night low | Rain | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funchal | 20.0°C | 14.3°C | 67 mm | 6.2 |
| Porto Santo | 18.4°C | 13.7°C | 45 mm | 7.4 |
| Ponta Delgada | 17.5°C | 12.7°C | 102 mm | 13.0 |
| Faro | 16.3°C | 8.3°C | 49 mm | 6.0 |
| Sagres | 16.1°C | 8.5°C | 53 mm | 7.4 |
| Vila Real de Santo António | 15.7°C | 7.0°C | 46 mm | 6.4 |
| Lisbon | 15.1°C | 8.6°C | 104 mm | 10.0 |
| Coimbra | 15.0°C | 5.2°C | 114 mm | 11.3 |
On the mainland, January has the coolest days of the year everywhere in the table: Faro averages 16.3°C by day and 8.3°C at night, Lisbon 15.1°C and 8.6°C. Funchal is still at 20.0°C. See Madeira weather in January.
Madeira: Portugal's Winter Warmth
Funchal averages 20.9°C by day from November to March, and its nights never average below 13°C in any winter month. It does get rain, 377 mm over the five months, more than the Algarve, so expect some showery days. Porto Santo, the archipelago's small second island, is a little cooler by day (19.2°C) but the driest place in the table, with 250 mm.
Madeira and mainland Portugal keep UK time in winter; the Azores are an hour behind (Time in Portugal). The Azores are mild rather than warm: Ponta Delgada averages 18.2°C by day with 62 rainy days over the five months, the most of any place here.
If you are weighing Madeira against Spain's islands, the Canaries are warmer still; see which Canary Island is warmest in winter. For Christmas specifically, our Christmas sun holidays guide compares Madeira with the Canaries, Egypt and long haul.
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Mainland Portugal: Where It Is Mildest
The Algarve
Faro is the warmest place on the mainland by day, at 17.8°C from November to March, with 9.9°C at night and 304 mm of rain over the five months. Vila Real de Santo António, in the east by the Spanish border, is almost as warm by day (17.5°C) with colder nights (8.8°C), and it is the driest place on the mainland, with 281 mm. It also catches up in spring: by March it averages 19.2°C, the warmest March day on the mainland. Sagres, at the south-west tip, is a little cooler by day (17.2°C), with nights of 9.9°C and 308 mm of rain. See Algarve weather in December.
Lisbon
Lisbon averages 16.8°C by day, about a degree behind Faro, but its nights are as mild as Faro's (10.0°C against 9.9°C). It is wetter: 493 mm over the winter against 304 mm in Faro. A city break suits that weather well; see Lisbon weather in February and our 3 days in Lisbon itinerary.
The Alentejo, Coimbra and Porto
Inland, Beja and Évora have mild afternoons and cold nights (7.1°C and 5.9°C on average), and by March Beja and Coimbra are as warm by day as Faro. Porto averages 15.5°C by day and is the wettest mainland place in the table: 669 mm over the five months, far more than the Algarve. For a broader trip plan, see our Portugal travel guide.
How to Choose
- Warmest overall: Madeira, staying in or near Funchal.
- Warmest on the mainland by day: Faro and Vila Real de Santo António, both in the Algarve and within 0.3°C.
- Mildest nights on the mainland: Lisbon, at 10.0°C.
- Driest: Porto Santo, with 250 mm from November to March; on the mainland, Vila Real de Santo António (281 mm).
- City break with mild weather: Lisbon at any point in the winter, best in November or March.
- Avoid if you want warmth: the inland north-east, where Bragança's January nights average 0.4°C.
For warmer places beyond Portugal, compare the warmest place in Spain in winter, our winter sun holidays from the UK guide and where is hot in January in Europe.
Plan It in Dream Trip
Choosing between Madeira, the Algarve and Lisbon usually means a pile of saved TikToks, Instagram posts and Google Maps pins. Dream Trip puts them on one map.
- Save what you find: send the levada walks, pastelarias and beach hotels you see on TikTok, Instagram and Google Maps to one map.
- Compare places: see your Algarve and Madeira saves side by side before you book.
- Plan the days: once you have picked, let Dream Trip's AI draft a day-by-day plan on a live map, and share the trip with whoever you are going with.
Dream Trip is an iPhone app. Dream Trip is free to download, and using it requires a Dream Trip Pro subscription after you sign in. Pro is billed weekly or yearly through the App Store: the yearly plan includes a free trial for eligible new subscribers, and the weekly plan has no trial. Current prices and trial terms are shown in the app and on the App Store before you buy, and can vary by country.
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FAQ
Where is the warmest place in Portugal in November?
Funchal, on Madeira, is the warmest place in Portugal at 22.8°C by day and 17.0°C at night. On the mainland, Faro is warmest at 19.6°C. On the islands and at Faro, Sagres and Sines, November is the warmest month of the winter.
Where is the warmest place in Portugal in December?
Funchal, on Madeira, is the warmest place in Portugal at 21.0°C by day and 15.5°C at night. On the mainland, Faro and Sagres are level at 17.0°C to 17.1°C.
Where is the warmest place in Portugal in January?
Funchal, on Madeira, is the warmest place in Portugal at 20.0°C by day and 14.3°C at night. On the mainland, Faro and Sagres are level at 16.1°C to 16.3°C. On the mainland, January has the coolest days of the year.
Where is the warmest place in Portugal in February?
Funchal, on Madeira, is the warmest place in Portugal at 19.9°C by day and 13.9°C at night. On the mainland, Faro and Vila Real de Santo António are level at 16.8°C to 17.0°C.
Where is the warmest place in Portugal in March?
Funchal, on Madeira, is the warmest place in Portugal at 20.6°C by day and 14.3°C at night. On the mainland, Vila Real de Santo António, Coimbra, Faro, Lisbon and Beja are level at 18.9°C to 19.2°C.
Is Madeira warmer than the Algarve in winter?
Yes. From November to March Funchal averages 20.9°C by day and 15.0°C at night, against 17.8°C and 9.9°C in Faro. The gap is biggest at night. The Algarve is drier: 304 mm of rain over the winter against 377 mm in Funchal.
Is the Algarve warm in winter?
Mild rather than warm. Faro averages 17.8°C by day and 9.9°C at night from November to March, with its coolest days in January at 16.3°C. That is lunch-outside weather on a sunny day, not sunbathing weather, and December is the wettest month of the year there.
When does it rain most in Portugal?
In late autumn and early winter. November or December is the wettest month of the year at every station in this table, and the north-west coast is much wetter than the south: over the five winter months Porto averages 669 mm, Lisbon 493 mm and Faro 304 mm.
