THE WEATHER
The best months for touring all of
Portugal, so far as weather is concerned, are during the Iate spring and early
autumn. Probably the best month of all, despite the claims of the popular song,
is not April, but June.
To give a general picture, Portugal is
not a Mediterranean, but an Atlantic country, and does come in for some rough
weather during the seasons you would expect. There is only one exception, and
that is rather a modification than an exception. The Algarve, the southern
coast, is quite like the Mediterranean climates with its long, clear summers
and pleasant winters.
If the vacation you plan is in the
summer, keep yourself around the coastline, so as to take advantage of the sea
breezes. In the inland sections, especially in Minho, Tras‑os‑Montes and
Alentejo, the summers can be stifling. On the coast, however, even July may be
quite pleasant.
Perhaps it is because of the open way in
which the city is built, but to our minds Lisbon is the most comfortable
summertime city we know.
In the autumn the hilly regions ‑ Minho,
the Beiras become very attractive. Be forewarned, however, that in Minho it may
be quite rainy during any month other than August.
Winter is a severe season in Portugal,
but the glorious celebrations of Christmas are something worth seeing. Still,
in terms of weather, even the Algarve is chilly in the winter. Remember also,
if you come from an inland region, that Atlantic chill takes years of
acclimatization before you can bear that wet cold.
Springtime in Portugal is certainly the
finest season, when the thousands of varieties of flowers cover all parts of
the country. The only warning necessary for this season is that in Minho it is
likely to rain much of the time.
The city of Lisbon and its surroundings,
as we have stated is one of the most pleasant summer urban areas with which we
are familiar. The breeze from the Tagus keeps the temperature, which seldom
rises above 80 degrees Fahrenheit even in August, more pleasant than the
thermometer would seem to indicate.
The same breeze, bringing its wetness,
makes winter more uncomfortable than the thermometer indicates, though the 50
degrees Fahrenheit which is the average in the winter should be cold enough to
discourage you.
Autumn and spring are delightful in
Lisbon and all the surroundings of Area I. Outside of Lisbon is doubly
delightful with the folkloric events and the beauties of nature that abound
during these seasons.
The Ministry of Tourism has been
gradually building a number of events to create the "April in Portugal'',
of which the Portuguese say, "We didn't even know we had an April until
that song came out".
The Algarve has the most delightful
climate in Portugal especially for sun worshippers. It is pretty close to the
climate known as "Mediterranean", though it's not on the
Mediterranean. This is the climate also shared by southern California, and
small parts of Chile, Southern Australia and South Africa. It's the most sought
out climate in the world, said to be optimum for human functioning.
Its main seasons are a long, dry summer,
getting very hot in August, but with no rain whatsoever from May through the
end of September, and a somewhat chillier, somewhat rainy winter. Even in
winter, however, there are long spells when it doesn't rain. Transitional
seasons are very short.
Spring is just a sudden blooming of the
earth lasting no more than a month, and autumn is a barely discernible time of
increasing rainless and rapidly dropping temperatures.
For northern peoples, the swimming season
on the Algarve can be up to six months long.
Lower Alentejo and the lower part of
upper Alentejo are flatlands with very little in the way of trees to shelter
one from seasonal extremes. The extreme seasons, therefore, deep summer and
winter, are not good times to visit here. Try to come in spring or autumn,
especially the latter, as this is a farming region and you'll be able to
partake in the harvest festivities as well as eating the delicious products of
the region.
The more northern parts of Area III,
upper Alentejo and Beira Baixa, are more hilly and much more bearable during
the hot summer. Obviously, it is still going to be hot, but you need not rule
it out.
Remember that this is the only region
without any seacoast, so there is not that cooling breeze in the summer.
The best area during the winter due to
the possibilities for winter sports in the mountains to the east, the Serra da
Estrella. Though summer is pleasant here climatewise, Coimbra, the center city,
is quite lifeless when the students are gone. This is primarily a University
City and just not lively outside the school year. Spring and autumn are the
best times here. The grape harvests in the Dão areas (around Viseu) and the
Port Wine regions along the Douro River are magnificent folkloric events, not
to be missed.
This region, including virtually all of
Portugal north of the Douro River, is the only part of the country with what is
called a "Marine" climate, shared by many countries of Western
Europe, by New Zealand, the northwest coast of the United States and a few
other small areas in the world.
It is another of the climates said to be
excellent for human efficiency, as it is seldom too hot for work and also not
very cold in the winter. The difficulty with this type of climate, and the
difficulty with the north of Portugal, is the constant rain, which can sop out
all your plans nearly all year round. Only in the summer is there a real
slackening in this wet pattern.