The best time to visit the Algarve.
Short answer: there isn't a bad one. With around 300 days of sun a year, the Algarve is a year-round place, the right month just depends on whether you're here for the beach, the trails, the golf or the quiet. Here's the honest version, season by season.
Season by season
What each part of the year is actually like, from people who are here for all of it.
Spring · Mar–May
The locals’ favouriteWarm days, wildflowers across the hills and the clifftop trails at their best. The sea is still cool, but the light and the quiet make this the sweet spot for walking, golf and exploring before the crowds arrive.
Summer · Jun–Aug
Peak beach seasonHot, dry and reliably sunny, with the warmest, calmest sea of the year. It is also the busiest and priciest, book ahead and start early. Best if the beach and a buzzing scene are the whole point.
Autumn · Sep–Oct
The quiet winnerArguably the best of all: the sea is at its warmest after a summer of heating, the days are still long and golden, and the crowds thin out fast through September. Warm swims without the queues.
Winter · Nov–Feb
Mild and emptyEurope’s mildest winter: gentle sun, the odd rainy spell, and a coastline you can have almost to yourself. Golf, long lunches, market mornings and serious value. Not a beach holiday, a different kind of one.
Month at a glance
Typical daytime high and sea temperature for the central Algarve. A guide to plan around, not a forecast.
On while you're here
Real events on the Circle over the next few weeks, whatever the season.
Quarteira Wednesday Market
Boliqueime Gypsy Market
Loulé Saturday Gypsy Market
São Brás de Alportel Saturday Market
Lagos Saturday Market
Olhão Saturday Riverside Market
So when should you come?
For the classic beach holiday, July and August deliver the heat and the warm, calm sea, but you will share it and pay for the privilege. If you want the same sea without the crush, come in September: the water is at its warmest and the crowds fall away almost overnight.
For everything else, walking, cycling, golf, exploring the towns, surfing the west coast, spring and autumn are the locals' pick: warm, bright and uncrowded. And winter, far from being the off-season, is when a lot of people quietly fall for the place: mild, green, cheap and calm, with the coastline almost to yourself.
Whenever you land, Algarve Circle shows you what is actually happening that week, from real events to live offers, all from the people who live here. No guesswork, no out-of-date listings, just the Algarve as it is on the day you arrive.