The Algarve is the southernmost region of Portugal and is at the same altitude as, for example, Sicily, the Greek islands, Turkey or California. It is always spring, except from May to October, when temperatures are summer and hot.
The sunny period of summer
The summer period lasts from May to October. The temperature is always between 25 and 35 degrees. July and August are the warmest months, it can get very hot, sometimes up to 40 degrees. As the Algarve is bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, it is often a few degrees colder on the coast. So it is wonderful to stay on the beach during these months or to ensure that there is a swimming pool nearby. Almost every villa that Portucasa rents has a wonderfully refreshing pool. Also in our apartments you can often find a communal swimming pool.
Get a breath of fresh air on the west coast
On the west coast it is often slightly less warm than in the rest of the Algarve because there is often more wind from the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, a strong wind can suddenly appear throughout the Algarve during the day, which then weakens sharply a little later. It may happen that when you return to your holiday accommodation, you will find your parasol unfolded in the pool or in the neighbours’ garden. It is always advisable to take this into account and close the umbrellas when leaving your stay.
Virtually no rain
It is rare in the summer months to rain. In fact, in recent years it’s dried bone from June to sometime in November. Climate change will certainly play a role in this. By itself, Portugal is used to drying out the summers and the rainwater of the winter months is collected as much as possible in a so-called “cistern”. All the rainwater that falls on the roof is collected in an underground well to use in the summer to, for example, water the gardens. On farms, you often see a square that is specially built to collect extra rainwater. From November to April it can sometimes rain hard for a few days, but the temperature is always pleasant during the day, between 14 and 20 degrees with peaks up or down.
In the event of an extreme drought, the government can take special measures by lowering water pressure or ordering farmers and golf course owners to use less water.
In recent years, there has been a lot of criticism about the construction of many new avocado plantations that would consume a lot of water.
If you come to the Algarve for your next summer holidays, we give you the following tips:
· Especially in the morning if you are going to do sports activities such as hiking, e-biking or exploring a town or village.
· Although the wind is cooling, it will burn quickly here under the hot sun Portuguese. Bring plenty of sunscreen. Especially in the early days, a factor of 30 to 50 is not an unnecessary luxury.
· Choose an air-conditioned accommodation if your hotel or hostel doesn’t have thick walls like traditional Portuguese houses, which keeps the heat out.
· Rent a car with air conditioning. However, with most rental cars, this is already standard.