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If you are planning your Portuguese getaway, you might be wondering 'when is the best time to visit Portugal? Portugal is a large and diverse country, with many different travel destinations to explore. The best time to visit Portugal depends on where you're planning to go. Generally, though, the best time to travel to Portugal is during the spring, when you can enjoy warm temperatures, beautiful spring booms and rising sea temperatures. Here's a more detailed look at the best times to visit Portugal, depending on where and why you are travelling.

Known for its vibrant culture and traditions, a trip to Portugal would be incomplete without enjoying the numerous festivals that take place throughout the year. Whilst many Portuguese festivals are connected to religious celebrations, such as Easter and saints days, others celebrate the country’s rich cultural heritage, cuisine and architecture. So, if you’re planning a vacation to Portugal, don’t forget to include these unmissable events in your calendar!

Carnival (February/March)

Portugal’s Carnival can trace its roots back to the 16th-century and remains the most important popular festival in the country. Taking place every year 47 days before Easter, Carnival marks the beginning of Lent, traditionally a time where people would give up meat and other luxuries in preparation for Easter. Before this period of restriction, people would celebrate with gatherings and communal feasts and this is how Carnival was born! Today, Portugal celebrates Carnival over a number of days in February and early March. Costume parades, dances and street parties take place across Portugal and almost everyone gets involved in the festivities! Street vendors sell all kinds of traditional treats and snacks and music can be heard throughout the major cities, towns and villages in the country. If you travel to Portugal in February or March, it’s almost impossible to ignore the energetic atmosphere of this annual celebration.

Holy Week (April/May)

Like many Christian countries across the world, Portugal celebrates the arrival of Easter with a week of festivities. Known as Semana Santa, across the country elaborate parades and processions take place in honour of this religious festival. The most famous festivities are held in Braga, in the north of the country. Here, the entire city centre is decorated with flowers and light, a truly beautiful spectacle! In the Algarve, the town of Loulé is famed for its large-scale processions. Wherever you travel in Portugal during Holy Week, you’re sure to witness all manner of festivities in honour of this special time of year.

Fatima Pilgrimage (May)

Although pilgrimages to Fatima happen throughout the year, the one that takes place in May is of extra importance. On May 13th 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared in an apparition to three local children in Fatima, and to mark the date huge crowds gather at Fatima every year to pay homage to this miraculous event. On the night of the 12th, a candlelit procession takes place and the following day a statue of the Virgin Mary is carried down to the High Altar. 

Sintra Fesival (June/July)

This cultural festival is held every summer in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Sintra. Famed for its fantastical architecture, Sintra welcomes some of the world’s finest ballet dancers, pianists and musicians for a celebration of music and dance held across multiple venues including palaces, churches, gardens and country estates. If you’re headed to Sintra on a tour of Portugal, be sure to purchase tickets for these world-class performances beforehand as it’s one of the most popular cultural festivals in the country!

Festa de São João do Porto (June 23rd)

This Midsummer celebration is in honour of an ancient pagan tradition that later became a Christian festival. A tribute to Saint John the Baptist, Festa de São João is most widely celebrated in the Portuguese city of Porto. An important part of the city’s identity, during the celebration the festivities usually begin with a family meal, followed by a remarkable fireworks display at D. Luís Bridge and partying into the small hours of the morning. Free concerts take place throughout the city and street vendors sell all manner of traditional snacks and drinks. 

Festival of Sardines (June 12th)

Also known as the Feast of Saint Anthony, the patron saint of Portugal, this summer festival celebrates not only the 13th-century saint but also one of Portugal’s most prized seafood ingredients: the sardine! Most famously celebrated in the Alfama district of Lisbon, the Festival of Sardines also has a theme of romance, as Saint Anthony was known as the ‘matchmaking saint’. Men offer ladies love poems and everyone has a joyful day dining on freshly grilled sardines and watching the colourful street parades!

The flavours and dishes of Portuguese cuisine are heavily influenced by both the Mediterranean and Portugal’s situation on the Atlantic Ocean. With many seafood dishes, Portuguese cuisine puts fish and shellfish at the centre of many dishes. Furthermore, the food in Portugal has historically been influenced by Portugal’s spice trade and therefore uses a variety of spices in some of its most famous dishes. The Mediterranean influence shows itself in the liberal use of olive oil, onions and garlic, whilst each region in Portugal has its own traditional dishes.

Truly, a trip to Portugal is a gastronomic journey, and wherever you travel you’ll encounter flavoursome and delicious dishes! From mouth-watering pastel de nata to spicy chicken dishes and moreish port wine, let Portuguese cuisine delight you on your next tour of Portugal!

Pastel de Nata

Perhaps the most famous food in Portugal, these bite-sized treats are now available at cafes and coffee shops around the world. A perfect tea-time accompaniment, pastels de nata are an integral part of Portuguese cuisine and culture. These egg-custard tarts can trace their history back more than 300 years, to Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, Lisbon. The story goes that the busy monks of Jerónimos Monastery used to use egg whites to starch their laundry. Therefore, there were plenty of egg yolks to make use of, and hence, the pastel de nata was born! If you travel to Lisbon today, eating a pastel de nata from the cafe beside this monastery is a must-do foodie experience! 

Caldo Verde

The national soup of Portugal, Caldo Verde is heralded for its health-giving properties. With its origins in the northern Minho region of Portugal, Caldo Verde is a soup containing potatoes, onions and leafy greens. Combined together to create a hearty soup, Caldo Verde is one of the most traditional dishes in Portuguese cuisine and has long been a budget-friendly dish accessible to the entire population. Today, you’ll find Caldo Verde on the menus of almost all of the country’s eateries, from humble cafes to luxury hotels, making it an unmissable dish to try on a vacation to Portugal!

Sardines

Most often served grilled, sardines are a staple in Portuguese cuisine. What the sea provides in abundance, Portuguese cuisine celebrates in its most simple yet delicious form. Traditionally, sardines are roasted whole over an open fire and seasoned with plenty of salt. You’ll most likely encounter sardines on the menus at traditional Portuguese restaurants as well as during summer festivals, most notably the Feast of St. Anthony, also known as the ‘Sardine Festival’. 

Piri-Piri Chicken

One of the most internationally celebrated Portuguese dishes, Piri-Piri Chicken has become famous in recent years due to the proliferation of a number of international restaurant chains that serve this traditional Portuguese dish! Consisting of a grilled butterflied chicken, the chilli variety known as ‘Piri-Piri' is used to glaze the meat, creating a deliciously moreish flavour that tantalizes the taste buds of all who try it! The roots of this dish can be traced back to the Portuguese colonists who visited African countries such as South Africa, Angola, and Mozambique and brought back the prized chilli species used in this dish. Usually served up with a side of french fries or salad, you can’t miss this simple yet delicious Portuguese dish if you travel to Portugal!

Bifanas

Everyone loves a good sandwich, and the Portuguese sandwich known as bifana is a must-eat for foodies who visit Portugal. Deceptively simple, a bifana consists of a bread roll filled with marinated pork cutlets. The secret is in the spiced marinade that is used to season the cutlets, which usually involves garlic, white wine and spices such as paprika. Of course, as you travel around the country you’ll find regional varieties of this simple sandwich, with each restaurant offering its own take on this classic Portuguese dish. Furthermore, bifanas are usually eaten as a snack or light lunch and are considered a cheap dish, with some places selling this satisfying sandwich for as little as 1.50€!

Portuguese Cod

Portuguese cuisine is famed for its fantastic seafood, and Portuguese cod is one of those quintessential dishes you cannot miss out on if you travel to Portugal! Cod, also known as Bacalhau is available in almost every restaurant in the country. Served in a variety of ways, salt cod, baked cod, fried cod and boiled cod are just some of the hundreds of ways in which this simple white fish is prepared. Most often, cod is served with potatoes and accompanied by traditional Portuguese green wine.

Port Wine

Although a beverage rather than a food, Port is an integral part of Portuguese cuisine. Famously, the city of Porto is where this fortified wine is stored and aged in barrels housed in cellars along the banks of the River Douro. From here, this tasty tipple is exported throughout the world. The grapes that produce port wine are grown in the Douro Valley, upriver from Porto, and many who travel to Portugal relish the opportunity to taste the various port varieties in the wineries of this famous region!

If you travel to Portugal, you’ll probably find it hard to resist a spot of shopping during your trip! With cosmopolitan cities, filled with shopping streets as well as the authentic craft markets found in some of the smaller towns, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to finding the perfect keepsake of your time in Portugal. With a rich cultural tradition of arts and crafts and an array of delicious edible delights, choosing the best Portuguese souvenir can be tricky. Some of the most popular things to shop for in Portugal range from embroidered goods and handpainted ceramics to tinned foods, so there will be plenty to fit into your suitcase!

Azulejos Tiles

If you’ve visited the major cities of Porto or Lisbon, you’ll likely have come across the beautiful Azulejos tiles that decorate many of these cities' most emblematic buildings, such as churches and train stations. The Azulejos tile has a long history in Portugal, dating back to the Moorish invasions of the 13th-century and today these tiles are an integral part of Portuguese culture. Available in an array of intricate and eye-catching designs, the small size of these souvenirs make them the perfect keepsake to take home with you. Both Lisbon and Porto are home to a number of authentic tile shops where you can buy traditional Azulejos. 

Embroidery

Portuguese embroidery is famous throughout the world and the intricate designs have been replicated in modern fashion for years. For authentic embroidered goods, there’s no better place to buy Portuguese embroidery than in Portugal itself, and you’ll find all manner of embroidered souvenirs if you go shopping in Lisbon, Porto or any other major city. In terms of the most popular designs, colourful stripes and Barcelos Roosters are two favourite motifs you’ll see time and time again. Tea towels, tablecloths and scarfs are just a handful of the embroidered souvenirs you can take home to remember your trip to Portugal.

Barcelos Rooster

A national symbol, the Barcelos Rooster is one of the must-buy souvenirs in Portugal! Although you’ll find this cheerful little chicken on all kinds of Portuguese wares, the ceramic statue is the most sought-after souvenir and is sold in gift shops across the country. Colourfully painted with hearts and patterns, the rooster has its origins in a popular folktale from the town of Barcelos and symbolises the Portuguese passion for life.

Tinned Sardines

A little taste of Portugal that can fit in even the smallest suitcase, tinned sardines are one of the most popular Portuguese souvenirs! As one of Portugal’s most quintessential dishes, sardines are an important part of the local culture and there’s no doubt you’ll have fallen in love with these salty fish by the time your trip to Portugal comes to an end. Sold throughout the country in supermarkets, delis and petiscos bars, many sardines are canned in pretty packaging and make the perfect gift for foodie friends back home!

Port Wine

If you visit Porto during a tour of Portugal, you cannot miss the chance to taste the authentic Port wine that is produced here in the cellars that line the banks of the Douro River. From traditional ruby to rarer white varieties, choose your favourite before purchasing a couple of bottles to take home with you and enjoy the rich flavours of Portugal long after your trip has come to an end!

Cork Products

The world’s leading producer of cork, you’ll find this versatile material used in all manner of products if you travel to Portugal! Popular cork souvenirs include handbags, backpacks, pursues, jewellery and footwear. In fact, if you travel through the Alentejo countryside of southern Portugal, you’ll spot large plantations of cork trees and be able to see where these popular souvenirs come from. Cork products are the ideal Portuguese souvenir since they are eco-friendly and sustainable.