A glimpse of Portugal

Portugal has mild climate, 3000 hours of sunshine per year and 850 km of beautiful beaches bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, just a few hours far from of any European capital makes it the perfect destination for any season.

In this country which keeps the oldest borders of Europe, you will find a great variety of landscapes, numerous leisure activities and a very rich and unique cultural heritage where tradition and modernity blend together in perfect harmony. Gastronomy, good wines and welcoming people make it a tourist paradise that begs to be discovered, in a weekend, a stay or long holidays.

A combination of traits and unique qualities that have granted Portugal with international recognition and numerous awards certified to Portuguese Tourism:

In 2018, maintaining the trend of previous years, Portugal won 23 awards at the World Travel Awards.

The World Travel Awards was established in 1993, and it is today a worldwide reference and one of the most important tourism awards: it is recognised as the Oscars of Tourism. Portugal has been a regular presence for several years.

World Travel Awards - in 2018, dozens of awards distinguished Portugal in several categories:

Europe’s Leading Destination 2018

Europe’s Leading City Destination 2018

Europe’s Leading Island Destination 2018

Europe's Leading Island Resort 2018

Europe's Leading Design Hotel 2018

Europe's Leading Family Resort 2018

Climate

MAINLAND PORTUGAL

The climate in Portugal varies significantly from one region to another; it is influenced by the relief, latitude and proximity to the sea, which results in mild winters, especially in the Algarve.

In Porto, North and Center, particularly inland close to Spain, the winters are colder, although the temperatures are still mild when compared to the rest of Europe. Some snow can fall mainly in the Serra da Estrela Mountains, where we find the highest point in mainland Portugal (1,991 m) and where it is sometimes possible to practice skiing.

The summers are hot and dry, especially in the inland areas (Trás-os-Montes in north-eastern Portugal and Alentejo). Temperatures are slightly lower in the coastal areas, due to the influence of the sea.

There are often warm, sunny days in autumn.

Average Temperature

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Max.	14 ºC	16 ºC	17 ºC	19 ºC	22 ºC	24 ºC	27 ºC	28 ºC	26 ºC	22 ºC	18 ºC	14 ºC
Min.	8 ºC	9 ºC	9 ºC	11 ºC	13 ºC	16 ºC	17 ºC	17 ºC	17 ºC	14 ºC	11 ºC	9 ºC
Aver.	8 ºC	9 ºC	9 ºC	11 ºC	13 ºC	16 ºC	17 ºC	17 ºC	17 ºC	14 ºC	11 ºC	9 ºC
Precipit.	109 mm	112 mm	69 mm	65 mm	38 mm	20 mm	5 mm	5 mm	25 mm	81 mm	114 mm	109 mm

AZORES

The climate in the Azores is influenced by the islands’ latitude and by the Gulf Stream, and temperatures are mild there all year round. The same factors also influence the sea temperature, which is very pleasant both in winter and summer and ideal for nautical sports.

MADEIRA

The subtropical features of the weather in the Madeira Archipelago can be explained by its geographical position and mountainous relief. The climate in Madeira is exceptionally mild, with average temperatures varying between 24ºC in summer and 19ºC in winter.

The sea temperature is also very pleasant all year round, thanks to the influence of the warm Gulf Stream. It varies between 18ºC in winter and 22ºC in summer.

Population

Portugal has a population of about 10 million.

The population density is at its greatest in Lisbon, the capital and its suburbs, where about 1,9 million people live. The second largest city in Portugal is Porto in the north.
There are more people living in the country’s coastal regions than in the inland areas.

Religion

Most of the Portuguese are Catholic, but the Portuguese Constitution guarantees religious freedom and there are several different religions in Portugal.

Language

The Portuguese language holds Latin roots; it is spoken by more or less 250 million people in all continents, and is the 5th most spoken language in the world and the 3rd, if we only consider the European languages.

The Portuguese-speaking countries are scattered all over the world. Portuguese is spoken in Africa (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé e Príncipe), in South America (Brazil) and in Asia, (East Timor, the youngest nation in the world), and it is also the official language in Macao Special Administrative Region of China.

In Portugal there are lots of people who are able to communicate in English, French and Spanish.