December in Portugal is mild, wet and cheap – until the last week, when Madeira stages one of the biggest firework displays on earth and prices everywhere jump. Lisbon holds about 16°C with 109 mm of rain, the Christmas lights go up along the Avenida and in Porto’s Aliados, and the country runs on bacalhau, bolo rei and two public holidays in the first eight days.
Madeira’s New Year
The Funchal New Year’s Eve fireworks are the headline event of a Portuguese December. The bay forms a natural amphitheatre and the display is fired from multiple points around the harbour and the hillsides simultaneously; it has held a Guinness World Record as the largest fireworks show in the world, and cruise ships anchor in the bay to watch.
Practical reality: Funchal is booked out months and often a year in advance for the last week of December, rates multiply, and flights fill. If you want it, plan far ahead. If you want Madeira without it, any other week of the winter is mild, green and considerably cheaper.
The two December holidays
- Wednesday 1 December – Restauração da Independência. A national public holiday marking the 1640 restoration of Portuguese independence from Spain after sixty years of union. It is a genuine point of national identity, not a formality.
- Wednesday 8 December – Imaculada Conceição, a national public holiday and, by long tradition, the day many Portuguese families put up the Christmas tree and the presépio.
Both close banks, offices and many shops. Falling on Wednesdays in 2027, neither creates a long weekend.
Weather by region
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- Lisbon – about 16°C by day and 11°C at night, with roughly 109 mm of rain. Mild, damp and dark by 17:30.
- Porto and the north – around 14°C with about 153 mm; one of its wettest months.
- The Algarve – 17–18°C with the most winter sunshine in the country, and largely closed outside the main towns.
- Madeira – around 20°C; mild, green and in high season for the New Year.
- Serra da Estrela – snow when it comes, and Portugal’s only ski area.
Christmas in Portugal
- Consoada, the evening of 24 December, is the main meal, and the classic dish is bacalhau cozido – boiled salt cod with potatoes, cabbage, egg and a great deal of olive oil. Presents are opened at midnight.
- 25 December is a public holiday and a quieter family day, often with roast peru or the leftovers reinvented as roupa velha.
- The sweets are the point – bolo rei, rabanadas, filhoses, sonhos and aletria on every table through the month.
- 26 December is not a public holiday in Portugal; shops reopen.
- Christmas markets run in Lisbon, Porto, Óbidos (with its Vila Natal inside the castle walls) and Funchal, along with major light displays on the Avenida da Liberdade and the Avenida dos Aliados.
Prices and crowds
Two different months. From 1 to about 20 December, Portugal is at low-season rates with the lights already up – the best value window of the winter. From about the 21st, Christmas and New Year pricing takes over, and Madeira reaches the most expensive week of its year.
See how much a trip to Portugal costs.
What to pack
A hooded waterproof, layers and shoes with grip – December is wet and the polished limestone calçada of Lisbon and Porto is slippery. Add a warm indoor layer, because Portuguese buildings are frequently under-heated, and something smart if you are in Funchal for New Year. See what to do in Portugal.
The December 2027 calendar
- Wednesday 1 December – Restauração da Independência, a national public holiday.
- 1–20 December – low-season rates with the Christmas lights already on; the best value of the month.
- Wednesday 8 December – Imaculada Conceição, a public holiday and the traditional day to put up the tree.
- Through December – Christmas markets and lights in Lisbon, Porto, Óbidos and Funchal.
- Friday 24 December – Consoada; bacalhau cozido and presents at midnight.
- Saturday 25 December – Natal, a public holiday; 26 December is not.
- Friday 31 December – the Funchal fireworks; book a year ahead.
Read alongside
- Portugal in November – São Martinho and the wettest month.
- Portugal in January – the cheapest month of all.
- Best time to visit Portugal – all twelve months compared.
- Best time to visit Madeira – and what New Year does to it.
- How much a trip to Portugal costs – low-season and holiday numbers.
- Best food in Portugal – the Christmas table.
- Portugal travel guide – regions and how to combine them.
Frequently asked
Is December a good time to visit Portugal?
From the 1st to about the 20th, yes – low-season rates with the Christmas lights up and no queues. From the 21st, holiday pricing takes over and Madeira becomes the most expensive place in the country.
How warm is Portugal in December?
Lisbon averages about 16°C by day and 11°C at night with roughly 109 mm of rain, Porto is around 14°C and wetter, the Algarve reaches 17–18°C, and Madeira sits near 20°C.
What are the Madeira New Year fireworks?
The Funchal display on 31 December, fired from multiple points around the bay and the hillsides at once. It has held a Guinness World Record as the largest fireworks show in the world, and Funchal books out months to a year ahead.
What do Portuguese people eat at Christmas?
Consoada on the evening of 24 December is the main meal, traditionally bacalhau cozido – boiled salt cod with potatoes, cabbage and egg. Presents follow at midnight, and the sweets are bolo rei, rabanadas, filhoses and aletria.
Is 26 December a holiday in Portugal?
No. Unlike much of Europe, Portugal does not observe Boxing Day – shops reopen on the 26th.
What are the December public holidays in Portugal?
1 December, the Restoration of Independence from Spain in 1640, and 8 December, the Immaculate Conception, plus Christmas Day. In 2027 the first two both fall on a Wednesday.
When is the cheapest week in December?
The first three weeks. The lights and markets are already running, the holiday premium has not started, and rates are still at low-season levels.
Can you visit the Algarve in December?
Yes, for winter sun, walking and golf – it has the most sunshine in the country at 17–18°C. Much of the smaller-resort infrastructure is closed and the sea is too cold for swimming.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
