March 2027 is an early-spring month with Easter inside it: Easter Sunday falls on 28 March and Good Friday on the 26th, both public holidays in Portugal, and the clocks go forward on the same Sunday. Lisbon reaches about 18°C, the countryside is at its greenest, the Algarve reopens for the season – and the first three weeks are still low season and cheap.
The shape of the month
Until roughly 20 March, Portugal is still in its quiet season: green, cool, showery and inexpensive. From Palm Sunday onwards, Easter demand builds, the Algarve reopens properly and prices step up.
Because Easter is unusually early in 2027, the Portuguese season starts earlier than normal. That makes the first three weeks of March a genuine value window – spring weather at winter prices – and the last ten days considerably busier than a typical March.
Easter, 26–29 March 2027
Portugal observes Good Friday (26 March) and Easter Sunday (28 March) as public holidays. Easter Monday is not a national holiday, although it is observed regionally.
- Braga holds the most important Holy Week in Portugal – Semana Santa with nightly processions through a city of baroque churches, and it is a serious devotional occasion rather than a spectacle.
- Óbidos, Barcelos and the Minho run smaller, older traditions, including the Compásso, where the cross is carried house to house.
- Folar, the Easter bread, appears in every bakery, sweet in the south and savoury with meat in the north.
- Closures on Good Friday and Easter Sunday: shops, banks and many restaurants, though tourist areas keep going.
The clocks go forward on Easter Sunday
Continue planning your Portugal trip
Portugal moves to summer time on the last Sunday of March – 28 March 2027, the same day as Easter. Sunset in Lisbon jumps from around 19:00 to after 20:00 overnight, which is the moment the Portuguese evening restarts: terraces, miradouros and the long dinner hour.
Weather by region
- Lisbon – about 18°C by day and 10°C at night, with roughly 69 mm of rain. Showery and bright, and the wildflowers are out.
- Porto and the north – around 16°C and still wet at about 101 mm; the Minho and Douro are at their greenest of the year.
- The Algarve – 19–20°C and drying, with the season restarting from about Easter. The sea is still cold.
- Madeira – around 20°C; the island is in bloom and the Flower Festival usually follows in spring.
- The Azores – mild and improving; whale-watching season begins, with blue and sei whales passing through from about April.
The countryside is the point
March is the best month of the year for Portuguese landscape. The winter rain has done its work, the hills are green, the wildflowers are out across the Alentejo and the Algarve interior, and the almond and citrus are finished or finishing.
The Alentejo in particular – cork oak, wheat, whitewashed villages and megalithic sites around Évora – is transformed in March and burnt brown by July. The same is true of the Rota Vicentina along the south-west coast, which is at its walking best now.
Prices and crowds
Low until about 20 March, then rising sharply into the Easter weekend, which books out in the Algarve and in Braga. After Easter Monday the pressure drops again for a fortnight before the May build-up – a second, smaller value window.
See how much a trip to Portugal costs.
What to pack
Layers and a hooded waterproof – March is showery everywhere and genuinely wet in the north. Add shoes with grip for wet calçada, and sunglasses, because the light is strong between fronts. See what to do in Portugal.
The March 2027 calendar
- 1–20 March – low-season prices with spring weather; the best value window of the month.
- Through March – wildflowers across the Alentejo and the Algarve interior; the Douro and Minho at their greenest.
- Sunday 21 March – Palm Sunday; the Easter build-up begins and the Algarve reopens.
- Holy Week – nightly processions in Braga, the most important in Portugal.
- Friday 26 March – Good Friday, a national public holiday.
- Sunday 28 March – Easter Sunday, a public holiday, and the clocks go forward.
- Late March – Azores whale-watching season begins.
Read alongside
- Portugal in February – carnival and almond blossom.
- Portugal in April – Liberdade Day and the season proper.
- Best time to visit Portugal – all twelve months compared.
- How much a trip to Portugal costs – shoulder-season numbers.
- Best wine regions in Portugal – the Douro is at its greenest.
- Hidden gems in Portugal – the Alentejo is one.
- Portugal travel guide – regions and how to combine them.
Frequently asked
When is Easter in Portugal in 2027?
Good Friday is 26 March and Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027, both national public holidays. Easter Monday is not a national holiday in Portugal, though it is observed in some regions.
Is March a good time to visit Portugal?
The first three weeks are excellent value – spring weather at winter prices, with the countryside at its greenest. The last ten days carry Easter, the clock change and the start of the Algarve season.
How warm is Portugal in March?
Lisbon averages about 18°C by day and 10°C at night with roughly 69 mm of rain. Porto is cooler and wetter, the Algarve reaches 19–20°C, and Madeira is around 20°C.
When do the clocks change in Portugal in 2027?
On Sunday 28 March, the last Sunday of the month, which is also Easter Sunday. Sunset in Lisbon moves from around 19:00 to after 20:00 overnight.
Where is the best Holy Week in Portugal?
Braga, which holds the most important Semana Santa in the country, with nightly processions through a city of baroque churches. It is devotional rather than theatrical, and the city fills.
Is the Algarve open in March?
It reopens around Easter, which in 2027 means the last week of March. Before about the 20th, many smaller-resort hotels and beach restaurants are still closed.
Can you swim in Portugal in March?
Not comfortably. The Atlantic is at or near its annual low along the whole coast, including the Algarve, and it does not become pleasant until June.
Is Portugal cheap in March?
For the first three weeks, yes – still low-season rates. The Easter weekend books out in the Algarve and Braga, and then prices fall back for about a fortnight afterwards.
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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.
