November is Portugal’s wettest month and one of its cheapest. Lisbon drops to about 18°C with 134 mm of rain, Porto is wetter still, and the season is over everywhere except Madeira. What November gives you is chestnuts and new wine on every corner, the Nazaré giants back on the Atlantic, empty palaces at Sintra, and hotel rates that have fallen off a cliff.
São Martinho: chestnuts and new wine
11 November is São Martinho, and it is the best food day in the Portuguese calendar. The magusto – roasting chestnuts over an open fire and drinking jeropiga or água-pé, the young fortified wine of the year – happens in villages, city squares and private gardens across the country.
The proverb is “no dia de São Martinho, vai à adega e prova o vinho” – on St Martin’s day, go to the cellar and taste the wine – and the verão de São Martinho, St Martin’s summer, is the brief warm spell that traditionally arrives around the date. It is not a public holiday, and it is celebrated anyway.
Weather by region
- Lisbon – about 18°C by day and 12°C at night, with roughly 134 mm of rain – the wettest month of the Lisbon year. Mild, grey and genuinely wet.
- Porto and the north – around 16°C with about 166 mm; wetter again, and the Atlantic storms return.
- The Algarve – 19–20°C with more sunshine than the rest of the country, and the season winding down.
- Madeira – around 22°C, and the best place in Portugal in November by a clear margin.
- The Azores – mild and stormy; off-season.
Nazaré is back
Continue planning your Portugal trip
The big-wave season at Praia do Norte restarts in October and November is one of its strongest months. The underwater canyon focuses Atlantic swell, and when a serious system arrives the waves are among the largest surfed anywhere.
It depends entirely on the swell, so check the forecast rather than booking blind, and expect the viewing platform at the fort to be packed on a big day. Nazaré works as a day trip from Lisbon.
What November is good for
- Price. With January, the cheapest stretch of the Portuguese year.
- Food and wine. São Martinho, chestnuts, the new vintage, and the Douro quintas quiet after the harvest.
- Cities and palaces without queues. Sintra in November – misty, dripping and empty – is arguably better than Sintra in July.
- Madeira, which is a different climate and works all winter.
- Nazaré, for the waves.
The November holidays
- Monday 1 November – Todos os Santos, All Saints’ Day, a national public holiday. It is also the anniversary of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, which struck on All Saints’ morning and destroyed most of the city – the reason central Lisbon is a grid of Pombaline blocks rather than a medieval tangle.
- Thursday 11 November – São Martinho; celebrated everywhere, not a public holiday.
- Wednesday 1 December – Restauração da Independência, a public holiday, immediately after.
Prices and crowds
Low and falling through the month. Lisbon and Porto rates drop to near their annual minimum, the Algarve discounts heavily as it closes down, and restaurants that need booking in summer have tables. Madeira is the exception and holds its prices, rising towards its famous New Year.
See how much a trip to Portugal costs.
What to pack
A hooded waterproof rather than an umbrella, layers, and shoes with serious grip – wet calçada on a Lisbon hill is genuinely slippery, and November is when it is wettest. Portuguese buildings are often poorly heated, so a warm layer indoors matters too. See what to do in Portugal.
The November 2027 calendar
- Monday 1 November – Todos os Santos, a national public holiday.
- Thursday 11 November – São Martinho; magusto chestnut roasts and new wine nationwide.
- Around 11 November – the verão de São Martinho, the traditional brief warm spell.
- Through November – the wettest month in Lisbon and Porto.
- Through November – Nazaré big-wave season; check the swell forecast.
- Through November – Douro quintas quiet after the harvest; new-vintage tastings.
- Wednesday 1 December – Restauração da Independência, the next public holiday.
Read alongside
- Portugal in October – the harvest and the last warm sea.
- Portugal in December – Christmas markets and the Madeira New Year.
- Best time to visit Portugal – all twelve months compared.
- Best wine regions in Portugal – the quietest month to visit them.
- How much a trip to Portugal costs – low-season numbers.
- Best time to visit Madeira – the winter alternative.
- Day trips from Lisbon – Sintra and Nazaré both work now.
Frequently asked
Is November a good time to visit Portugal?
For cities, food, wine and price, yes – it is among the cheapest months with no queues anywhere. It is also the wettest month in Lisbon and Porto, so it suits an itinerary with indoor options.
How much does it rain in Portugal in November?
Lisbon gets around 134 mm, its wettest month, and Porto about 166 mm. Atlantic fronts pass through rather than raining continuously, so bright spells between bands are normal.
What is São Martinho?
St Martin’s Day on 11 November, celebrated with the magusto – chestnuts roasted over a fire and the year’s young fortified wine. It is not a public holiday and it is observed across the whole country anyway.
How warm is Portugal in November?
Lisbon averages about 18°C by day and 12°C at night, Porto around 16°C, the Algarve 19–20°C with more sun, and Madeira about 22°C.
Can you see the big waves at Nazaré in November?
Yes – it is one of the strongest months of the season. The giant days depend entirely on the swell, so check the forecast before travelling, and expect the fort viewing platform to be packed when one arrives.
Is the Algarve worth visiting in November?
For walking, golf and winter sun, yes – it has the most sunshine in the country. But the season is closing, many smaller resorts are shutting, and the sea is too cold for swimming.
Is Portugal cheap in November?
With January, it is the cheapest stretch of the year. Lisbon and Porto rates approach their annual minimum and the Algarve discounts heavily as it closes.
Why is 1 November significant in Lisbon?
It is All Saints’ Day and the anniversary of the 1755 earthquake, which struck on that morning and destroyed most of the city. The rebuilt Pombaline grid of the Baixa is the direct result.
You Might Also Love
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.
