Portugal in September: Warm Seas and the Douro Harvest

September is many locals’ favourite month: still summer weather, the warmest sea of the year, the Douro grape harvest, and the crowds and prices dropping once the school holidays end. Here’s what to expect.

Quick answer: expect highs of 26–28°C in Lisbon and the Algarve, mostly sunny, with the sea at about 21–23°C in the Algarve. Highlights: the Douro harvest (grape picking and treading at the quintas), beach days with fewer people, and perfect weather for everything. Book the Douro early, as harvest weekends are popular.

Weather

• Lisbon: highs around 26–27°C.
• Porto: around 23–24°C.
• The Algarve: around 27–28°C, with the warmest sea of the year.
• The Douro: warm days and cooler nights, perfect for the harvest.

What’s on

• The Douro harvest (vindima): grape picking and foot-treading at the quintas, from late August or early September into early October. See Douro wine tours and Douro hotels.
• Harvests in the Alentejo and other wine regions. See Portugal’s wine regions.
• The end of the beach season: lifeguards usually finish in mid-September, and Arrábida’s summer car restrictions end.

Where to go

• The Algarve: warm sea, quieter beaches and lower prices after the first week. See the 7-day Algarve itinerary.
• The Douro: the harvest. See the Douro itinerary.
• Lisbon and Porto: great city weather.
• The Azores and Madeira: warm seas and whale watching.

Tips

• Book Douro quintas early for harvest weekends.
• Best value: after the first week of September, prices drop on the coast.
• Swim at lifeguarded beaches while the season lasts.

More: August, October and Portugal in autumn.

Prices and details change, so please double-check before you travel. Spotted something out of date? Tell us in the groups.