A Filmmaker’s Guide to Portugal’s Weather: When and Where to Expect Sun, Clouds, Rain—and Even Snow

Filmmakers know all too well that weather can’t be controlled, and if you plan to shoot outdoors you better know how to adapt to changing situations. You plan for sun, you get clouds. You plan for clouds, you get sun. You plan for rain, you get…snow? We can look at the forecast to get an idea of what’s coming our way, but that’s never 100% right. That’s the game we play when filming natural exteriors. We can hedge our bets by playing the best odds we can. One of the ways we do that is by choosing to film somewhere with a demonstrable climate that gives us the best chance at success. Portugal is one of those places.

While no place is always 100% exactly what we need 100% of the time, Portugal weather offers a blessing for filmmakers. This is a country of very defined regions separated by different climates with many regions averaging over 300 sunny days per year and 2,500 to 3,200 hours of sunshine annually. That makes it one of the sunniest countries in Europe. The Algarve region the Alentejo are particularly well-known for their sunny micro-climate, and larger cities like Lisbon and Porto have mild, often sunny weather, though regional and seasonal variations exist.

Let’s break down what weather you can expect to encounter, and where you’ll find it.

The Algarve and Alentejo Regions (Sunny and Hot)

These are the areas in the southern third of the country, and a large area between Lisbon and the border with Spain. These areas are typically sunny and dry for a majority of the year. There are always going to be rain patterns anywhere you go, and these two regions are no exception. However, the chance of dry, sunny days over rainy days vastly trends toward sunshine.

Lisbon and Cascais (Sunny and Warm)

Spring, summer and fall in Lisbon and along the coast to Cascais are typically sunny. Summer is hot and breezy, and characterized by clear skies. Spring and fall range from cool to warm depending on the weather pattern, and skies are more sunny than cloudy. In the winter this area starts to see more clouds and more rain. However, the trend is towards sunny even during this season. Fog can happen, but this is mostly seen in Sintra and the Silver Coast areas above Lisbon.

Silver Coast (A Seasonal Mix)

This area stretching from several miles north of Lisbon to Aveiro is about 225km (140 miles) of rugged, beautiful coastline, marinas villages and towns, surfing destinations and small towns. Summers here are beautiful and can go weeks without clouds, and months without rain. October starts to see rain patters but November is the time when the rain really comes, and the rain can last through February. Filmmakers should keep in mind that while the Silver Coast gets its name from the reflection of the sun off the waves and atmosphere of the Atlantic, there are times you could be convinced it’s due to the presence of fog. This fog (nevoerio) can happen at any time of the year and is mostly confined to the area between the surf town of Ericeira and the city of Figueira do Foz -a distance of roughly 192km (119 miles).

Central (Dry, Sunny and Warm)

The central region of Portugal extends from the Silver Coast to the Spanish border. Summers are dry, sunny and hot. Winters are dry, cloudy and breezy. Rain chances increase in the winter months, but dry, sunny days far outnumber wet days away from the coast.

Porto and the Northern Region (A Seasonal Mix)

The weather in Porto is often compared - fairly or not - to that of London. Summers are typically dry with a mix of sun and clouds. In the winter, you can expect cloudy skies and wet conditions from time to time. Most storms coming off the Atlantic will affect this region more often than the other regions on this list. That being said, you’ll still find more dry days than wet one. All during the year the temperatures are cooler than found in Portugal’s other regions.

Traveling east out of Porto you enter deeper into the North Region. This area is know for mountains, rivers, natural beauty, wineries and small towns dotting the landscape. It’s also where the highest chance for snow exists in the country. While it doesn’t always snow here, if snow falls in Portugal this is where it’s going to happen.

How Atmosphera Helps

We can’t control the weather, but we can offer help with scouting locations that are going to give your team the best outcomes in terms of weather and locations. Rely on our local team to arm you with the information you need to make the most of your time filming in Portugal.