Portugal in November: Weather, Festivals and Things to Do

Portugal in November is a country of roasted chestnuts on street corners, new wine in the tascas and autumn colour in the vineyards. The weather is mild almost everywhere, the days are still bright between the showers, and the calendar is full: All Saints Day on the 1st, São Martinho on the 11th, the Porto Marathon, the great horse fair at Golegã and, at the end of the month, the Christmas lights. Porto is a very good base for all of it, and our month by month guide to Porto weather shows how November compares with the rest of the year.

The weather in Portugal in November varies more by region than most people expect. The north is green and the wettest part of the country, Lisbon sits in the middle, the Algarve is sunnier and drier, and Madeira is warm enough for a light jacket at most. November is also when the Douro Valley shows its autumn colours after the harvest, which makes a Douro Valley wine tour from Porto one of the best things to do in Portugal this month.

Weather in Portugal in November: Region by Region

The simplest way to understand the weather in Portugal in November is to picture the country from north to south. Porto and the north are the coolest and wettest part of the mainland, with highs around 17°C and the most rain of the month. Lisbon is a degree or so warmer and a little drier. The Algarve on the south coast is the warmest and sunniest mainland region, and Madeira, far out in the Atlantic, is the warmest part of Portugal in November by a clear margin.

Long-term averages from IPMA, Portugal’s national weather service, for the main city in each region show why November in Portugal suits city breaks, food and walking rather than beach holidays: every region is mild, none is hot, and the difference between them is mostly about how often it rains. In the north, that rain arrives in spells, often with clear bright days in between. The Algarve gets less than half the rain of Porto, which is why it is the favourite for travellers chasing sunshine.

Daylight is shorter than in summer, with sunset before 18:00 through most of the month, so plan the long walks and viewpoints for the middle of the day. The good news is that the low November light is lovely on Porto’s riverside and on the terraced hills of the Douro, and the evenings are made for long dinners, port wine and fado. Restaurants in Portugal eat late, so an early sunset simply means a longer evening.

Region (city)	Average low	Average high	Rainfall	Sunshine hours
North (Porto)	8.9°C	17.1°C	172mm	139
Centre (Lisbon)	11.8°C	18.2°C	128mm	156
South (Faro, Algarve)	11.9°C	19.6°C	76mm	192
Madeira (Funchal)	17.2°C	22.6°C	112mm	166

Is Portugal Warm in November? The Warmest Places to Go

Is Portugal hot in November? No, but it is warm by the standards of most of northern Europe. On the mainland you can expect daytime highs of 17°C to 20°C, which is ideal weather for walking a city, and on a sunny day in the Algarve it can feel properly warm in a sheltered spot. The evenings cool down quickly, so a warm layer is essential everywhere.

The hottest part of Portugal in November is Madeira. Funchal averages highs of 22.6°C and lows of 17.2°C, so even the nights are mild, and the island’s gardens, levada walks and harbour front are all at their best. On the mainland, the Algarve is the warmest and sunniest region, with around 192 hours of sunshine in November, and its cliffs and coves are dramatic under autumn skies even when the sea is too cool for most swimmers.

If warmth is the priority, combine a few days in Porto or Lisbon with a flight or train south. A week that starts with the chestnut sellers and port lodges of Porto and finishes on the Algarve coast gives you the best of both halves of the country. For a city break on its own, Porto and Lisbon are comfortable all month, with the pleasure of a heated pool or a warm café when the rain comes in.

What to Wear in Portugal in November

Packing for Portugal in November is all about layers. Mornings and evenings are cool, middays can be warm in the sun, and a shower can arrive at any time, especially in the north. A light waterproof jacket with a hood is more useful than an umbrella, because Atlantic rain often comes with wind, and Porto’s steep streets are no place to fight an umbrella.

Shoes matter more than anything else. Porto and Lisbon are cities of hills and polished stone pavements, and those stones become slippery in the rain. Comfortable walking shoes with good grip will do more for your trip than any outfit, and a second pair lets one dry out overnight. Add a warm jumper or fleece for the evenings, and a scarf that works for a chilly miradouro at sunset.

What to wear in Portugal in November also depends on where you go. For Madeira and the Algarve add lighter clothes and a swimsuit for sunny days and heated pools. For the Douro Valley add a warmer layer, because the valley is colder than the coast once the sun drops. And leave space in your bag for what you will bring home: a bottle of port, a tin of sardines and a bag of chestnuts from a street seller.

Festivals and Events in Portugal in November

November is one of the richest months in the Portuguese calendar. It opens with All Saints Day on 1 November, a national public holiday when families visit cemeteries with flowers, and a few days later the town of Golegã, in the Ribatejo, fills with horses and riders for the Feira Nacional do Cavalo. In 2026 the fair runs from 6 to 15 November, and it is the 50th edition, alongside the international Lusitano horse fair and the old São Martinho fair.

São Martinho on 11 November is the country’s great autumn food festival, celebrated everywhere with roasted chestnuts and new wine. The same week brings two very different crowds: runners for the Porto Marathon on Sunday 8 November, and tens of thousands of tech delegates for the Web Summit in Lisbon from 9 to 12 November. If you are travelling to Lisbon that week, book early.

On the coast, November is when the big-wave season at Nazaré gets going, with the giant swells at Praia do Norte that made the town famous among surfers. And at the end of the month the Christmas season begins: Porto switched on its lights across the city on 29 November in 2025, and our guide to Christmas in Porto covers the markets, the Aliados tree and New Year’s Eve. The last week of November is a very good time to see the lights before the Christmas rush begins.

Date	Event	Where
1 November	All Saints Day, public holiday, and Pão por Deus	Nationwide
6 to 15 November 2026	Feira Nacional do Cavalo, 50th edition	Golegã, Ribatejo
8 November 2026	EDP Porto Marathon, 10K and 6K	Porto
9 to 12 November 2026	Web Summit	Lisbon
11 November	São Martinho: chestnuts and new wine	Nationwide
November to March	Big-wave season at Praia do Norte	Nazaré
End of November	Christmas lights switch-on	Porto, Lisbon and most cities

Halloween in Portugal: All Saints Day and Pão por Deus

Halloween is not a traditional Portuguese celebration, but it has grown quickly over the last decade, especially in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve. On 31 October you will find costume parties in bars and clubs, themed nights and children in fancy dress in some neighbourhoods. For most Portuguese families, though, the important days are the ones that follow.

All Saints Day, Dia de Todos os Santos, on 1 November is a national public holiday, and it is a day for remembering. Families visit cemeteries to leave flowers and light candles for relatives who have died, and the following day, 2 November, is All Souls Day. It is a gentle, reflective time, and visitors who pass a cemetery gate that weekend will see it full of chrysanthemums.

On the morning of 1 November children keep an older tradition called Pão por Deus, bread for God. They go from door to door in small groups saying the words and receive small treats in return: broas, which are spiced biscuits, fruit, nuts or sweets. Unlike Halloween there are no masks or costumes, and it happens in the morning rather than after dark. It is closer to old European souling customs than to anything American, and it is still very much alive in towns and villages.

São Martinho in Portugal: Chestnuts, New Wine and the Magusto

São Martinho, the feast of Saint Martin on 11 November, is the heart of November in Portugal. It celebrates the chestnut harvest and the first wine of the year, and the traditional way to mark it is a magusto: friends and families gather around a fire to roast chestnuts and drink the new wine. There is an old saying that on São Martinho you go to the cellar and taste the wine, and in towns and villages across the north the day still revolves around both.

In the cities, the season shows itself in the chestnut sellers. From late October their carts appear on street corners, the smoke from their roasters drifting along the pavement, and a paper cone of hot castanhas assadas is the best way to warm your hands on a November evening. In Porto the stalls of the Bolhão market fill with chestnuts, quince and autumn produce, and our Mercado do Bolhão guide covers what to look for.

São Martinho also comes with its own weather legend. A short spell of mild, sunny days often arrives around 11 November, and the Portuguese call it the Verão de São Martinho, Saint Martin’s summer. It does not happen every year, but when it does, it is the best week of the month for a walk along the river or a day in the Douro Valley.

Things to Do in Portugal in November

The best things to do in Portugal in November are about food, wine, culture and the Atlantic. Take the train up the Douro Valley to see the terraces in their autumn colours, taste new wine and chestnuts at São Martinho, and spend long evenings over dinner and fado in Porto or Lisbon. Museums, churches and port lodges are all open, and the cities are comfortable to explore on foot in the mild weather.

Nazaré, on the coast between Porto and Lisbon, is one of the most dramatic sights in Europe in November. On big-swell days the waves at Praia do Norte can reach heights that draw the world’s best big-wave surfers, and you can watch from the headland by the lighthouse. Check the surf forecast before you go, because the giant days depend on the swell. Lisbon is an easy train ride from Porto, and our guide to the Lisbon to Porto train covers the fares and which station to use.

For something very Portuguese, the Golegã horse fair in the Ribatejo fills the town with Lusitano horses, riders in traditional dress and roasted chestnuts during the São Martinho week. In the south, the Algarve’s cliff walks are at their best in the cooler weather, and in Madeira the gardens and levada walks are green and mild. With Porto as a base you can combine the city, the Douro and a day on the coast in a single week.

Porto in November: The Douro, the Marathon and the First Christmas Lights

Porto in November is at its most local and its most atmospheric. The city is green after the first autumn rain, the riverside glows in the low light, and the tascas and wine bars have moved on to heavier reds and chestnuts. The Porto Marathon fills the city with runners on Sunday 8 November 2026, São Martinho follows a few days later, and by the end of the month the Christmas lights are going up across the old town.

November is also a beautiful month for the Douro Valley. After the harvest the vines on the terraces turn gold and red, the river is calm, and the train along the Douro line from São Bento is one of the great rail journeys in Europe. Many quintas keep their tastings open through the autumn, and a day trip or a night in the valley is the perfect complement to a few days in the city.

November in Porto suits people who like cities for their food, their streets and their people. Pack for rain, plan one indoor option for each day, and you will find it a warm, welcoming month, with port lodges to shelter in, cafés for a long lunch and the heated pool at Canto de Luz for a swim on a clear morning. It is also the month when the city feels most like itself, with residents back in their neighbourhood cafés after the summer.

Where to Stay in Porto in November

Canto de Luz is a restored boutique maison on Rua do Almada in Porto’s old town, five minutes from Trindade metro and about ten minutes on foot from São Bento, where the Douro line starts. It is a warm base for a November stay: the heated outdoor saltwater pool is open every day of the year from 09:30 to 19:30, breakfast is homemade and changes daily, and the suites are made for coming back to after a day in the rain. Guests regularly tell us that the location, the breakfast and the team are what they remember most.

From our door you can walk to the Bolhão market for chestnuts and autumn produce, down to the Ribeira and across to the port lodges, or up to Aliados, where the city’s Christmas tree goes up at the end of the month. Our team is on WhatsApp before and during your stay to help with restaurant bookings, Douro Valley day trips and train times to Lisbon or the coast. Parking is available three doors up if you are driving on to the Douro or the coast.

For families and small groups who want their own space, Villa Almada, our two-bedroom villa with a private pool and walled garden, sits in the grounds of Canto de Luz. Breakfast and concierge from the maison are available to villa guests too. Whichever you choose, the old town is on foot and the rest of Portugal is a train ride away.

Climate averages from IPMA 1991 to 2020 normals via Wikipedia (Lisbon, Faro, Funchal) and IPMA (Porto). Event dates from the Golegã municipality, Web Summit and the EDP Porto Marathon, fetched 28 September 2026. Photographs via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0: Bex Walton, Feliciano Guimarães, Luis Ascenso, erikccooper. CC BY-SA 4.0: Dietmar Rabich, Gerd Eichmann. CC BY-SA 3.0: Waugsberg.