The Algarve in December: weather, Christmas and what to expect

The Algarve has some of the mildest winters in mainland Europe, which is why many northern Europeans spend December here. But mild does not mean dry. December is, on average, the wettest month of the year in Faro, and the gap between a good December and a bad one is huge.

December weather: the averages

The official climate normals for Faro from IPMA, the Portuguese weather institute, for 1991 to 2020:

December is the rainiest month in the Faro record, and the wettest single December day measured there brought 90 mm, on 23 December 1992, as much as an entire average December in one day.

Four recent Decembers, four different months

Averages are only part of the story. Here is how the last four Decembers actually turned out, according to IPMA’s monthly climate bulletins:

• December 2022: very wet and very mild. Mainland Portugal received about 250 mm of rain, 174 % of normal, one of the wettest Decembers since 2000. It was also the warmest December on record for average temperature.
• December 2023: dry and pleasant. Rainfall across the mainland was only 44 % of normal. The Faro weather station measured just 21.9 mm for the whole month, with an average daytime high of 17.5 °C.
• December 2024: exceptionally dry. The driest December in Portugal since 1931, with only 12 % of normal rainfall. Faro recorded 5.5 mm of rain and had the highest average temperature of any station on the mainland, 14.6 °C. Portimão measured only 1.7 mm all month.
• December 2025: wet again. Mainland Portugal received about 158 mm of rain, 137 % of normal, after an already very wet November. Storms that winter damaged dozens of Algarve beaches.

So in two of the last four years, December in the Algarve was largely dry and sunny, and in the other two it was wet and stormy. There is no reliable way to know in advance.

What a wet December feels like

In a wet December, rain usually arrives with Atlantic weather systems: a day or two of heavy rain and strong wind, rough seas and red flags on the beaches, followed by clear, fresh days. Coastal paths can be muddy and slippery, and cliff falls are more frequent after heavy rain, so keep well back from the edges. See our guide to beach flags and cliff safety.

Christmas and New Year

• Christmas lights and markets. Most towns decorate their centres and hold small Christmas markets and events through December. Faro, Loulé, Lagos and Tavira are good places to look.
• Christmas itself is a family holiday in Portugal. Expect many shops and some restaurants to close on 24 and 25 December, and book ahead if you want a Christmas meal out.
• New Year’s Eve. Albufeira is known for the biggest New Year’s Eve celebration in the Algarve, with music and fireworks by the beach. Other towns hold their own events. Check each municipality’s programme for the year you travel, and book accommodation early, because it is one of the few busy nights of the winter.

What is open

Towns such as Faro, Tavira, Lagos and Albufeira’s old town stay lively enough, with most restaurants open. Beach bars, many seasonal restaurants and some hotels close for the winter, and some family-run restaurants take holidays in December or January. Boat trips run only on calm days. Public transport is on its winter timetable, with only two Aerobus departures a day from Faro Airport to Albufeira and Lagos. A car makes a winter trip much easier; see Do you need a car in the Algarve?

Why we would usually pick October or November

If your priority is sun and the beach, October is the Algarve’s golden season: warm days around 23 °C in Faro, the sea at about 20.5 °C, and less rain. November is cooler and less predictable, but still often mild and bright, with far lower prices. Read the Algarve in November for the details.

December is best for a relaxed winter escape: long walks on empty beaches on clear days, Christmas lights in the old towns, and a good chance of sunshine when the north of Europe is grey. Pack a waterproof jacket, plan indoor options for the rainy days, and you will enjoy it whichever December you get.