Azores, Portugal Weather and Climate

Geographical location

Nine larger and several small islands in the Atlantic make up the Portuguese group of the Azores (Ilhas dos Açores). The islands extend 1369 kilometers west of the European mainland on a total area of ​​2333 square kilometers. The islands are around 2,350 kilometers away from the North American Newfoundland in Canada.

A total of 247,000 inhabitants are at home in the Azores, the economic center is the main island of Sao Miguel, which is around 60 kilometers long.

The capital Ponta Delgada with the Azores International Airport is also located on it. As a result, all tourists first arrive on the main island and can continue their journey from there.

On the island of Pico is the volcano of the same name, Pico, which is the highest point in Portugal with a height of 2351 meters. From Frankfurt, Ponta Delgada Airport can be reached in just over four hours.

The Azores lie on the so-called Mid-Atlantic Ridge, directly on the border of the North American and Eurasian continental plates.

Climate in the Azores

The Azores have an oceanic-subtropical climate with very little differences between the seasons. This manifests itself in mild winters and not too hot summer months, as one would otherwise expect in subtropical areas. The humidity is relatively high, as the winds are carried across the open Atlantic and transport a lot of moisture accordingly.

The Azores are much further north than the Canary Islands and therefore also differ in climatic terms. From the end of September you can feel the foothills of low pressure areas and the foothills of tropical storms in the Azores. However, direct contact with tropical storms is absolutely rare and only occurs every 10 to 12 years. Winter in the Azores is in December until the beginning of April and the climate is more like the German early autumn. The weather is difficult to predict at this time, both sunny, calm days and stormy rainy days are possible.

The inhabitants of the Azores often jokingly say that their days sometimes have four seasons, which in the middle also mix colorfully. It’s not that changeable, but you should be prepared for everything, especially in winter. Similar to the island of Madeira, the Azores also enjoy mild daytime temperatures during the Christmas season, in December the average value is 17 ° C during the day.

When to go to the Azores

The best time to travel to the Azores are without a doubt the months of July, August and September. Here, warm weather of 25 to 27 degrees during the day and around 19 degrees at night can be expected. The low rainfall ensures a pleasant summer feeling, the water temperatures also climb up to 23 degrees.

The mild values ​​also make wonderful hiking tours through the wonderful nature possible, it rarely gets unbearably hot. The fringe months of June and October are also very popular with active vacationers due to the low off-season prices.

Optimal travel time for the regions

In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (Azores).

Place	Best travel time
Horta	May, June, July, August and September
São Miguel	May, June, July, August and September

Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Horta (Azores)

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Daytime temperature	17 ° C	17 ° C	17 ° C	18 ° C	20 ° C	22 ° C	25 ° C	26 ° C	25 ° C	22 ° C	19 ° C	18 ° C
Night temperature	12 ° C	11 ° C	12 ° C	13 ° C	14 ° C	16 ° C	18 ° C	19 ° C	19 ° C	17 ° C	15 ° C	13 ° C
Water temperature	18 ° C	17 ° C	17 ° C	17 ° C	18 ° C	20 ° C	21 ° C	22 ° C	23 ° C	22 ° C	20 ° C	19 ° C
Precipitation in mm	112	99	80	62	56	48	35	53	90	106	115	114
Rainy days	13	13	12	9	9	6	6	7	10	12	14	13
Hours of sunshine	3	4	4	5	6	6	8	8	6	5	4	3
Sunrise	8:10	7:45	7:05	7:20	6:45	6:30	6:40	7:10	7:35	8:05	7:35	8:05
Sunset	18:00	18:30	19:00	20:30	21:00	21:20	21:20	20:50	20:05	19:15	17:45	17:35

Temperatures

The annual average temperature in Horta is 17.3 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is August (22.2 ° C), coldest month of February with averages of 13.6 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Horta is 23 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. All months have a water temperature of at least 17 ° C. Bathing is then possible to a limited extent. The months of July, August, September and October have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.

Precipitation

The annual precipitation is 970 mm on 124 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. There is no rainy season, i.e. months with more than 175 mm of precipitation. You cannot expect snow in any month in Horta.

Sunshine

As our climate table shows, August is the sunniest month with an average of 7.6 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year the sun shines for 4.9 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.

Highlights and attractions

The humid Atlantic climate ensures a diverse and distinctive flora. The landscapes of the Azores are lush green and shimmered in colorful splendor almost all year round. Many travelers organize their vacation actively, go on hiking tours through nature or explore the islands by bike.

We recommend a hiking tour on Sao Miguel to Lagoa do Fogo, a former volcanic crater, where a really dreamlike atmosphere awaits you. The Azores are also known for their considerable abundance of fish.

Diving tours give an exciting impression of the underwater world, various boat trips also give the opportunity to experience up to 38 different whale and dolphin species, with a little luck, up close.

Azores weather in March, April and May

Average daily temperatures between 17 ° C and 20 ° C can be expected over the next three months. It gets warmest in May in Horta, while March is a little cooler in São Miguel.

Do you want to go on a beach holiday? The water temperatures are in March, April and May 17-18 ° C. This is good weather for a great time on the beach and in the water.

In March it rains for 11 (São Miguel) to 12 days (Horta), in April for 9 (Horta) to 10 days (São Miguel) and in May for around 9 days, depending on the region.

In the period from March to May , the sun shines on average between 3 and 6 hours a day. The sunniest weather is in May in Horta, with less sun you will have to get by in March in São Miguel.