Estoril as a holiday resort has much more to offer than its fantastic beaches or championship golf courses.

The ideal season to visit Estoril will depend on the type of holiday that you are after, for example the hot summers are perfect for beach based holidays but not especially suited for exploring the region or holidays with young children.

This guide will provide an overview of Estoril weather and suggested activities for each season.
Related articles: Introduction to Estoril - Estoril beach guide

In general Estoril has hot dry summers and mild but unpredictable winters. Weather which is suitabe for spending time on the beach is from late May through to September and the height of the tourist season is July and August. During the summer Lisbon's residents flock to the beaches and the region can feel very busy especially at the weekends.

It is almost guaranteed that if you plan to visit Estoril during the height of the summer season you will experience hot and sunny weather. Estoril does get very hot during the summer, mainly due to the intense sun, but the close proximity of the sea and cooling evening breeze keeps the region cooler than the interior of Portugal and Spain.

Estoril Centigrade and Fahrenheit Temperature Chart

At the height of the season hotels and resorts are filled with package holiday tourists and accommodation should be booked well in advance. It is possible to explore the region at the height of the summer and Sintra is a recommended day trip due to the cooling hills but always start excursions early in the day.
One suppressing fact is that even in the summer the sea temperature remains shockingly cold, this is due to the waters feeding from the Atlantic Ocean.

Outside of the height of season prices for Estoril's accommodation drops and there are many more options available. Late spring provides some wonderful weather and is personally my favourite time of year to visit the Estoril coastline.

The carnival season is in mid June and Lisbon (only 20 minutes train ride away) has a festival atmosphere with traditional street dancing and great natured partying.

The number of hours of sun per day for Estoril

Golf holiday visitors should avoid the height of summer as it is just too hot to enjoy playing a round of golf on the regions great courses, consider early spring or autumn.

A little more risky option are the winter months, there could be rain but most days are dry and mild. The courses in the winter are almost empty with off season reductions during the week. It is always more pleasurable to play in Estoril during the winter than in Scotland!

March and October are months more designed for exploring with less focus on the beach but the closer to mid Christmas the more unpredictable the weather becomes. The winter months are mild with a fifth of days experiencing some rain, usually only a short shower. The winter months are for the sports enthusiasts.

Estoril rainfall and number of wet days

For surfers the wind direction alters and blows off-shore and whips up massive surfing waves great for experienced surfers. These conditions are also great for wind surfers and kite surfers. The sea temperature drops to 17C in the winter months, head to the beach of Guincho for the best waves.

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