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Sailing vacation in Portugal

Best places and routes to sail in region. Weather, trade winds and important details for perfect sailing holidays in Portugal.

Sailing trip in Portugal

Sailing through the waters of the Atlantic along the coast of the homeland of Magellan and Vasco da Gama is a dream to fulfill which thousands of yachtsmen come to Portugal in summer and winter. The season lasts all year round. Read about the ideal weather and other advantages of renting a yacht in Portugal in our article.

Sailing season
May - September
Travel season
April - October
Marinas in this location
25
Boats in this location
59

Main facts about region

Capital:
Lisbon
Telephone code:
+351
Language:
Portuguese
Timezone:
UTC+0, in summer UTC+1 (CEST)
Currency:
Euro (EUR)
Population:
10,276,000

Why do yachtsmen prefer Portugal?

This is the sunniest region in Europe. A cloudy day is a rarity for local latitudes. Here is a subtropical zone with mild winters and summers without heat. Winds are strong enough to help yachts on their routes but not so catchy to create significant discomfort.

 

A suitable climate provides a long list of benefits:

  • convenient coastal infrastructure with an ever-increasing number of marines;
  • the beauty of the coastline — in whatever direction the route lies, the views of sandy beaches and wild rocks are captivating;
  • ancient architecture, houses and churches of the Age of Discoveries — in each port there is where to go for a walk and what to sightsee;
  • a variety of routes — most of the coastline is suitable for mooring, so you could come here for many years in a row and each time go by a new route;
  • educational opportunities — there are many schools and clubs in the country that offer courses for skipper-beginners;
  • additional entertainment — while the ship is on service in the marina, you could go surfing or diving, including wreck diving (trips to the scuppered ships).

 

The regattas take place year-round. In some of them, both amateur and professional crews may participate. For example, race class RG44 which starts in Cascais at the end of September. It increases the demand for ships, so the charter for the time of the popular regattas must be taken care of in advance.

Yachting features in the region

Portuguese yachting could be a walk along the mainland coast, cruise between the Azores or a trip to Madeira. Traditionally, ships are rented for a week — from Saturday to Saturday, still, in Portugal it is easy to arrange rentals for a few hours or a couple of days.

 

To do this you must submit one of the documents:

  • RYA;
  • IYT;
  • ISSA;
  • GIMS (category must correspond to the selected vessel);
  • yacht captain diploma.

 

A radio operator license is not required.

Portugal - Yacht Charter Sailica
Portugal - Yacht Charter Sailica
Portugal - Yacht Charter Sailica

Basic yacht routes

Ocean coast is divided into western and southern. These are the main directions for yacht trips.

Consider them in more details:

  • Western branch. Local ports are often located on canals or in the mouths of rivers that flow into the Atlantic. By a river, you could go inland. For example, the Guardian is 20 miles navigable.
  • Southern branch. Ports are convenient for mooring, in many ones there are the service centers for yachts. The closer to the Atlantic, the more lively the coast becomes. The region is suitable for lovers of outdoor activities, nightclubs and noisy tourist get-togethers. Those who want to enjoy the beauty of nature in peace should move to the East.

The cruises around the islands and the Lisbon outskirts are also popular.

 

Portugal is a country in Western Europe, which combines in a remarkable manner a rich history and its preserved monuments, modern architecture, beautiful nature, and clean sea. It is perfect to visit Portugal in May or in September-October. At this time the water there is already (or still) warm, but prices are much lower than at the height of the season. The cost of a holiday in Portugal in summer is very high, especially if you do not book accommodation in advance.

Available yachts in the region

Nearest Airports

Lisbon Airport LIS
Porto Airport OPO
Faro Airport FAO

The climate in Portugal is hot. This is one of the warmest countries in Europe. The holiday season starts in the middle of spring, ending in the middle of autumn. In summer, the temperature of 30 degrees and above is a common phenomenon, so if you are going to Portugal not for the sake of the sea and warm water, it is better not to go in summer. However, the sea breeze helps to cope with the heat.

 

In Portugal, tourists sail all year round. There is no concept of seasonality. The tourist season starts in May and ends in October. The climate of the region depends on the proximity to the ocean.

Water temperature in sailing season +20...+25 °
Air temperature in sailing season +26...+29 °
Wind speed in sailing season 10 - 20 knots

Most yacht lovers prefer to relax in Portugal at the beginning of autumn, in the «velvet season». The average temperature is + 20 ° C.

  • September. During the day — +27, and at night + 19 ° C. Wind speed — 9 m / s. The water temperature is +18-22 ° C. In Nazare, the waves reach a height of 15 meters. But in stormy weather, it is better not to go on a yacht.
  • October. The rainy season begins closer to the middle of the month. Air temperature is about +20 during the day and +10 at night.
  • November. The climate is changeable — do not forget the warm things when going on a trip on a yacht. Engaging in yachting on the territory of this state in November is recommended exclusively to professional yachtsmen. Here the insidious ebbs and flows. You can easily land a rented yacht. In the eastern part of the state, a fickle wind blows; it is problematic to engage in yachting and other water sports here. The air temperature is between + 18 ° C during the day and + 13 ° C at night. There is a cold wind that blows from the north side of the coast at a speed of 5 knots. There is a high chance of a storm this month. Gusts of wind reach a speed of 176 kilometers per hour.

People talk about Sailica

Rinke Tiegel
5
Full recommendation. Great service & support. We chartered a Beneteau 45 in Athens for our trip around Peloponnes. Great service and perfect customer support from beginning to the end. Due to corona we had to postpone our trip - Sailica managed all the communication with the charter agency and negotiated a great new deal for us. This was already the 2nd time we charted with Sailica and it won't be the last time. Full recommendation
Kyle Redstone
5
I took Dufour Grand Large 560 at Croatia using online yacht rental service sailica.com It's easy to use their mobile app with fair prices and enough quantity of boats which suits to my parameters. Their managers assisted me through whole communication with charter company. It was pleasant to receive a small gift – free of charge transfer from airport to marina. We didn't request it and appreciate their overexpected level of service.
Julian Lehmann
5
Amazing 1 week in Turkey! I sailed with Sailica on a tour in the gulf of Fethiye in Turkey. Overall it was a great experience and a great crew, even if I did not know them before. The area is amazingly beautiful and if you go in April you can avoid the crowds. The skipper was very proficient and knew what he was doing. Highly recommended!
Mykyta Semenoff
5
Great company! The guys answered all our questions which were very important since it was our first sailing experience. Moreover, they advised us not only on a charter but also on the tour itself. This was not the responsibility of the company, but we needed help and the company managers helped us for free. I highly recommend the team. The guys are really reliable, proactive and customer-oriented.
Vadim Rogovskiy
5
Excellent trip to Croatia! The trip was organized on an excellent level since the very beginning - from the yacht search to the trip itself. The team was fast and responsive. Highly recommended to everyone who wants to hang out with family on a beautiful yacht or catamaran!
Nikolaus Haufler
5
Super Beratung - sehr schnell wurde für mich ein passendes Boot in der Türkei gefunden. Sehr guter Preis, und ich konnte einen Skipper aussuchen, den ich bereits vom letzten Mal kannte. Volle Empfehlung!