Flights to Faro are the perfect way to beat the January blues, and don’t worry about this trip breaking the bank: January in the Algarve is very affordable, and perfect for post-Christmas budgets.
Reasons to visit the Algarve in January
- With an average of five hours of sunshine each day, a visit to the Algarve is a great way to lift Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
- It’s reasonably warm, but definitely not hot. The temperature is perfect for golfing, hiking, mountain biking and lingering on café terraces.
- It’s the low season so, aside from a few people that have come to Portugal for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the Algarve is quiet and you’ll have most of the beaches to yourself. It may not be warm enough for swimming, but it’s perfect for relaxing strolls along the beach.
- The atmosphere is more peaceful and local than noisy and touristy.
- It’s a cheap time to visit. Hotels and car rental are both a fraction of what they’d cost during July and August, and you can have a very enjoyable trip for very little money.
For cheap hotels in the Algarve, booking.com is always a good place to look. For car rental, comparison sites like rentalcars.com are worth looking at.
What’s on in the Algarve in January?
Festa das Chouriças, Querença
The rural town of Querença goes all out every January in celebration of St Luis, the protector of animals. To honour him they create delicious home-made Chouriço sausages, which is very ironic. As well as lots of sausages there’s also a parade and live music.
This event usually takes place in the second half of January.
Encontro de Janeiras, Silves
This is a tradition which dates back to ancient times. The Romans would greet each other with seasonal songs to begin the year, evoking the god Janus (the gatekeeper of heaven). Today the event is more Christian, with local musical groups gathering to sing songs celebrating the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the Three Kings.
Entrance is free, and usually takes place around the 5th of the month.
Al Mutamid Music Festival
This world music festival is named after Muhammad Al-Mutamid, the 11th Century ruler of the taifa of Seville. Concerts are held across the region and have a real Moorish flavour. There are acts from North Africa, the Middle East, and Andalusia. A great way to get a bit of culture during your trip.
This event sometimes place in February. For dates and more information, check out the organiser’s Facebook page.
January is a bit of a quiet month, but there’s lots more happening the rest of the year. Check out the month-to-month guide of events across the Algarve for a complete list of what’s happening locally.
Weather in the Algarve in January
Although this is the coldest month in the region, it’s still much warmer than Northern Europe. You can expect highs of 16°C, and average temperatures of 12°C throughout the month. There are only nine rainy days on average, usually peppered throughout January, so you’d be very unlucky to get wet weather.
Have you visited the Algarve in January, or are you visiting it this year? Share your thoughts or ask a question by leaving a comment below.
We have a home in Tavira at the other end of the Algarve, and will be in Vila Real de S. Antonio for the parade of kings on Jan 5th. It's good fun and the kings catch the ferry over to Ayamonte as part of the entertainment. 🙂 I've not been to the celebration in Silves but would like to.
Hey Johanna,
Thanks for the fantastic tip! You are in a great location to get the best of Spain and Portugal 🙂
And dont forget the great food....nothing better than Piri piri chicken with a fresh salad and a price to surprise you. Especially in Silves!
We will be arriving Jan 13th for 11 nights any advice will be welcome please 🙂
Hi Carol,
January is a quiet month on the Algarve, but it's usually quite pleasant here. There are a couple of festivals and things happening that are worth seeing, but otherwise it's a good month for sightseeing, walking, and ambling about (things that aren't always possible during the very hot summer).
Thank you James we are looking forward to some warmer weather too. Not long to wait now and getting excited at visiting pastures new.
Carol, Just read you are travelling on 13th Jan and so are we! ..from Gatwick easy-jet. We will be staying in Tavira My sister is there already she travelled from Canada. She says it is quite cold in the apartment although it is quite new and has central heating...so she says to bring warm slippers and nightwear!
We fly at 17.30 ..this is our first time, we are getting excited as well!
Happy to find this site!
Thank you Larry!
We are planning a trip to The Algarve in January. We would appreciate any information about weather etc.
Thanks. Audrey in Canada!
Hi Audrey,
From past experience, the weather in January can vary. Some years are better than others.
It's hard to predict but I would expect to have mild weather overall (12°C - 16°C) with sunshine during the day. The evenings are likely to be cold and it's possible that you'll be cold indoors. This isn't so much the case in bigger hotels, but it can be in an apartment, for example, as central heating isn't very common here. Places with a fireplace can get around this issue.
Hi James and Contributers,
We're near Lagos until 14 Feb with two children 4 & 9. Any suggestions of things to see/places to visit on wet days would be much appreciated please. Thanks Jo.
Hi Jolene,
Hopefully this article will help: https://www.portugalist.com/algarve-when-it-rains/
Unfortunately, the Algarve isn't really designed for wet weather so there aren't a lot of wet weather activities.
Hi Carol,
Planning to visit in December this year. How was your experience in January?
Thank you.