Portugal Geography & Climate

Portugal occupies the western edge of the Iberian Peninsula, with a roughly 950-kilometer Atlantic coastline running from its northern border with Spain's Galicia region down to the Algarve in the south.

The Tagus River, Portugal's longest, crosses the country and divides it geographically -- rolling hills and mountains predominate to the north, while flatter plains define much of the south.

The Douro River carves a dramatic terraced valley through northern Portugal's wine country before reaching the Atlantic at Porto.

Two autonomous archipelagos extend Portugal far into the Atlantic: the volcanic Azores, roughly 1,500 kilometers west of the mainland, and the subtropical Madeira Islands, off the coast of northwest Africa.

Portugal has a Mediterranean climate overall, though conditions vary meaningfully between its regions.

The north, including Porto and the Douro Valley, sees more rainfall and cooler winters than the south, with real seasonal variation across the year.

The Algarve and southern mainland have hot, dry summers and mild winters, making the region Portugal's most reliably sunny year-round.

The Azores have a mild, wet, and notably changeable oceanic climate with cooler summers than the mainland, while Madeira's subtropical climate stays mild and stable across nearly the whole year, rarely seeing temperature extremes in either direction.