If one is going on a beach holiday, warm weather is obligatory. Skiing demands colder weather. The Douro’s main attractions of spectacular landscapes and fine hotels, wine and food can, however, be enjoyed throughout the year, each season having its own special charm.
A cool swimming pool is all the more appealing when everything else is sizzling in the sun of July and August, and winter has its own special atmosphere. If, however, only the mildest months will do for you, May, June and September are when you should be heading there, with minimal rainfall and warm temperatures.
The Douro enjoys its own micro-climate, which is an important reason for the quality and style of its wines. The most important geological features responsible for this are several mountain ranges sheltering it from the Atlantic Ocean influence, giving it a continental climate, with hot and dry summers and cooler and wetter winters. One can leave a cold and rainy Porto and as soon as one breaches the mountain ranges be met with a pleasant, sunny day. As one travels upriver in the region the rainfall decreases and the temperatures increase. The average temperature in the Douro Superior is more than 6 degrees higher and the rainfall as little as a third of that in Porto.
The first harbingers of spring can be seen early. In February and March the weather can be fine enough for picnics and this period brings the beautiful sight of white and pink clouds of almond trees in blossom, particularly in the higher regions. In April spring is undeniable and in May it reaches its climax, with flowers and greenery abounding. June still enjoys this flush without having the hotter weather of July and August. Especially Northern European visitors who want as extreme a contrast to their normal cold and wet climates love the high summer in the Douro, as if to store the sun and heat for the rest of their year.
September is one of the most favoured climatic months, being mostly dry and warm without being hot. It has the added advantage of being the grape harvesting month. October is still warm and from the second half the beautiful red, orange and yellow hues of the leaves herald autumn.
Winter transforms the Douro. Now one notices the vastness less and the intimate aspects more. Tones darken and the landscape and settlements assume an almost medieval ambiance. Cosy cafes, bars and restaurants are all the more appealing and the richer of the dishes and wines now seem even better than they did in the summer.
You’ll be enchanted whichever season you choose to visit.
