Located at Europe’s westernmost tip and boasting 100 miles of Atlantic coastline, Algarve could be Europe’s most widely-known secret.

This region boasts Europe’s best beaches, Europe’s best golf courses, some of Europe’s friendliest folk, and Western Europe’s lowest cost of living. It’s also Europe’s newest tax haven.

Here you’ll find Silves, nestled in verdant valleys on the banks of the Arade River and surrounded by fields of citrus, offering a warm microclimate.

It’s like summertime all year long. In addition to orange and lemon trees, all around are the olive, carob, and fig trees the region is also known for. Silves’ coastal town is Armação de Pêra, with an expansive white sandy beach.

Thanks to its 3,300 hours of sunshine per year, more sunny days than almost anywhere else in Europe, the Algarve has a longstanding reputation as a top summer destination among European sun-seekers and a top winter retreat for those looking to escape Northern Europe’s coldest months.

The Algarve has the best climate in Europe, meaning the most days of sun, and it also gains from prevailing winds. Between the water and the wind, this region is never unbearably hot and rarely humid.

Temperatures In The Algarve

Temperatures range between about 60°F and 90°F with humidity hovering around 80%. There are really no unpleasantly hot or cold months here, but January and February are the coolest, July, and August the warmest.

You won’t see any snow here, but you will get some rain, about 21 inches over the course of the year. There’s a chance of flooding and earthquakes.

While there’s a chance of earthquakes here, there hasn’t been a serious one in nearly 300 years… although the Great Lisbon earthquake 1755 razed the city, so there is a chance a future earthquake could do damage.

Portugal is also prone to flooding and forest fires, the latter being a serious problem in recent years.