The westernmost state of continental Europe, Portugal is renowned for its wines, ocean beaches, football and ideal conditions for all water sports where sail is involved. In the Azores, there are excellent diving sites, and in Madeira people fly to hunt for "big fish" - tuna or shark. Most of the tourists here are experienced travelers who have seen the world and have a good idea of what they want from their next tour. They are the ones who come to celebrate the New Year in Portugal, where fireworks overlooking the ocean and fireworks on the beach become the main decorations for the holiday loved by everyone since childhood.
Let's take a look at the map
Facing strictly to the west, Portugal is located in a Mediterranean climate zone with tropical elements. The Gulf Stream also helps shape the weather in the north of the country. Its effect is in the usual way: a lot of rainfall at certain times of the year.
If you are planning to go to Portugal for the New Year, be prepared for not too comfortable weather:
- Average daily air temperatures in January usually range from + 4 ° С to + 10 ° С in the northern regions and about + 8 ° С - closer to the south.
- A significant amount of rainfall in winter can disrupt your excursion plans. The Gulf Stream more than provides rain in the north and in the central part of the coast. The very south of Portugal is the only place where it is not too damp in December and January.
- Another Portuguese scourge is strong winds. It is especially felt on the ocean coast. But even if you are a surfer, New Year's holidays will not seem like a good time to practice your favorite sport. At this time, the water and air are too cold for a wetsuit to be ideal.
Comfortable enough in winter in Lisbon. Capital residents can sometimes even count on + 15 ° С and sunny weather in the period from December to February, but the temperature daily norm at this time in the capital of the country is + 10 ° С.
In Porto, New Years are often marked by rains. Most precipitation falls from November to March. During the day, thermometers show about + 10 ° С.
Ideal New Year's Eve can be arranged in the Azores. Here in winter you can see + 18 ° C on the thermometer, but rain is as likely as warm.
Madeira Island is also no exception and will offer its guests warm but humid winter weather. Mercury columns can fly up to + 20 ° C in the midst of the New Year holidays, but precipitation at this time is also a common phenomenon rather than an exceptional one.
How New Year is celebrated in Portugal
The Portuguese are not much different from the rest of the inhabitants of the planet Earth and they have a great variety of New Year traditions. The most famous are, of course, a dozen grapes and new clothes for the beloved and long-awaited night of the year. The inhabitants of the westernmost country of continental Europe, like their neighbors the Spaniards, eat twelve grapes during the striking of the clock. In this case, you need to have time to make one wish for each berry. New pieces of clothing are also required, and their color is chosen depending on the expectations for the New Year. In Portugal, it is believed that brown provides career opportunities, red guarantees love affairs, and blue attracts good luck.
Another nice custom is a bay leaf, which is customary to put in a wallet on New Year's Eve and carry it there for the next 365 days so that money is not transferred.
Residents of Portugal see off the old year noisily and cheerfully. Evil spirits scatter and scamper across the ocean from the sounds of whistles and pipes, which have replaced the old tradition of rattling lids on pans today.
The Portuguese New Year's program usually includes festivities, concerts in city squares, lots of wine and midnight fireworks. Different regions have their own distinctive features and traditions, which local residents are happy to introduce tourists to:
- In Lisbon at 22.00 on the Commerce Square a concert of pop stars begins.
- In Porto, all the fun takes place at the Avenida dos Aliados. The best view of the fireworks is from the banks of the Douro River. Places should be taken in advance! In the wine capital of the country, it makes sense to arrange a New Year's Eve in one of the wine cellars, since local tourist offices offer such a program with great pleasure.
- In the Algarve, the New Year is celebrated right by the water. A costume show with clowns, musicians and magicians takes place on the beach.
- The pyrotechnic show in Madeira is one of the most colorful in Europe.
The entrance to Lisbon bars on the funniest night of the year is usually free, and a liter of cocktail is unlikely to cost more than 12-15 euros.
Useful information for travelers
You can get to Portugal both on direct flights and with transfers at other European airports:
- Non-stop flights are possible on the TAP Portugal wings. For a flight from Moscow Domodedovo airport to Lisbon, which lasts about 5, 5 hours, and back, Portuguese airlines will ask for 430 euros.
- For much less money, the Portuguese and Russian capitals are connected by Aegean Airlines. With a stopover in Athens, you can get to Lisbon for 250 euros. German airlines estimate their services at about the same rate. Lufthansa offers to dock in Frankfurt.
- You can get to Porto with KLM, Brussels Airlines or Lufthansa. Connections are due in Amsterdam, Brussels and Frankfurt, respectively. The issue price is about 300 euros.
- Funchal Airport in Madeira receives aircraft from Lufthansa and Portuguese airlines. In the first case, you have to make two transfers - in Munich and Lisbon, but spend only 430 euros for round trip tickets. A flight with the Portuguese with a single connection in the capital will cost 600 euros.
Shopping in Portugal is another great reason to go to the edge of Europe to celebrate the New Year. It is at the end of the first week of January that grand sales start, in which all stores, shopping centers and outlets in Portugal take part. What to bring as New Year gifts for family and friends? Of course, a bottle of good port wine, every drop of which is filled with the sun, or amazing ceramic tiles made in the national technique with the hard-to-pronounce name "azulejos".
