Porto in autumnSeptember to November weather, rain, the Douro harvest, events and what closes

Checked on 11 October 2026. Event dates are the 2026 editions as announced by the organisers. Weather figures are long-term averages, not a forecast.

The short answer

September is the driest of Porto’s three autumn months and still summer-like, with highs of about 23.5 °C and fewer than 6 rain days [1]. October is when the rain returns: about 149 mm over 11 days, while highs stay near 21 °C [1]. November is cool, about 17 °C by day, and the wettest of the three, with 13 rain days [1]. The sea stays at 17 to 18 °C [2], but the official bathing season ended on 13 September in 2026, so do not assume lifeguard cover after that [3]. Inland, the Douro harvest runs into October [4], the clocks go back on 25 October 2026 [8], and November brings the Porto marathon (8 November), São Martinho chestnuts (11 November) and Porto/Post/Doc (19 to 28 November) [11][12][13]. 5 October and 1 November are national holidays [9].

Weather in September, October and November

Porto	September	October	November
Average high (IPMA 1991–2020)	23.5 °C	20.7 °C	16.8 °C
Average low	14.8 °C	12.9 °C	9.4 °C
Rain	68.2 mm	148.9 mm	165.9 mm
Rain days (≥ 1 mm)	5.8	11.1	13.0
Sea (modelled)	18.3 °C	17.8 °C	16.8 °C

Figures from Porto weather by month [1][2]. The air and rain figures come from the airport station at Pedras Rubras, 11 km north of the centre; the sea figures are modelled monthly averages [1][2]. September still averages 2.2 days at 30 °C or more [1].

The jump from September to October is the thing to plan around: rain more than doubles, from 68 mm to 149 mm [1]. If your dates are flexible and the weather matters, September is the safer month.

What to pack. Light layers for September; from October a proper rain jacket, a warm layer and shoes with grip, because Porto’s steep granite streets are slippery when wet. Plan an indoor option for each day: the port cellars, Livraria Lello, Clérigos and the Bolhão market are in things to do in Porto.

September: the dry end of summer

Highs average 23.5 °C, rain falls on fewer than 6 days, and the sea is at its warmest of the year, about 18.3 °C [1][2]. That is still cool water by Mediterranean standards.

The bathing season ends in mid-September. In 2026 the official bathing season at the Porto, Matosinhos and Vila Nova de Gaia beaches ran from 13 June to 13 September [3]. After that, do not count on lifeguards. Which beach for which day: Porto’s best beaches.

October: the rain returns, harvest time in the Douro

October brings 148.9 mm of rain over about 11 days, but it is still mild, with highs of 20.7 °C [1].

• 5 October is Republic Day, a national holiday [9]. In 2026 it fell on a Monday; in 2027 it is a Tuesday. What it means for sights: see the table below.
• FIMP, Porto’s international puppet festival, plays at the city’s Campo Alegre theatre from 10 to 17 October 2026; the full programme is at fimp.pt [10]. Check each show’s age guidance before booking with children.
• The Douro harvest. The Port wine institute IVDP says the vindima happens between August and October, depending on the year and how ripe the grapes are, mostly picked by hand on the steep terraces [4]. A Douro wine-travel guide puts the usual window at mid-September to early October [5]. There is no fixed date, so ask the quinta before you go.
• Last historic trains. CP’s Douro historic train runs between Régua and Tua until 18 October 2026 [6]. In Pinhão, the morning rabelo boat trip leaves at 10:00 until 24 October, then at 10:30 in the winter timetable [7]. How to get there by train and what to see: the Douro valley from Porto.
• Clocks go back on Sunday 25 October 2026. At 01:00 UTC, 02:00 local time, mainland Portugal returns to winter time and the clocks go back to 01:00 [8]. Sunset comes an hour earlier by the clock from that day.
• Shorter park hours. The Palácio de Cristal gardens, with their views over the Douro, switch to winter hours in October, 8:00 to 19:00, from 8:00 to 21:00 in summer [28].

November: wettest, with chestnuts and festivals

November is cool and wet: highs average 16.8 °C, lows 9.4 °C, with 165.9 mm of rain over 13 days [1]. The sea is still about 16.8 °C [2], for surfers in wetsuits rather than swimmers.

• 1 November, All Saints’ Day, is a national holiday [9]. In 2026 it falls on a Sunday.
• From 1 November Graham’s port lodge in Gaia switches to winter visits, 10:00 to 17:00, with a reservation required [25]. Taylor’s cellar keeps its daily hours, 10:00 to 18:15 [24].
• Porto marathon. The EDP Maratona do Porto starts at 08:00 on Sunday 8 November 2026, with a marathon, a 10 km race and a 6 km non-competitive walk; bibs are collected at the Alfândega congress centre on 6 and 7 November [11]. Check the city’s traffic notices for closures on the route that morning.
• São Martinho, 11 November. The day of the magusto: a bonfire, roast chestnuts and young-wine drinks, jeropiga or água-pé, for the adults [13]. In autumn, and especially around São Martinho, street sellers roast chestnuts; Visit Portugal suggests a paper cone with água-pé or jeropiga [14]. We found no city programme for São Martinho in Porto for 2026.
• Porto/Post/Doc, the film and media festival, holds its 13th edition from 19 to 28 November 2026 [12].
• Christmas lights. We found no 2026 switch-on date yet; what we know about Christmas in Porto, including last year’s dates, is in Porto in December.

Holidays on 5 October and 1 November: what is open

Both days are national holidays under the Labour Code, restored in 2016 [9]. We found no official list of what closes in shops and offices, so this table covers the sights and transport whose own sites list their days and hours.

	5 October (Republic Day)	1 November (All Saints’ Day)
Day of the week	2026: Monday (passed). 2027: Tuesday	2026: Sunday. 2027: Monday
Mercado do Bolhão	Closed: closes on holidays [17]	Closed: closes on Sundays and holidays [17]
Livraria Lello	Not on the closure list [15]	Not on the closure list [15]
Torre dos Clérigos	Open daily, 9:00 to 19:00 [16]	Open daily [16]
Soares dos Reis museum	Not on the closure list; closed on Mondays anyway (5 Oct 2026) [18]	Not on the closure list; closed on Mondays anyway (1 Nov 2027) [18]
Serralves	Not on the closure list (only 25 Dec and 1 Jan) [19]	Not on the closure list [19]
Sea Life Porto	Open every day except Christmas Day [20]	Same [20]
Metro	Sunday and holiday timetable [21]	Sunday and holiday timetable [21]

“Not on the closure list” means the venue does not list the day as closed; it does not promise normal hours, so check on the day. STCP buses ran Sunday and holiday timetables on 1 January 2026 [22] but Saturday timetables on Good Friday 2026 [23], so check the notice for your date on stcp.pt before relying on a late bus.

Porto with kids in autumn

• School holidays: Portuguese schools started between 11 and 15 September 2026, and the national calendar has no break until 16 December [26]. Schools may adopt their own semester calendar agreed locally [26], so individual school calendars can differ.
• Beach days: the 2026 bathing season ended on 13 September [3]; after that, do not assume lifeguard cover and keep beach days to the sand and the promenade.
• Rainy days: Sea Life Porto opens every day except Christmas Day [20], and the Galeria da Biodiversidade natural history gallery opens Tuesday to Sunday [27]. More ideas, with prices and ages: Porto with kids.
• Puppets: FIMP, the puppet festival, runs from 10 to 17 October 2026; ages vary by show, so check each listing [10].
• São Martinho: a cone of roast chestnuts from a street seller is an easy autumn treat for children [14]; the jeropiga and água-pé are for adults [13].
• Earlier evenings: after 25 October it gets dark an hour earlier by the clock [8], and the Palácio de Cristal gardens close at 19:00 from October [28].

Planning an autumn trip

• Best weeks: September for the driest days and the end of the beach season; early October for the Douro harvest and the last historic trains; November for festivals, with the most rain [1][4][6].
• Marathon weekend: if your dates include 8 November 2026 [11], we would book a bed early and check the traffic notices.
• Douro day trip: trains, boats and quintas in the Douro valley from Porto and day trips from Porto.
• Getting around: metro, trains and the Andante card: getting around Porto.
• Where to stay: where to stay in Porto.
• Other seasons: best time to visit Porto, Porto weather by month and Porto in December.

Sources

Numbered references match the source list on this page. Read on 11 October 2026 unless stated.

1. IPMA: Climate normal 1991–2020, Porto / Pedras Rubras (PDF), read 9 October 2026
2. seatemperature.org: Porto sea temperature, read 9 October 2026
3. Portaria n.º 204-A/2026/1: bathing seasons 2026 (PDF), read 10 October 2026
4. IVDP: Vinificação
5. Into the Vineyard: Best time to visit the Douro Valley, read 9 October 2026
6. CP: Douro Historical Train 2026
7. Magnífico Douro: rabelo boat trip in Pinhão, read 9 October 2026
8. Observatório Astronómico de Lisboa: Mudança da hora
9. Diário da República: Lei n.º 8/2016 (PDF)
10. Teatro Municipal do Porto: FIMP 2026
11. EDP Maratona do Porto: Regulations
12. Porto/Post/Doc 2026
13. RTP Zig Zag: São Martinho
14. Visit Portugal: Tempo para saborear Portugal
15. Livraria Lello: ticket-voucher information
16. Torre dos Clérigos: Bilheteira
17. Mercado do Bolhão: Contacts and opening hours
18. Museus e Monumentos de Portugal: Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis
19. Fundação de Serralves: Visitar
20. CP: Sea Life Porto
21. Metro do Porto: Frequências, September 2026 (PDF)
22. STCP: New Year 2025/26 service
23. STCP: Easter 2026 service
24. Taylor’s: Port Cellars
25. Graham’s Port Lodge: Visit
26. Diário da República: Despacho n.º 8368/2024 (PDF)
27. MHNC-UP: Galeria da Biodiversidade, read 9 October 2026
28. Câmara Municipal do Porto: Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, read 9 October 2026