We didnt know we had an April, said a Lisbon resident, "until the song came out." As a song and a season, April in Portugal is famous. Summer may be the most popular time to visit, but for the traveler who can chart his own course, spring and fall are the best seasons to visit.

To use an American analogy, Portugals climate is more like Californias. There are only minor temperature fluctuations between summer and winter; the general average ranges from 25 ° C in summer to 14 ° in winter. The rainy season begins in November and usually lasts until January. Because of the Gulf Stream, Portugals northernmost area, the Minho, enjoys mild (albeit very rainy) winters, although it is approximately the same latitude as New York City.

Snow brings many ski enthusiasts to the Serra da Estrela in central north Portugal. For the most part, however, winter means only some rainfall and lower temperatures in other regions. The Algarve and especially Madeira enjoy temperate winters. Madeira, in fact, enjoys its high season in winter. The Algarve is also a kind of winter Riviera that attracts sun worshipers from North America and Europe. Summers in both tend to be long, hot, clear and dry.

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