Azores · Portugal
August
Still peak season — hottest and sunniest month, maximum visitors, and the trail networks at their most accessible.
Strong option
#7 of 12 months
There are better months for Azores — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
27°C
Low
20°C
Rain
20mm
Sun
9.5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How August scores in Azores
Weather
Outstanding
Value
Average
Crowds
Below average
Events
Good
Atmosphere
Very good
What you gain in August
- ↑August sea temperatures peak at 24°C — the warmest water of the year for swimming at the volcanic pools; Biscoitos on Terceira (a series of natural lava rock pools in the Atlantic fringe) and the Mosteiros beach pools on São Miguel's west coast are at their most comfortable
- ↑Sunset paddleboarding on the Lagoa das Furnas: the caldera lake on São Miguel at sunset in August — with steam rising from the geothermal vents on the far shore and the surrounding mountains catching the gold light — is one of the most distinctive experiences the Azores offers; rental equipment is available at the lake shore
- ↑The Atlantic summer high-pressure system creates the longest reliable clear window of the year for Pico summit hiking — a 7–8 week window (mid-July to mid-September) in which the summit is frequently in clear air; experienced hikers attempting the summit should target August as the highest probability month for a cloud-free view
What you sacrifice
- ↓August is the busiest month in the Azores — the combination of Portuguese national holidays, Azorean diaspora family returns, and European school holidays makes it the most crowded and least authentic month; the Azores' appeal as a wild, empty Atlantic destination is most compromised in August
- ↓Prices are at absolute maximum — hotel and flight costs are 60–80% above their winter equivalents; Airbnb and guesthouse options in Ponta Delgada and Horta reach prices comparable to Lisbon or Porto
- ↓The Princess Alice Bank diving trips (the signature deep-water experience for manta rays and hammerheads) are often overbooked in August; book at least 6 weeks in advance for a July–August departure
How August compares to May (best month)
| Factor | August | May ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 9 | 7 |
| Value | 4 | 7 |
| Crowds | 3 | 7 |
August in other destinations
Lisbon (26.5°C)Barcelona (28.6°C)Tokyo (32.1°C)Bali (29.9°C)Santorini (26°C)Paris (24.3°C)New York (27.7°C)Marrakech (35.8°C)Amsterdam (21.4°C)Maldives (30.3°C)Rome (30.4°C)Bangkok (31.5°C)Istanbul (28°C)Vienna (25.9°C)Seoul (29°C)Dubrovnik (28.5°C)Rio de Janeiro (25.9°C)Kyoto (33.7°C)Phuket (31.3°C)Cape Town (17.2°C)Prague (26°C)Amalfi Coast (31°C)Mexico City (23°C)Medellín (29°C)Fiji (26°C)London (24°C)Sydney (18°C)Iceland (14°C)Tulum (33°C)Dubai (42°C)Singapore (32°C)Hoi An (33°C)Chiang Mai (31°C)Miami (33.3°C)Florence (31.8°C)Queenstown (9°C)Madrid (35.2°C)Porto (27°C)Edinburgh (19°C)Copenhagen (22°C)Budapest (28°C)Kraków (24°C)Tbilisi (31°C)Palawan (30°C)Hanoi (32°C)Osaka (34°C)Goa (30°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (15°C)Mykonos (30°C)Zanzibar (26°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (32°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (33°C)Seville (36°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (31°C)Havana (32°C)Split (30°C)Taipei (34°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (32°C)Ho Chi Minh City (32°C)Hawaii (31°C)Cappadocia (32°C)Dominican Republic (32°C)Jamaica (33°C)Tanzania (23°C)Seychelles (26°C)Nepal (27°C)Jordan (36°C)Bora Bora (26°C)Los Angeles (28.5°C)Cairo (38.2°C)Kenya (24°C)Jaipur (32.8°C)Las Vegas (40.1°C)San Francisco (18°C)Madeira (28°C)Vancouver (23.3°C)Muscat (38.5°C)Lima (17.2°C)Cinque Terre (29°C)Kotor (32°C)Tel Aviv (32°C)Santiago (15°C)Bogotá (19°C)Bruges (22.4°C)Penang (32.3°C)Lombok (30.4°C)Cape Verde (29.5°C)Fez (37.2°C)Kerala (29°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (31°C)Oslo (23°C)Auckland (14°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Azores, not across destinations. Methodology →