Azores · Portugal
February
Still quiet and wet — a little more sunshine than January and the earliest spring flowers appear in the valleys.
Worth considering
#11 of 12 months
There are better months for Azores — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
17°C
Low
12°C
Rain
100mm
Sun
4hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How February scores in Azores
Weather
Below average
Value
Outstanding
Crowds
Outstanding
Events
Below average
Atmosphere
Good
What you gain in February
- ↑The Azores' subtropical laurel forest starts showing the first signs of life in February — the endemic Azores laurel (Laurus azorica) keeps the valleys green year-round, and February sees the first camellia blooms and wildflowers along the protected valley trails
- ↑Surfing peaks in winter and early spring: the Atlantic groundswells that create challenging ferry crossings also create the best surf conditions at Santa Barbara beach on São Miguel, the left-hand point breaks at São Roque, and the consistently world-class waves at Praia do Norte on Faial
- ↑February carnival (Carnaval) in Terceira's Angra do Heroísmo is the most celebrated in the Azores — the baroque UNESCO-listed capital city comes alive for four days of processions, live music, and traditional food that give a genuine insight into Azorean culture rarely visible in summer when tourism dominates
What you sacrifice
- ↓Rainfall remains high at 100mm and sunshine limited to 4 hours per day — the crater lake views, the key hiking trails, and the mountain roads to the calderas are frequently obscured by cloud; patience and a flexible schedule are essential
- ↓Ferry crossings between islands are the most disrupted of the year — the Faial–Pico channel crossing (15 minutes, the most beautiful in the archipelago) can be suspended for 2–3 days during Atlantic storms; if island hopping, allow extra nights on each island as a buffer
- ↓Water temperatures (17°C) are comfortable for wetsuits but cold for casual swimming; the Azores geothermal pools (Termas da Ferraria on São Miguel, the Caldas da Ribeira Grande hot springs) are the appropriate winter bathing experience
How February compares to May (best month)
| Factor | February | May ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 3 | 7 |
| Value | 9 | 7 |
| Crowds | 9 | 7 |
February in other destinations
Lisbon (14.3°C)Barcelona (14°C)Tokyo (10.4°C)Bali (30.1°C)Santorini (13.2°C)Paris (8°C)New York (4.5°C)Marrakech (19.1°C)Amsterdam (6°C)Maldives (30.2°C)Rome (11.9°C)Bangkok (33°C)Istanbul (8.6°C)Vienna (4.9°C)Seoul (4°C)Dubrovnik (11.1°C)Rio de Janeiro (31°C)Kyoto (10.1°C)Phuket (32.1°C)Cape Town (26.9°C)Prague (4°C)Amalfi Coast (13°C)Mexico City (23°C)Medellín (29°C)Fiji (31°C)London (9°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (3°C)Tulum (29°C)Dubai (26°C)Singapore (31°C)Hoi An (26°C)Chiang Mai (31.5°C)Miami (24.8°C)Florence (11.4°C)Queenstown (22.2°C)Madrid (11.2°C)Porto (15°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (4°C)Budapest (6°C)Kraków (4°C)Tbilisi (8°C)Palawan (30°C)Hanoi (19°C)Osaka (10°C)Goa (33°C)Cusco (19°C)Buenos Aires (29°C)Mykonos (13°C)Zanzibar (32°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)Costa Rica (26°C)Cancun (29°C)Krabi (33°C)Athens (14°C)Seville (17°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (31°C)Havana (27°C)Split (11°C)Taipei (19°C)Kuala Lumpur (33°C)Valletta (15°C)Ho Chi Minh City (34°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (6°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (29°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (20°C)Jordan (13°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (20.3°C)Cairo (21.2°C)Kenya (28°C)Jaipur (25.1°C)Las Vegas (17.2°C)San Francisco (14°C)Madeira (19.8°C)Vancouver (8.4°C)Muscat (27.8°C)Lima (27°C)Cinque Terre (12°C)Kotor (11°C)Tel Aviv (18°C)Santiago (29°C)Bogotá (19°C)Bruges (6.5°C)Penang (32.2°C)Lombok (30.9°C)Cape Verde (25.8°C)Fez (15.8°C)Kerala (32°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (18°C)Oslo (0°C)Auckland (24°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Azores, not across destinations. Methodology →