Azores · Portugal
November
Deep shoulder season — dramatic Atlantic light between storms, almost no tourists, and the Azores stripped back to its essential character.
Worth considering
#9 of 12 months
There are better months for Azores — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
19°C
Low
14°C
Rain
100mm
Sun
4.5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How November scores in Azores
Weather
Below average
Value
Outstanding
Crowds
Outstanding
Events
Average
Atmosphere
Good
What you gain in November
- ↑Surfing season reaches its peak in November: world-class big wave conditions develop at Praia do Norte (Faial), Santa Barbara (São Miguel), and the reef breaks around São Jorge; November is when the Azores serious surf community is most active
- ↑The Azores endemic forest comes alive in November rain: the laurissilva vegetation (the same ancient laurel forest that covers Madeira's Levada trails) is at its most lushly green in the wet months; the Caldeira do Faial trail, the Parque Florestal das Sete Fontes on São Jorge, and the caldeira trails on Flores are extraordinary in the November mist
- ↑Complete solitude at the main viewpoints: Miradouro da Boca do Inferno on São Miguel, the Pico caldera view, and the Flores waterfalls see virtually no visitors in November; the experience of having the most dramatic landscapes in the Atlantic entirely to yourself is available only in the off-season
What you sacrifice
- ↓November is wet and often grey — 100mm of rainfall and only 4.5 hours of sunshine; a November trip to the Azores can deliver 4–5 consecutive overcast days with limited outdoor visibility; it is a trip for those who find dramatic atmospheric weather appealing rather than those seeking sun
- ↓Most tourist infrastructure on smaller islands reduces to minimum service in November — some restaurants close entirely, whale watch operators run reduced schedules, and the cultural attractions (the Museu dos Baleeiros on Pico, the museums in Angra) become the primary indoor activities
- ↓Inter-island travel disruptions are frequent — the November storm season brings regular ferry suspension and small aircraft delays
How November compares to May (best month)
| Factor | November | May ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 3 | 7 |
| Value | 9 | 7 |
| Crowds | 9 | 7 |
November in other destinations
Lisbon (16.8°C)Barcelona (16.5°C)Tokyo (16.6°C)Bali (30.8°C)Santorini (17.5°C)Paris (10.5°C)New York (11°C)Marrakech (21.3°C)Amsterdam (9.2°C)Maldives (30°C)Rome (15.5°C)Bangkok (30.2°C)Istanbul (13.8°C)Vienna (7.8°C)Seoul (10.4°C)Dubrovnik (15.4°C)Rio de Janeiro (28.8°C)Kyoto (16.9°C)Phuket (31.7°C)Cape Town (23.7°C)Prague (7°C)Amalfi Coast (16°C)Mexico City (22°C)Medellín (27°C)Fiji (29°C)London (11°C)Sydney (24°C)Iceland (4°C)Tulum (29°C)Dubai (29°C)Singapore (31°C)Hoi An (27°C)Chiang Mai (29°C)Miami (27.2°C)Florence (13.6°C)Queenstown (18.5°C)Madrid (13°C)Porto (17°C)Edinburgh (9°C)Copenhagen (8°C)Budapest (9°C)Kraków (6°C)Tbilisi (11°C)Palawan (30°C)Hanoi (25°C)Osaka (16°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (21°C)Buenos Aires (26°C)Mykonos (17°C)Zanzibar (30°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (29°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (18°C)Seville (18°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (29°C)Havana (27°C)Split (15°C)Taipei (23°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (20°C)Ho Chi Minh City (32°C)Hawaii (28°C)Cappadocia (12°C)Dominican Republic (29°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (26°C)Seychelles (29°C)Nepal (21°C)Jordan (19°C)Bora Bora (29°C)Los Angeles (22.1°C)Cairo (25.3°C)Kenya (25.8°C)Jaipur (27.8°C)Las Vegas (20.5°C)San Francisco (16.5°C)Madeira (21.5°C)Vancouver (9.2°C)Muscat (31.2°C)Lima (21.5°C)Cinque Terre (15°C)Kotor (15°C)Tel Aviv (22°C)Santiago (26°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (9.4°C)Penang (30.8°C)Lombok (31.2°C)Cape Verde (27.5°C)Fez (19.8°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (23°C)Oslo (5°C)Auckland (20°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Azores, not across destinations. Methodology →