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Visiting Olhao in March

BySunMed Guide

Visiting Olhao in March

# Olhão in March: What It’s Actually Like

Look, March in Olhão is genuinely a bit of a gamble, and that’s kind of the point.

The weather sits in that frustrating middle ground where nobody can really promise you anything. Temperatures hover somewhere between 13 and 18 degrees on most days, which sounds reasonable until you’re sitting outside a café in a sea breeze wondering why you didn’t pack a proper jacket. Rain is possible, sometimes persistently so, sometimes barely at all. You genuinely won’t know what kind of March you’re getting until you’re in it.

What you will get is a town that actually belongs to its residents. The famous covered markets are open and functioning as actual markets rather than tourist attractions people perform shopping in. The fishing boats are working. The cubist white buildings and rooftop terraces make more sense when the streets aren’t choked with summer visitors, because you can actually stop and look at things without somebody’s rolling suitcase hitting your ankles.

The ferry connections to Armona and Culatra islands are running reduced winter schedules, so check those carefully before you plan a day around them. Most restaurants are open, though a few smaller places take late winter breaks, particularly in the first couple of weeks. Nothing feels shuttered in that sad, fully-closed seaside way – this isn’t a ghost town in low season. It’s just quieter.

Is it worth visiting? If you want beaches and guaranteed swimming, absolutely not yet – the water is cold and the vibe isn’t there. But if you want to understand why people fall properly in love with the Algarve’s less showy eastern end, March is actually excellent. You see Olhão doing its actual job, not its performance.

This is a trip for people who like markets, seafood lunches that go on too long, and wandering without an agenda.

**Practical tip:** Book accommodation but don’t overplan your days. The best thing about March here is the flexibility, and you’ll want to follow the sunshine when it appears rather than honour a rigid itinerary.

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