Town · Azores, Portugal · 37.77°N 25.70°W

Arrifes, Portugal

Arrifes is a town of 6,981 people in the Azores, with January highs of 15°C, no days a year above 35°C, a hospital 2.2 km from the centre and João Paulo II Airport (PDL) 3 km away.

Updated 1 November 2026 · 10 of 10 core measures available · 15 open datasets · How we calculate this

Weather now

Normal for November, 1991-2020

17°high · low 15°C · 14 rain days

Photo taken in "the western end of the island, home to the Sete Cidades volcano and caldera lake. The whole island is very agricultural (mostly dairy farming). This is looking northeast, just as the m
Photo: Tim Sackton, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Good fit for

  • Winter-sun seekers
    15°C January highs and no frost days
  • People who dislike heat
    22°C July highs and no days a year above 35°C

Weaker fit for

  • Anyone who dislikes rain
    155 rainy days a year

What makes Arrifes stand out

A fact appears when a town ranks first for a measure in Portugal, in its region, or among towns of similar size there.

Climate comfort

60/ 100

Top 33% in Portugal

Based on: Average January high, Days above 35°C a year in the last ten years, Days with rain a year, Tropical nights a year in the last ten years, Frost days a year in the last ten years

Car-free living

43/ 100

Rank 468 of 790 in Portugal

Based on: Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Pharmacies within a 15-minute walk, Cafés within a 15-minute walk, Distance to the nearest train station, Distance to the nearest bus station

Built on 75% of its inputs; the rest are not published for this town.

Access to services

68/ 100

Top 24% in Portugal

Based on: Distance to the nearest hospital, Distance to the nearest airport with scheduled flights, Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Doctors and clinics within a 15-minute walk, Schools within a 15-minute walk

How precise is each number?Town-levelmeasured or computed for this townModelledestimated from a grid or a modelRegionalonly available for the wider area

Arrifes compared with Porto

Pick another town in Portugal to see the differences in plain terms.

  • 2°C warmer in JanuaryAverage January highArrifes 15°CPorto 13°C
  • 4°C cooler in JulyAverage July highArrifes 22°CPorto 26°C
  • 36 more rainy days a yearDays with rain per yearArrifes 155Porto 119
  • 1 fewer very hot day a yearDays above 35°C per yearArrifes 0Porto 1.0
  • 21 min more daylight in DecemberDaylight on 21 DecemberArrifes 9 h 33 minPorto 9 h 12 min

Housing & costs

Official · INE Portugal, Eurostat
Median rent €6.08/m²Per month, 2024, new leases · Portugal €7.97/m²
Sale price €2,083/m²2026 Q2, median of the last 12 months · Portugal €2,264/m²
Price change, 5 years +73%Since 2021 Q2 · Portugal +86%
Crimes per 1,000 residents 43.8Recorded by the police in 2025 · Portugal 32.0
Price level, Portugal 85EU average = 100 (whole country, 2024)

At these medians, a 70 m² home costs about €430 a month to rent and about €146,000 to buy.

Arrifes is in the municipality of Ponta Delgada. Rents, prices and crime are published for each municipality as a whole, not for single towns.

Climate today

Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis 1991-2020
Average daily high (°C)Average daily low (°C)
Days with rain 1551 mm or more, per year
Tropical nights 40Nights staying above 20°C, 2016-2025
Feels 32°C or hotter 0Days a year when heat and humidity feel like 32°C or more, 2016-2025
Daylight on 21 Dec 9 h 33 min14 h 47 min on 21 Jun
Sea temperature Modelled16 to 23°CMarch to August, open sea nearby
Windy days 139Hourly wind of 30 km/h or more, per year, 2016-2025
Wettest month Dec166 mm on average
Frost days 0Below 0°C, per year, 2016-2025
Days above 35°C 0Per year, 2016-2025

Month by month

Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis 1991-2020

August is the warmest month (23°C average high) and February the coolest (15°C). December is the wettest (166 mm) and July the driest (29 mm).

Best time to visit

  • Not ideal for reliable dry weatherSeptember to MayBy the published month rules
  • Sea at 20°C or warmer ModelledJuly to OctoberOpen sea nearby, monthly average
  • JanuaryAir 15°Sea 16°16 rain daysCrowds: Low
  • FebruaryAir 15°Sea 16°13 rain daysCrowds: Low
  • MarchAir 15°Sea 16°14 rain daysCrowds: Low
  • AprilAir 16°Sea 16°13 rain daysCrowds: Medium
  • MayAir 17°Sea 17°12 rain daysCrowds: Medium
  • JuneAir 19°Sea 19°9 rain daysCrowds: High
  • JulyAir 22°Sea 21°7 rain daysCrowds: Peak
  • AugustAir 23°Sea 23°9 rain daysCrowds: Peak
  • SeptemberAir 22°Sea 22°13 rain daysCrowds: High
  • OctoberAir 20°Sea 21°17 rain daysCrowds: Medium
  • NovemberAir 17°Sea 19°14 rain daysCrowds: Low
  • DecemberAir 16°Sea 17°17 rain daysCrowds: Low

Crowd levels are for the Azores as a whole: nights booked through online platforms in 2025, against the region's busiest month (Eurostat).

Each month links to its own page with temperatures, rain and daylight.

Is it getting hotter?

Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis

Days above 35°C per year

1991-20000 days
2016-20250 days

Both measured periods come from the same reanalysis as the climate section. The bars run to 10 days.

Healthcare & getting around

Town-level · straight-line distances

Within 1.2 km of the centre

  • Grocery stores3
  • Pharmacies1
  • Doctors & clinics1

30 min by car

  • Hospitals3
  • Sea beaches18
  • People91,195

60 min by car

  • Towns over 10,0002
  • Hospitals4
  • Sea beaches34
  • People103,762
  • Nearest train stationNone within 60 km
  • Nearest bus stationEstação da Ribeira Grande7.4 km
  • Nearest hospitalCasa de Saúde Nossa Senhora da Conceição2.2 km · 6 min by car
  • Nearest airport with scheduled flightsJoão Paulo II Airport (PDL)2.8 km · 8 min by car

Distances are straight lines from the town centre. Drive times are by road in free-flowing traffic (OSRM on OpenStreetMap roads); people counts add up the towns reached.

Daily life

Town-level · Overture Maps places, 2026-10-21.0

Within 1.2 km of the centre

  • 3Grocery stores & supermarketsPortugal median: 3
  • 1PharmaciesPortugal median: 1
  • 6CafésPortugal median: 4
  • 3RestaurantsPortugal median: 9
  • 1BakeriesPortugal median: 2
  • 0Gyms & fitness studiosPortugal median: 1
  • 1SchoolsPortugal median: 2
  • 1Doctors & clinicsPortugal median: 1

Nature & surroundings

Town-level · WorldCover, Copernicus DEM, Natura 2000, OpenStreetMap
Parks within 1.2 km 1Portugal median: 0
Nearest sea beach 6.3 kmPraia das Milícias
Distance to the coast 2.4 kmStraight line from the town centre
Tree cover within 1.2 km 19%Portugal town median: 29%
Terrain Gently slopingAverage slope 5%; 613 m between the lowest and highest land within 5 km
Protected nature 16 kmCaloura-Ponta da Galera - Ilha de São Miguel (Natura 2000)

People & community

Modelled · EU Census 2021 grid
Population 6,981Town figure from GeoNames
Population change since 2013 +3%Municipality of Ponta Delgada · Portugal +7% (official estimates)
Age structure
Arrifes
Median town in Portugal

Under 1515 to 6465 and over

International residents

Share of residentsArrifesMedian town in Portugal
Born in another EU country0.2%1.6%
Born outside the EU1.6%5.5%
Moved here from abroad in the past year0.4%1.1%

1.8% of residents were born abroad, against 7.1% in the median town in Portugal (2021 census). From the 1 km census grid cells within 1.5 km of the centre (6,473 residents counted).

Environment & natural hazards

  • Earthquakes13 since 1900Magnitude 5 or larger within 100 km. Largest: M5.9.Town-level · USGS earthquake catalog
  • WildfireNone nearbyNo fire of 30 ha or more burnt within 10 km of the centre in 2016-2025.Town-level · EFFIS

Places like Arrifes

Matched on climate, amenities and access

Measures used: Average January high, Average July high, Days above 35°C a year in the last ten years, Days with rain a year, Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Cafés within a 15-minute walk and Distance to the nearest airport with scheduled flights. A match of 100% would mean the same values on every one.

Common questions about Arrifes

What is the weather like in Arrifes through the year?

January averages a high of 15°C and a low of 13°C; July averages 22°C and 19°C. There are about 155 days with rain a year. These are averages for 1991-2020.

How many very hot days does Arrifes get?

Arrifes had no days above 35°C in 2016-2025, nor in 1991-2000.

Does it freeze in Arrifes?

Arrifes averaged no frost days a year in 2016-2025.

What is within walking distance of the centre of Arrifes?

Within 1.2 km of the centre there are 3 grocery stores, 1 pharmacy, 1 doctor or clinic and 6 cafés. In a straight line, the nearest bus station is 7.4 km away, the nearest hospital is 2.2 km away, the nearest beach is 6.3 km away and the nearest coastline is 2.4 km away.

What is the nearest airport to Arrifes?

João Paulo II Airport (PDL), 2.8 km from the centre in a straight line.

How much daylight does Arrifes get in winter?

9 h 33 min on 21 December, against 14 h 47 min on 21 June.

Is the sea warm enough to swim in Arrifes?

The open sea nearby averages 20°C or more from July to October, warmest in August at about 23°C. Beaches can be a degree or two warmer.

How much does a home cost in Arrifes?

The median rent was €6.08/m² a month (2024, new leases), about €430 for 70 m². Homes sold for €2,083/m² (2026 Q2, median of the last 12 months), about €146,000 for 70 m². These are figures for the municipality of Ponta Delgada as a whole.

Who is Arrifes a good fit for?

By the published rules: winter-sun seekers (15°C January highs and no frost days); people who dislike heat (22°C July highs and no days a year above 35°C).

Sources & methodology

Every value comes from one of the open datasets below and is computed the same way for every town. Each section names how precise its values are: town-level, modelled or regional. Distances are straight lines from the town centre, and amenities are counted within 1.2 km of it. Read the full methodology.

"Who Arrifes suits" lines come from fixed rules applied to every town in the same way. A rule only uses values that are modelled or better, and each line shows the numbers that triggered it. How the rules work.

DatasetUsed forVersionLicence
Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (30 m elevation)Elevationglo30_s120Copernicus DEM licence (free for any use, with attribution)
Burnt areas (European Forest Fire Information System, EFFIS)Wildfires2016-2025CC BY 4.0
ERA5 monthly sea surface temperature (Copernicus Climate Data Store)Sea temperaturemonthly_1991-2020CC BY 4.0
ERA5-Land reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Data Store)Climatepoints_1991-2025CC BY 4.0
ESA WorldCover 2021 (10 m land cover)Land coverv200_2021CC BY 4.0
EU Census 2021 population grid (Eurostat)Census gridV3Free reuse with acknowledgement (European Commission reuse policy)
Nights spent in short-stay accommodation booked through online platforms (Eurostat tour_ce_omn12)Crowds2026-11-01CC BY 4.0
Price level indices (Eurostat prc_ppp_ind)Price level2026-11-01CC BY 4.0
GeoNamesPlace names and populations2026-10-31CC BY 4.0
INE Portugal (local statistics on rents, house prices, crime and population)Rents, house prices, crime and population2026-11-01CC BY 4.0
Natura 2000 protected sites (EEA, end 2024)Protected areasend2024CC BY 4.0
OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik extracts)Stations, hospitals, beaches, coastline2026-10-31ODbL 1.0
OurAirportsAirports2026-10-31Public domain
Overture Maps placesAmenities2026-10-21.0CDLA-Permissive-2.0
USGS earthquake catalog (ComCat)Earthquakes2026-10-31Public domain