Town · Azores, Portugal · 38.52°N 28.71°W
Castelo Branco, Azores
Castelo Branco is a town of 1,309 people in the Azores, with January highs of 16°C, no days a year above 35°C, a hospital 6.8 km from the centre and Horta Airport (HOR) 0 km away.
Weather now
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0)
Normal for November, 1991-2020
18°high · low 16°C · 13 rain days
Who Castelo Branco suits
Generated from the data below by published rulesGood fit for
- Winter-sun seekers16°C January highs and no frost days
- People who dislike heat22°C July highs and no days a year above 35°C
Weaker fit for
- Anyone who dislikes rain140 rainy days a year
Climate comfort
62/ 100
Top 28% in Portugal
Based on: Average January high, Days above 35°C a year, last ten years, Days with rain a year, Tropical nights a year, last ten years, Frost days a year, last ten years
Access to services
41/ 100
Rank 467 of 800 in Portugal
Based on: Distance to the nearest hospital, 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
Castelo Branco compared with Porto
Pick another town in Portugal to see the differences in plain terms.
- 3°C warmer in JanuaryAverage January highCastelo Branco 16°CPorto 13°C
- 4°C cooler in JulyAverage July highCastelo Branco 22°CPorto 26°C
- 21 more rainy days a yearDays with rain per yearCastelo Branco 140Porto 119
- 1 fewer very hot day a yearDays above 35°C per yearCastelo Branco 0Porto 1.0
- 17 min more daylight in DecemberDaylight on 21 DecemberCastelo Branco 9 h 29 minPorto 9 h 12 min
Housing & costs
Official · INE Portugal, EurostatAt these medians, a 70 m² home costs about €290 a month to rent and about €96,000 to buy.
Castelo Branco is in the municipality of Horta. Rents, prices and crime are published for each municipality as a whole, not for single towns.
Climate today
Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis 1991-2020Month by month
Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis 1991-2020August is the warmest month (24°C average high) and February the coolest (16°C). December is the wettest (124 mm) and July the driest (31 mm).
Best time to visit
- Walking and cyclingJulyBy the published month rules
- 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 16°Sea 16°14 rain daysCrowds: Low
- FebruaryAir 16°Sea 16°13 rain daysCrowds: Low
- MarchAir 16°Sea 16°14 rain daysCrowds: Low
- AprilAir 16°Sea 16°12 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- MayAir 18°Sea 17°10 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- JuneAir 20°Sea 19°8 rain daysCrowds: High
- JulyAir 22°Sea 22°6 rain daysCrowds: Peak
- AugustAir 24°Sea 23°8 rain daysCrowds: Peak
- SeptemberAir 23°Sea 23°12 rain daysCrowds: High
- OctoberAir 20°Sea 21°15 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- NovemberAir 18°Sea 19°13 rain daysCrowds: Low
- DecemberAir 17°Sea 17°16 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).
Is it getting hotter?
Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysisDays above 35°C per year
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 distancesWithin 1.2 km of the centre
- Grocery stores0
- Pharmacies0
- Doctors & clinics0
30 min by car
- Hospitals1
- Sea beaches16
- People15,497
60 min by car
- Towns over 10,0000
- Hospitals1
- Sea beaches17
- People21,633
- Nearest train stationNone within 60 km
- Nearest bus stationNone within 60 km
- Nearest hospitalHospital da Horta6.8 km · 10 min by car
- Nearest airport with scheduled flightsHorta Airport (HOR)0.3 km · 1 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, 2026-10-21.0Within 1.2 km of the centre
- 0Grocery stores & supermarketsPortugal median: 3
- 0PharmaciesPortugal median: 1
- 0CafésPortugal median: 4
- 1RestaurantsPortugal median: 9
- 0BakeriesPortugal median: 2
- 0Gyms & fitness studiosPortugal median: 1
- 0SchoolsPortugal median: 2
- 0Doctors & clinicsPortugal median: 1
Nature & surroundings
Town-level · WorldCover, Copernicus DEM, Natura 2000, OpenStreetMapPeople & community
Modelled · EU Census 2021 gridUnder 1515 to 6465 and over
International residents
| Share of residents | Castelo Branco | Median town in Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Born in another EU country | 0.7% | 1.6% |
| Born outside the EU | 1.9% | 5.5% |
| Moved here from abroad in the past year | 0.0% | 1.1% |
2.6% 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 (674 residents counted).
Environment & natural hazards
- Earthquakes18 since 1900Magnitude 5 or larger within 100 km. Largest: M6.7.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 Castelo Branco
Matched on climate, amenities and access
- VelasAzores91% match
- Ribeira Grande (Horta)Azores90% match
- MadalenaAzores86% match
- São Roque do PicoAzores85% match
- Lajes (Vila da Praia da Vitória)Azores85% match
Measures used: Average January high, Average July high, Days above 35°C a year, last ten years, Days with rain a year, Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Cafés within a 15-minute walk and Nearest airport with scheduled flights. A match of 100% would mean the same values on every one.
Common questions about Castelo Branco
What is the weather like in Castelo Branco through the year?
January averages a high of 16°C and a low of 14°C; July averages 22°C and 20°C. There are about 140 days with rain a year. These are averages for 1991-2020.
How many very hot days does Castelo Branco get?
Castelo Branco had no days above 35°C in 2016-2025, nor in 1991-2000.
Does it freeze in Castelo Branco?
Castelo Branco averaged no frost days a year in 2016-2025.
What is within walking distance of the centre of Castelo Branco?
Within 1.2 km of the centre there are no grocery stores, no pharmacies, no doctors and clinics and no cafés. In a straight line, the nearest hospital is 6.8 km away, the nearest beach is 3.4 km away and the nearest coastline is 0.5 km away.
What is the nearest airport to Castelo Branco?
Horta Airport (HOR), 0.3 km from the centre in a straight line.
How much daylight does Castelo Branco get in winter?
9 h 29 min on 21 December, against 14 h 52 min on 21 June.
When is the best time to visit Castelo Branco?
By the published month rules: walking and cycling from July.
Is the sea warm enough to swim in Castelo Branco?
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 Castelo Branco?
The median rent was €4.15/m² a month (2024, new leases), about €290 for 70 m². Homes sold for €1,370/m² (2026 Q2, median of the last 12 months), about €96,000 for 70 m². These are figures for the municipality of Horta as a whole.
Who is Castelo Branco a good fit for?
By the published rules: winter-sun seekers (16°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 Castelo Branco 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.
| Dataset | Used for | Version | Licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (30 m elevation) | Elevation | glo30_s120 | Copernicus DEM licence (free for any use, with attribution) |
| Burnt areas (European Forest Fire Information System, EFFIS) | Wildfires | 2016-2025 | CC BY 4.0 |
| ERA5 monthly sea surface temperature (Copernicus Climate Data Store) | Sea temperature | monthly_1991-2020 | CC BY 4.0 |
| ERA5-Land reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Data Store) | Climate | points_1991-2025 | CC BY 4.0 |
| ESA WorldCover 2021 (10 m land cover) | Land cover | v200_2021 | CC BY 4.0 |
| EU Census 2021 population grid (Eurostat) | Census grid | V3 | Free reuse with acknowledgement (European Commission reuse policy) |
| Nights spent in short-stay accommodation booked through online platforms (Eurostat tour_ce_omn12) | Crowds | 2026-11-01 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Price level indices (Eurostat prc_ppp_ind) | Price level | 2026-11-01 | CC BY 4.0 |
| GeoNames | Place names and populations | 2026-10-31 | CC BY 4.0 |
| INE Portugal (local statistics on rents, house prices, crime and population) | Rents, house prices, crime and population | 2026-11-01 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Natura 2000 protected sites (EEA, end 2024) | Protected areas | end2024 | CC BY 4.0 |
| OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik extracts) | Stations, hospitals, beaches, coastline | 2026-10-31 | ODbL 1.0 |
| OurAirports | Airports | 2026-10-31 | Public domain |
| Overture Maps places | Amenities | 2026-10-21.0 | CDLA-Permissive-2.0 |
| USGS earthquake catalog (ComCat) | Earthquakes | 2026-10-31 | Public domain |