Town · Alentejo, Portugal · 37.80°N 8.67°W
Cercal, Portugal
Cercal is a town of 3,772 people in the Alentejo, with January highs of 14°C, 3 days a year above 35°C, a hospital 24.2 km from the centre and Portimão Airport (PRM) 73 km away.
Weather now
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0)
Normal for November, 1991-2020
17°high · low 11°C · 9 rain days
Who Cercal suits
Generated from the data below by published rulesGood fit for
- People who dislike heat28°C July highs and 3 days a year above 35°C
Weaker fit for
Nothing stands out as a weaker fit.
Climate comfort
69/ 100
Top 17% 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
46/ 100
Rank 437 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
Access to services
24/ 100
Rank 726 of 800 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
Cercal compared with Porto
Pick another town in Portugal to see the differences in plain terms.
- 1°C warmer in JanuaryAverage January highCercal 14°CPorto 13°C
- 2°C hotter in JulyAverage July highCercal 28°CPorto 26°C
- 41 fewer rainy days a yearDays with rain per yearCercal 78Porto 119
- 2 more very hot days a yearDays above 35°C per yearCercal 2.7Porto 1.0
- 21 min more daylight in DecemberDaylight on 21 DecemberCercal 9 h 33 minPorto 9 h 12 min
Housing & costs
Official · INE Portugal, EurostatAt these medians, a 70 m² home costs about €600 a month to rent and about €153,000 to buy.
Cercal is in the municipality of Santiago do Cacém. 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 (28°C average high) and January the coolest (14°C). December is the wettest (76 mm) and July the driest (3 mm).
Best time to visit
- Walking and cyclingJune and SeptemberBy the published month rules
- Warm and quiet RegionalMay and OctoberHighs of 20°C or more and low crowds in the region
- JanuaryAir 14°9 rain daysCrowds: Low
- FebruaryAir 15°8 rain daysCrowds: Low
- MarchAir 18°9 rain daysCrowds: Low
- AprilAir 19°9 rain daysCrowds: Low
- MayAir 22°7 rain daysCrowds: Low
- JuneAir 25°2 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- JulyAir 28°1 rain dayCrowds: High
- AugustAir 28°1 rain dayCrowds: Peak
- SeptemberAir 26°4 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- OctoberAir 22°9 rain daysCrowds: Low
- NovemberAir 17°9 rain daysCrowds: Low
- DecemberAir 15°10 rain daysCrowds: Low
Crowd levels are for the Alentejo 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 stores2
- Pharmacies1
- Doctors & clinics1
- Train stationNo
30 min by car
- Hospitals0
- Sea beaches63
- People27,187
60 min by car
- Towns over 10,0003
- Hospitals2
- Sea beaches99
- People80,474
- Nearest train stationAmoreiras - Odemira26 km
- Nearest bus stationTerminal Rodoviário de Cercal do Alentejo0.2 km
- Nearest hospitalHospital CUF Sines24 km · 30 min by car
- Nearest airport with scheduled flightsPortimão Airport (PRM)73 km · 101 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
- 2Grocery stores & supermarketsPortugal median: 3
- 1PharmaciesPortugal median: 1
- 3CafésPortugal median: 4
- 7RestaurantsPortugal median: 9
- 1BakeriesPortugal median: 2
- 0Gyms & fitness studiosPortugal median: 1
- 0SchoolsPortugal median: 2
- 1Doctors & 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 | Cercal | Median town in Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Born in another EU country | 1.5% | 1.6% |
| Born outside the EU | 3.0% | 5.5% |
| Moved here from abroad in the past year | 0.7% | 1.1% |
4.5% 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 (2,084 residents counted).
Environment & natural hazards
- Earthquakes1 since 1900Magnitude 5 or larger within 100 km. Largest: M5.0.Town-level · USGS earthquake catalog
- Air quality6.0 µg/m³Average fine particles (PM2.5) at the centre in 2023. The WHO guideline for the yearly average is 5 µg/m³.Modelled · EEA
- WildfireNone nearbyNo fire of 30 ha or more burnt within 10 km of the centre in 2016-2025.Town-level · EFFIS
Places like Cercal
Matched on climate, amenities, nearest and access
- São LuisAlentejo83% match
- Zambujeira do MarAlentejo73% match
- Santiago do CacémAlentejo73% match
- Boavista dos PinheirosAlentejo71% match
- AlcanedeOeste e Vale do Tejo70% match
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, Distance to the nearest train station and Distance to the nearest airport with scheduled flights. A match of 100% would mean the same values on every one.
Common questions about Cercal
What is the weather like in Cercal through the year?
January averages a high of 14°C and a low of 8°C; July averages 28°C and 17°C. There are about 78 days with rain a year. These are averages for 1991-2020.
How many very hot days does Cercal get?
Cercal averaged 2.7 days a year above 35°C in 2016-2025, against 1.6 a year in 1991-2000.
Does it freeze in Cercal?
Cercal averaged no frost days a year in 2016-2025.
What is within walking distance of the centre of Cercal?
Within 1.2 km of the centre there are 2 grocery stores, 1 pharmacy, 1 doctor or clinic and 3 cafés. In a straight line, the nearest train station is 26 km away, the nearest bus station is 0.2 km away, the nearest hospital is 24 km away, the nearest beach is 11 km away and the nearest coastline is 11 km away.
What is the nearest airport to Cercal?
Portimão Airport (PRM), 73 km from the centre in a straight line.
How much daylight does Cercal get in winter?
9 h 33 min on 21 December, against 14 h 47 min on 21 June.
When is the best time to visit Cercal?
By the published month rules: walking and cycling from June and September.
How much does a home cost in Cercal?
The median rent was €8.59/m² a month (2024, new leases), about €600 for 70 m². Homes sold for €2,184/m² (2026 Q2, median of the last 12 months), about €153,000 for 70 m². These are figures for the municipality of Santiago do Cacém as a whole.
Who is Cercal a good fit for?
By the published rules: people who dislike heat (28°C July highs and 3 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 Cercal 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) |
| PM2.5, European air quality data (EEA, interpolated 1 km map) | Air quality | pm25_2023 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Burnt areas (European Forest Fire Information System, EFFIS) | Wildfires | 2016-2025 | 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 |
| TEMIS UV index climatology (KNMI / ESA) | UV index | v2.0_clim_2004-2020 | Free use with credit; TEMIS asks to be told how the data is used |
| USGS earthquake catalog (ComCat) | Earthquakes | 2026-10-31 | Public domain |