Town · Azores, Portugal · 38.60°N 27.98°W
Ribeira Seca (Calheta), Azores
Ribeira Seca is a town of 1,025 people in the Azores, with January highs of 15°C, no days a year above 35°C, a hospital 57.3 km from the centre and São Jorge Airport (SJZ) 18 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 Ribeira Seca suits
Generated from the data below by published rulesGood fit for
- Winter-sun seekers15°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 rain138 rainy days a year
Climate comfort
61/ 100
Top 29% 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
12/ 100
Rank 779 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
24/ 100
Rank 727 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
Ribeira Seca compared with Porto
Pick another town in Portugal to see the differences in plain terms.
- 2°C warmer in JanuaryAverage January highRibeira Seca 15°CPorto 13°C
- 4°C cooler in JulyAverage July highRibeira Seca 22°CPorto 26°C
- 19 more rainy days a yearDays with rain per yearRibeira Seca 138Porto 119
- 1 fewer very hot day a yearDays above 35°C per yearRibeira Seca 0Porto 1.0
- 16 min more daylight in DecemberDaylight on 21 DecemberRibeira Seca 9 h 28 minPorto 9 h 12 min
Housing & costs
Official · INE Portugal, EurostatAt these medians, a 70 m² home costs about €51,000 to buy.
Ribeira Seca is in the municipality of Calheta (R.A.A.). Rents, prices and crime are published for each municipality as a whole, not for single towns. Municipalities with too few new leases get no rent figure.
Climate today
Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis 1991-2020Month by month
Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis 1991-2020August is the warmest month (23°C average high) and February the coolest (15°C). December is the wettest (131 mm) and July the driest (29 mm).
Best time to visit
- Walking and cyclingJune to JulyBy the published month rules
- Not ideal for reliable dry weatherSeptember to AprilBy the published month rules
- Sea at 20°C or warmer ModelledJuly to OctoberOpen sea nearby, monthly average
- JanuaryAir 15°Sea 16°15 rain daysCrowds: Low
- FebruaryAir 15°Sea 16°13 rain daysCrowds: Low
- MarchAir 15°Sea 16°14 rain daysCrowds: Low
- AprilAir 16°Sea 16°12 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- MayAir 17°Sea 17°9 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- JuneAir 19°Sea 19°7 rain daysCrowds: High
- JulyAir 22°Sea 21°5 rain daysCrowds: Peak
- AugustAir 23°Sea 23°8 rain daysCrowds: Peak
- SeptemberAir 22°Sea 22°11 rain daysCrowds: High
- OctoberAir 20°Sea 21°15 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- NovemberAir 18°Sea 19°13 rain daysCrowds: Low
- DecemberAir 16°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 stores1
- Pharmacies0
- Doctors & clinics0
30 min by car
- Hospitals0
- Sea beaches2
- People6,778
60 min by car
- Towns over 10,0000
- Hospitals0
- Sea beaches2
- People6,778
- Nearest train stationNone within 60 km
- Nearest bus station54 km
- Nearest hospitalHospital da Horta57 km · 155 min by car
- Nearest airport with scheduled flightsSão Jorge Airport (SJZ)18 km · 22 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
- 1Grocery 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 | Ribeira Seca | Median town in Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Born in another EU country | 0.5% | 1.6% |
| Born outside the EU | 5.5% | 5.5% |
| Moved here from abroad in the past year | 1.0% | 1.1% |
6.0% 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 (831 residents counted).
Environment & natural hazards
- Earthquakes12 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 Ribeira Seca
Matched on climate, amenities and access
- BiscoitosAzores89% match
- Santa BárbaraAzores88% match
- São Bartolomeu (Azores)Azores88% match
- FeteiraAzores88% match
- RibeirinhaAzores87% 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 and Distance to the nearest airport with scheduled flights. A match of 100% would mean the same values on every one.
Common questions about Ribeira Seca
What is the weather like in Ribeira Seca through the year?
January averages a high of 15°C and a low of 14°C; July averages 22°C and 19°C. There are about 138 days with rain a year. These are averages for 1991-2020.
How many very hot days does Ribeira Seca get?
Ribeira Seca had no days above 35°C in 2016-2025, nor in 1991-2000.
Does it freeze in Ribeira Seca?
Ribeira Seca averaged no frost days a year in 2016-2025.
What is within walking distance of the centre of Ribeira Seca?
Within 1.2 km of the centre there are 1 grocery store, no pharmacies, no doctors and clinics and no cafés. In a straight line, the nearest bus station is 54 km away, the nearest hospital is 57 km away, the nearest beach is 4.6 km away and the nearest coastline is 0.6 km away.
What is the nearest airport to Ribeira Seca?
São Jorge Airport (SJZ), 18 km from the centre in a straight line.
How much daylight does Ribeira Seca get in winter?
9 h 28 min on 21 December, against 14 h 52 min on 21 June.
When is the best time to visit Ribeira Seca?
By the published month rules: walking and cycling from June to July.
Is the sea warm enough to swim in Ribeira Seca?
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 Ribeira Seca?
Homes sold for €731/m² (2026 Q2, median of the last 12 months), about €51,000 for 70 m². These are figures for the municipality of Calheta (R.A.A.) as a whole.
Who is Ribeira Seca 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 Ribeira Seca 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 |