Town · Norte, Portugal · 41.69°N 8.83°W
Viana do Castelo, Portugal
Viana do Castelo is a town of 36,148 people in Norte, with January highs of 13°C, no days a year above 35°C, a hospital 0.4 km from the centre and Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) 51 km away.
Weather now
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0)
Normal for November, 1991-2020
16°high · low 10°C · 15 rain days
Who Viana do Castelo suits
Generated from the data below by published rulesGood fit for
- Car-light living21 grocery stores within a 15-minute walk and public transport close by
- Beach loversA beach 1.1 km from the centre
- People who dislike heat24°C July highs and no days a year above 35°C
Weaker fit for
- Anyone who dislikes rain133 rainy days a year
What makes Viana do Castelo stand out
- Viana do Castelo has the fewest days above 35°C in Norte among towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people (0 a year).
- Viana do Castelo has the coolest July afternoons in Norte among towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people (23.7°C).
- Viana do Castelo has the mildest January nights in Norte among towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people (6.9°C).
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
55/ 100
Top 39% 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
Car-free living
97/ 100
Top 1% 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
82/ 100
Top 10% 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
Viana do Castelo compared with Porto
Pick another town in Portugal to see the differences in plain terms.
- Same January warmthAverage January highViana do Castelo 13°CPorto 13°C
- 2°C cooler in JulyAverage July highViana do Castelo 24°CPorto 26°C
- 14 more rainy days a yearDays with rain per yearViana do Castelo 133Porto 119
- 1 fewer very hot day a yearDays above 35°C per yearViana do Castelo 0Porto 1.0
- 3 min less daylight in DecemberDaylight on 21 DecemberViana do Castelo 9 h 09 minPorto 9 h 12 min
Housing & costs
Official · INE Portugal, EurostatAt these medians, a 70 m² home costs about €490 a month to rent and about €136,000 to buy.
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 January the coolest (13°C). November is the wettest (233 mm) and July the driest (33 mm).
Best time to visit
- Walking and cyclingJuly to AugustBy the published month rules
- Not ideal for reliable dry weatherOctober to MayBy the published month rules
- Not ideal for warm-weather holidaysJanuaryBy the published month rules
- JanuaryAir 13°Sea 14°15 rain daysCrowds: Low
- FebruaryAir 14°Sea 13°11 rain daysCrowds: Low
- MarchAir 16°Sea 13°12 rain daysCrowds: Low
- AprilAir 17°Sea 14°14 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- MayAir 19°Sea 15°13 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- JuneAir 22°Sea 16°8 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- JulyAir 24°Sea 17°5 rain daysCrowds: High
- AugustAir 24°Sea 17°6 rain daysCrowds: Peak
- SeptemberAir 22°Sea 17°8 rain daysCrowds: High
- OctoberAir 19°Sea 17°14 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- NovemberAir 16°Sea 16°15 rain daysCrowds: Low
- DecemberAir 14°Sea 14°15 rain daysCrowds: Low
Crowd levels are for Norte 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 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 stores21
- Pharmacies7
- Doctors & clinics8
- Train stationYes, 0.3 km
30 min by car
- Hospitals9
- Sea beaches55
- People167,752
60 min by car
- Towns over 10,00039
- Hospitals54
- Sea beaches141
- People1,739,739
- Nearest train stationViana do Castelo0.3 km
- Nearest bus stationTerminal de Viana do Castelo0.2 km
- Nearest hospitalHospital de Santa Luzia0.4 km · 1 min by car
- Nearest airport with scheduled flightsFrancisco de Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO)51 km · 45 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
- 21Grocery stores & supermarketsPortugal median: 3
- 7PharmaciesPortugal median: 1
- 41CafésPortugal median: 4
- 116RestaurantsPortugal median: 9
- 26BakeriesPortugal median: 2
- 13Gyms & fitness studiosPortugal median: 1
- 22SchoolsPortugal median: 2
- 8Doctors & 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 | Viana do Castelo | Median town in Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Born in another EU country | 3.1% | 1.6% |
| Born outside the EU | 10.3% | 5.5% |
| Moved here from abroad in the past year | 2.8% | 1.1% |
13.4% 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 (10,400 residents counted).
Environment & natural hazards
- EarthquakesNone since 1900No earthquakes of magnitude 5 or larger recorded within 100 km since 1900.Town-level · USGS earthquake catalog
- Air quality7.4 µg/m³Average fine particles (PM2.5) at the centre in 2023. The WHO guideline for the yearly average is 5 µg/m³.Modelled · EEA
- Wildfire3 of 10 yearsYears with a fire of 30 ha or more within 10 km of the centre, 2016-2025; 2,990 ha burnt by those fires.Town-level · EFFIS
Places like Viana do Castelo
Matched on climate, amenities, nearest and access
- BarcelosNorte71% match
- Vila Nova de FamalicãoNorte66% match
- GuimarãesNorte62% match
- EspinhoNorte62% match
- Alto da MaiaNorte62% 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, Distance to the nearest train station and Nearest airport with scheduled flights. A match of 100% would mean the same values on every one.
Common questions about Viana do Castelo
What is the weather like in Viana do Castelo through the year?
January averages a high of 13°C and a low of 7°C; July averages 24°C and 16°C. There are about 133 days with rain a year. These are averages for 1991-2020.
How many very hot days does Viana do Castelo get?
Viana do Castelo had no days above 35°C in 2016-2025, nor in 1991-2000.
Does it freeze in Viana do Castelo?
Viana do Castelo averaged fewer than one frost day a year (below 0°C) in 2016-2025.
What is within walking distance of the centre of Viana do Castelo?
Within 1.2 km of the centre there are 21 grocery stores, 7 pharmacies, 8 doctors and clinics and 41 cafés. In a straight line, the nearest train station is 0.3 km away, the nearest bus station is 0.2 km away, the nearest hospital is 0.4 km away, the nearest beach is 1.1 km away and the nearest coastline is 1.2 km away.
What is the nearest airport to Viana do Castelo?
Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO), 51 km from the centre in a straight line.
How much daylight does Viana do Castelo get in winter?
9 h 09 min on 21 December, against 15 h 13 min on 21 June.
When is the best time to visit Viana do Castelo?
By the published month rules: walking and cycling from July to August.
Is the sea warm enough to swim in Viana do Castelo?
The open sea nearby stays below 20°C on average all year; it is warmest in September, at about 17°C.
How much does a home cost in Viana do Castelo?
The median rent was €6.99/m² a month (2024, new leases), about €490 for 70 m². Homes sold for €1,938/m² (2026 Q2, median of the last 12 months), about €136,000 for 70 m². These are figures for the municipality of Viana do Castelo as a whole.
Who is Viana do Castelo a good fit for?
By the published rules: car-light living (21 grocery stores within a 15-minute walk and public transport close by); beach lovers (A beach 1.1 km from the centre); people who dislike heat (24°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 Viana do Castelo 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 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 |
| 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 |