The 2021 Annual Global Retirement Index from International Living (IL) assessed temperatures, rainfall and humidity in their report while also rating comfort levels for destinations based on the experiences of people living in the country.

The Annual Global Retirement Index placed Portugal at number five when looking at all the different factors but Portugal has come out on top when it comes to climate for retirees.

According to the report: “What Portugal lacks in size it makes up for in its variety of weather that changes with just a short drive. When we lived on the outskirts of Caldas da Rainha, on the Silver Coast we merely had to drive ten minutes to see the change. And when we drove three-hours south to the Algarve, the cool 65F degree temperature at our house changed to a balmy 85F”.

The report also notes that the coldest part of the country is along the northern coast of Portugal, from the Spanish border down to the city of Porto and while snow is not common in most of Portugal, you can find it during the ski season in the mountain range of Serra de Estrela.

“The centre of Portugal includes the city of Caldas da Rainha on the Silver Coast to the capital city of Lisbon. Summers tend to stay cool here with daytime highs reaching only into the 70’s to low 80’s. The rain begins in the fall when temperatures drop into the 60’s and 70’s. Winters are chilly but when the sun comes out the daytime temperatures can be a delightful 50 to 60 degrees”.

Those looking for the warmest weather only need to head south to the Algarve and Alentejo for some summer heat: “The famed Algarve region boasts of having over 300 days of sunshine per year. Summer temperatures are hot and dry with twelve hours or more of sunshine daily. Temperatures range from 80 to the 90’s during the day and cool off into the 70’s at night. During the winter this is the mildest part of Portugal with cool temperatures dropping only into the 40’s at night then rising in the daytime to the mid 60’s”.

Portugal managed to beat off stiff competition from around the world for the title of the best place to retire to due to climate. In fifth place in the IL rankings is Mexico, due to the country’s varied topography, as it has one of the world’s most diverse weather systems. In second place in the list is Columbia, Ecuador and Peru.

While the climates around the world were able to offer something for retirees, it was Portugal though that came out on top overall. The report concludes: “So, whether you are a warm or cold weather person there is something for everyone here in Portugal”.