Lisbon in Spring: Why April and May Are the Best Months to Visit

I arrived in Lisbon in April and I think this is why I stayed. The city in spring is a different proposition from the city in summer: cooler, less crowded, the streets still belonging to the people who live on them. The jacaranda trees on the Avenida da Liberdade and along the waterfront bloom purple in May and the effect is genuinely startling if you have not seen it before.

April temperatures sit between 16 and 22 degrees. Warm enough for a terrace, cool enough to walk the hills without suffering. The tourist infrastructure is running but not yet overwhelmed. You can get a table at a good restaurant without booking three weeks ahead. The miradouros have people on them but not crowds.

What happens specifically in spring: the Lisbon Book Fair (feiradolivro.pt) in Parque Eduardo VII runs in late May and early June — the biggest book fair in Portugal, outdoor, free entry, with readings, signings and the specific pleasure of browsing Portuguese publishers you have never heard of. The Pavan music festival runs outdoor stages across the city in May. The LX Factory (lxfactory.com) Sunday market is at its best in spring before the summer crowds arrive.

If you are deciding when to come: April or May over July or August, without qualification. September or October if spring does not work. The city belongs to its inhabitants in those months in a way that July does not allow.