Portugal public holidays 2027: the guide to turning 8 days of leave into 33 days off

Booked well, 8 days of leave are enough for 33 days off across 2027: four four-day weekends, three long weekends that cost not a single day of leave, and a week in December that is, without exaggeration, the best move of the year. 

Here you will find the full calendar, each long weekend in turn, the moveable dates of Easter and Carnival and, new this year, the municipal holidays of the main cities. Finally, there are specific destination ideas for every long weekend, because a well-placed day off deserves better than a day at home.

Public holidays 2027 at a glance

National holidays: 13 mandatory, plus Carnival, which is optional (the 9th of February).

On a weekend: 5 holidays lost.

Four-day weekends: Carnival, Corpus Christi (from the 27th to the 30th of May), Portugal Day (from the 10th to the 13th of June) and Republic Day on the 5th of October.

Best move of the year: from the 1st to the 8th of December, 8 days in a row for 4 days of leave.

Overall formula: 8 days of leave, 33 days off.

Public holidays 2027: what are the dates and which days do they fall on?

The table below lists Portugal’s national holidays in 2027, the day of the week each one falls on and what you can build around it. The pattern is clear: the year crowds its opportunities into May and June, then saves the best for last.

The cost of those five lost holidays is clearer by comparison: in years when Easter, Freedom Day or Christmas fall midweek, each is a break in its own right; in 2027, they land on days you would have off anyway. That is why you need to be strategic with your leave this year: there are fewer opportunities, and every one counts.

The best long weekends of 2027, one by one

Carnival: from the 6th to the 9th of February

Carnival 2027 falls on Tuesday the 9th of February. If you get the holiday, taking Monday the 8th off is enough for four days in a row, from Saturday the 6th to Tuesday the 9th. Carnival is optional, so confirm the day off well in advance: if your employer does not give it, the same window costs two days of leave and still pays off. It is the year’s first long weekend and its most festive. In Madeira, the Carnival festivities run from the 3rd to the 14th of February, with the float parade as the highlight and the cortejo trapalhão rounding off the celebrations in Funchal.

Corpus Christi: from the 27th to the 30th of May

Corpus Christi falls on Thursday the 27th of May 2027. Book Friday the 28th and you have a four-day weekend, from the 27th to the 30th of May, when the days are already long and the country is in pre-summer mode. It is the classic long weekend for kicking off the beach season in the south, or for a city break without the August crowds.

Portugal Day: from the 10th to the 13th of June

Portugal Day falls on Thursday the 10th of June 2027 and works the same way: add Friday the 11th and you get four days, from the 10th to the 13th of June. In Lisbon, Sunday the 13th is Santo António, so the long weekend runs straight into the city’s festivities. If you would rather get away from the noise, the rest of the country offers the first taste of summer.

Republic Day: from the 2nd to the 5th of October

Republic Day falls on Tuesday the 5th of October 2027. Take Monday the 4th off and you have the last long weekend of the calendar year, from Saturday the 2nd to Tuesday the 5th, with autumn at its golden best: the grape harvest in the Douro, a sea that is still warm in Algarve and cities back in the hands of the people who live there.

The December week: the best move of 2027

Here is the calendar’s best-kept secret: in 2027, the Restoration of Independence (the 1st of December) and the Immaculate Conception (the 8th of December) both fall on a Wednesday. Book just four days of leave (Thursday the 2nd, Friday the 3rd, Monday the 6th and Tuesday the 7th) and you get eight unbroken days off, from the 1st to the 8th of December. No other break this year gets you more time off per day of leave, and it comes just in time for the Christmas markets, in Portugal or abroad.

When are Easter and Carnival in 2027?

The year’s two big moveable dates go hand in hand, because both are worked out from the same moon. In 2027, Easter is on the 28th of March and Good Friday on the 26th of March. Carnival, forty-seven days before Easter, falls on the 9th of February, and Corpus Christi, sixty days after, closes the cycle on the 27th of May.

For families, Good Friday is the year’s consolation prize: since Easter always falls on a Sunday, the Friday holiday guarantees at least one three-day weekend, from the 26th to the 28th of March, without using any leave. School breaks stretch that window for anyone with children, a subject we cover in our 2026/2027 school calendar and in our suggestions for Easter holidays with the family.

Municipal holidays: what extra day off does your city get?

On top of the national holidays, every municipality has one of its own, which applies to people who work there, not to those who live there but work elsewhere. In 2027, some municipalities will do better than others.

Porto and Braga are the big winners: São João on a Thursday opens up a four-day weekend with Friday the 25th, right on the year’s longest night out. Faro has its own on the 7th of September, a Tuesday that gives four days with Monday the 6th. Lisbon and Coimbra, with their saints on a Sunday, will just have to watch the parades go by this year. The Autonomous Regions add Madeira Day on the 1st of July and Azores Day on the 17th of May.

Where to go on each long weekend?

Make the most of every day of leave with a destination to match. Three ideas, in step with the calendar:

• Carnival in Madeira. The island celebrates like no other Portuguese destination, with parades and two weeks of festivities in Funchal. Mild February weather and short flights make Madeira the natural choice for the first long weekend of the year.
• May and June in Algarve. The Corpus Christi and Portugal Day long weekends are the perfect start to the beach season in Algarve, with the sea warming up and the beaches still quiet.
• October and December: history and the city. The October long weekend is made for the grape harvest and the landscape, and our article Staying in Porto, exploring the Douro has plenty of ideas. For the December week, head for the Christmas lights in Lisbon or for a stay surrounded by centuries of history at one of the 35 Pousadas de Portugal, all of which we cover in our guide Pousadas de Portugal: the guide to choosing yours, from castles to convents.

According to the Pestana Hotel Group central reservations team, the three most booked destinations for public holidays and long weekends are Madeira, Lisbon and the Algarve.

Book first, rest better

In a year when the calendar gives with one hand and takes with the other, the early bookers win: the long weekends of 2027 are few and predictable, and they will fill up fast. Choose your dates now, agree them with your team before someone else beats you to it, and book your destination in good time. To fine-tune the plan, explore the Pestana destinations in Algarve and Madeira, then read our guide Pousadas de Portugal: the guide to choosing yours, from castles to convents. For more inspiration, see the official Visit Portugal website.