Lisbon Sunset Times by Month for an Evening on the River

Sunset times, month by month

These are computed times for Praça do Comércio on the 1st and the 15th of each month, on the clock Lisbon keeps that day: WET in winter, WEST (one hour ahead) in summer. They move by a minute or two from year to year, so read them as a guide rather than a timetable. The last column is IPMA's average overnight low for the month, which is roughly what the air feels like on the ride back.

Two things stand out. The latest sunsets come in late June and early July, a little after 21:00. The earliest come in early December, a little after 17:15, and stay there for most of the month. After the winter solstice the evenings lengthen again slowly.

The two Sundays that move the evening

Portugal's mainland keeps Western European Time in winter and summer time from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. On the Sunday the clocks go forward, the sunset jumps from about 19:00 to about 20:00. On the Sunday they go back, it drops from around 18:40 to around 17:40. A booking made a month ahead across either date will leave at a very different hour from the one you remember seeing.

• Late March: the sunset moves later by an hour overnight.
• Late October: the sunset moves earlier by an hour overnight.
• Both weekends: check the start time on your confirmation, not the one on the listing's photos.

When the boats leave, relative to the sunset

No operator prints a fixed start time. Each sets its sunset slot for the date, and the listings describe the pattern in their own way:

• The sunset catamaran: 90 minutes, planned so the sun goes down while you are still on the water.
• The classic sailboat with wine and tapas: two hours, the last 45 minutes given over to the sunset.
• The ten-guest wine sail from Santo Amaro: several departures a day; only the last is the sunset one.
• The day-or-sunset sail from Alcântara: morning, afternoon or sunset departures, each sold separately.

So a two-hour sunset sail usually leaves well before the sun goes down and returns in the dusk. In June that means boarding at around seven in the evening; in November, at around four in the afternoon.

Where the sun goes down

From the river the sun sets downstream, towards the estuary mouth and the ocean. In summer it goes down north of due west, over the Belém shore; in winter it sets south of west, over the far bank. That is why a boat heading back from downtown towards Belém sails into the light.

What the time of year does to the evening

The light is only half of it. At IPMA's Lisbon station, the average low is 8 °C in January and 19 °C in August. July is the driest month on average, and November the wettest. In summer the nortada, the north wind that often blows strongest in the afternoon, can make an evening sail lively.

Month by month, with the rain and the wind, see Lisbon weather for a sail and the best time for a sunset sail.

If the evening turns grey

A cloudy sky does not cancel a sail; wind, rain and sea state do. If the operator calls the trip off for weather, you are offered another date or a full refund. If the sky is merely overcast, the boat goes, and you trade the orange sunset for a softer light on the water and the city. Some of the best evenings on the river are the ones where the cloud breaks just as the sun reaches the horizon.

Your own cancellation window stays the same whatever the forecast: a full refund up to 24 hours before the start, and nothing after that. So book early for the date you want, then look at the forecast the day before, while you can still cancel.

• Two days out: check the forecast for wind and rain, not cloud.
• The day before: the last moment to cancel for a full refund.
• On the day: keep your phone on; the operator contacts you if the trip moves.

Planning a day around the sunset

If your boat leaves from Belém, spend the afternoon there. The monastery and the tower both close at 17:30 and neither opens on Mondays, so on a summer evening you have time to see one before you board. The timings are laid out in things to do before and after a sail. Downtown and Alcântara departures suit an evening that starts in the old city instead; every dock is on the Lisbon sailing map, and the warm layer you will want on the way back is on the packing list in the visitors guide.

For how to book, dock by dock, read how to book a Lisbon sail.

Boats built around the last light

Lisbon Sunset Sailing – Small Group (max 10) Wine & History

Two hours on a ten-guest sailboat from Santo Amaro with white wine, port or soft drinks and a captain who tells the city's story; blankets and a toilet on board. Only the last departure of the day meets the sunset.

From $34 per person

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Lisbon: Sunset Classic Sailboat Tour With Wine and Tapas

Two hours on a classic sailboat from Alcântara with Portuguese wine and a board of local cheeses, the last 45 minutes given over to the sunset on the river.

From $34 per person

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Lisbon Sunset Sailing Tour on Luxury Sailing Yacht with 2 Drinks

Two hours at sunset on a 50- to 58-foot sailing yacht from Doca de Belém, with two drinks, snacks and a skipper and host who explain the city as you pass. Up to 14 aboard; book for two or more.

From $69 per person (minimum 2)

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