Winter in the algarve...to swim or not to swim..is the question. ..

Mikeingham

Guest
Been to algave in spring
But never winter
Love sea swimming
Most online remarks Re winter sea temperature references far too cold to swim...
However subject to weather conditions I see that the average sea temp in south algarve to be
About the same as the uk's summer ones...we often get swimming may onwards here in uk
Please she'd some light on weather people swim in algarve in winter ...is it only hardy German visitors
I hAve wetsuits open water swimming gear. ....
Cheers.
Also wondering about public pools availability on the algarve.
 
I've never been swimming in the winter but last January a very nice Russian in her 20's delighted everyone by skinny dipping for quite some time. Perhaps she was used to much colder conditions?
 
When we spent the winter on the Algarve in 2015 we didn't see many people in the sea.We hired a car long term and took the hounds walking on numerous superb beaches.The only people I remember in the sea was a group belonging to a surf school and they had all the wet suit gear on.
 
When I've been there in February and March apart from the windsurfers, i can't remember anyone in the sea.
Having said this when I was staying at Armcao de Pera i walked the beach most days and walked in the shallows which weren't that cold, so I would think you could swim but having said that you will get some funny reactions from the locals and as far as finding swimming pools I imagine it might be difficult because the locals obviously find it cold and will have mothballed them for the winter, you could try some of the larger hotels.
 
Not many swimming in the winter without wet suits quite a few surfers and kite surfers though probably better around the coast in the Med if your keen to swim.
 
Mertola. On the Guardiana river, has parking on the quayside..and an aire in the town.
It has been my delight to jump into the river,before breakfast.
The local kids gave me the idea.
Lovely and warm, fresh water.
 
Not answering your question, but some years back I swam in a unheated pool at Christmas in the algarve, I was wearing a wet suit, only stayed in a couple of minutes as I got ice cream head and my hands and feet where kin cold.
 
we usually swam in the winter months as the sea can be freezing in summer, plus there's too many people and cars. i've been snorkelling at Praia do Vau, by Portimao , in august and the water was so cold it hurt my head. and i've been skinny dipping at xmas in the sea at Alvor, the water was so warm i couldn't resist it.
swimming in the barragems is ok, especially if you don't mind snakes or the chance of a terrapin nipping you
i think you don't see so many people in the sea in winter because the tourists are too unadventurous and the locals rarely bother
 
Ireland

On our recent trip
Lovely beaches on the west coast and loads of swimmers
No wetsuits
They breed them tough in Ireland !
No sign of any skinny dipping or indeed skinny shrinking !
Did Peter O'Smalltool come from Ireland... sorry typo Peter O'Toole
 
n brown said:
swimming in the barragems is ok, especially if you don't mind snakes or the chance of a terrapin nipping you
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I didn't mention Snakes in my earlier post but have seen several swimming in the Baragems while fishing so wouldn't recommend swimming in them
 
Anna

witzend said:
I didn't mention Snakes in my earlier post but have seen several swimming in the Baragems while fishing so wouldn't recommend swimming in them
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Conda
Or
Boa

Or Monty

Where is Channa when you need him ?

I must get my "Vindscreen Vipers" checked

Can you get banned for bad/old jokes ?
 
witzend said:
I didn't mention Snakes in my earlier post but have seen several swimming in the Baragems while fishing so wouldn't recommend swimming in them
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The reason I didn't mention snakes in my first post was because You had suggested swimming in a barragem and knew you would take offence. There's a lot of difference in swimming when a lot of other people are because snakes don't enjoy human company and will avoid people but the op was asking about winter swimming when he'd probably be alone. When NB mentioned snakes I agreed but not to antagonise You
 
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Drysuit on & the temperature of the water won't be a problem! :dance:
 
watching a few snakes swimming in the Santa Clara barragem many years ago , i asked a local guy in pidgin Portuguese ' muitos serpents - perigoso ?' - many wiggly things, are they dangerous ?
he replied that they;re called ''cobras'' and though dangerous, fine to swim with. so we did.quite common to see a few swimming alongside, they're just nosy and have no reason to attack. probably not a good idea to tread on one . terrapins either bask on rocks or spend their time sinking out of sight, then rising slowly to the surface for air
at least there's no jellyfish- having seen the effects of tangling with those nasties, one glimpse and i'm heading for dry land !
 
Walking alone, one hot Sunday morning, on a hunting track, in the hills behind our hovel, I came across a pool where the river had been dammed.
Totally alone, I stripped off and jumped in... Paradise!
Then I heard a series of plops and found myself surrounded by terrapins.
I remembered feeding the tiny school terrapin chopped worms.
These were big hungry looking sods.
It's very difficult to swim when both hands are protecting one's wedding tackle.
 
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