Is it worth advertising in the low season?

It can be, if you have a clear offer for an audience that visits the region at this time of year. Advertising your summer offer to everyone is usually money down the drain.

Should I lower my prices in winter?

A winter price makes sense, but adding value usually works better than just cutting: an extra night, a trip included, more flexible times.

When should I start preparing for summer?

Early in winter. Photos, the website, your Google profile and partnerships are best done calmly between November and March.

Are foreign residents a good audience?

For many businesses, yes. They stay in the region for months at a time, recommend each other a lot and look for services available in English.

Does it make sense to close in winter?

It depends on your numbers. Sometimes closing for a few months is the right call. But use that time to prepare next season's marketing instead of starting March from scratch.

← All insights

Algarve·5 min read

Updated 8 November 2026 · Andreia Cirne

Low-season marketing in the Algarve: what to do from November to March

Summer fills itself. Winter is what separates businesses with marketing from businesses with luck. Who visits the Algarve off season and how to make the most of these months.

In August in the Algarve, almost everything fills up. Holiday rentals, restaurants, boat trips, surf lessons. Often without much marketing effort. Then November arrives, the tourists disappear, the terraces close and the same question comes up every year: how do we hold on until Easter?

The low season isn't a punishment. It's when you find out who has a thought-through marketing plan and who just had a good summer. And there are two ways to use it: bring in the clients who really are around in winter, and prepare next season with time to spare, something nobody has in July.

Who visits the Algarve in winter

There are fewer people, but there are people. And they're different from August's crowd, which calls for different messages:

Golfers: autumn and spring are among the best times to play in the region.
Walkers and cyclists: the mild weather makes these months ideal for routes such as the Via Algarviana.
Birdwatchers, especially in the Ria Formosa and on the Costa Vicentina.
Remote workers looking for longer stays, good internet and winter prices.
Retirees and foreign residents who spend the winter in the south.
Portuguese visitors from elsewhere looking for a sunny weekend without the crowds.
Companies looking for a quiet place for meetings, training or team retreats.

And then there are the people who are here all year: residents. Many businesses only remember them in November, after ignoring them all summer. If your service interests people who live in the region, they're your most stable clients.

What to say

The most common mistake is using the same photos and messages in winter as in summer. A packed beach and blazing sun don't win over people looking for peace and quiet. Show what's good about winter: the light, the calm, fairer prices, no queues, personal attention. Say clearly what's open and what isn't. Nothing puts off a winter client faster than arriving to find everything closed.

Five things to do these months

You don't have to do them all. Pick two and do them well:

Talk to people who've been before: past clients and guests get a simple message with what you offer off season and a reason to come back. Booking directly with you saves you both the commission.
Create packages for a specific audience: a long stay for remote workers, a weekend for walkers, a room and lunch for teams. A package for everyone is a package for no one.
Build local partnerships: a holiday rental with a golf course, a boat tour company with a restaurant, a surf school with a guesthouse. In winter there's time for these conversations.
Fix the basics: new photos, an updated Google profile, a website that's fast on mobile, reviews answered. In July you won't have time for this.
Prepare the year's content: write answers to the questions you get every summer, record the videos, do the photo shoot. What you make now works for you when you have no time to breathe.

An example

A boat tour company in Lagos closed from November to February and every year started March with no bookings and no new photos. One winter it decided to do three things. It kept one weekend trip running, aimed at residents and birdwatchers, at a winter price. It partnered with two long-stay rentals. And it used the quiet days to redo its photos and its website pages in three languages. It didn't get rich in winter. But it covered its fixed costs and reached Easter with bookings and a website ready to go.

If your business isn't tourism

Clinics, gyms, schools, accountants and other local services feel the seasons too, the other way round: summer is chaotic and winter is when residents have time. It's the moment to launch new services, get back in touch with past clients and train the team. And to prepare for summer, when people from outside the region need you too.

Where to start

Look at last winter's numbers: which months were weakest, which clients still turned up and where they came from. Then pick one winter audience, one package for them and one way to reach them. Start in November. If you decide in February, you've already lost half the season.

Common questions

Is it worth advertising in the low season?: It can be, if you have a clear offer for an audience that visits the region at this time of year. Advertising your summer offer to everyone is usually money down the drain.
Should I lower my prices in winter?: A winter price makes sense, but adding value usually works better than just cutting: an extra night, a trip included, more flexible times.
When should I start preparing for summer?: Early in winter. Photos, the website, your Google profile and partnerships are best done calmly between November and March.
Are foreign residents a good audience?: For many businesses, yes. They stay in the region for months at a time, recommend each other a lot and look for services available in English.
Does it make sense to close in winter?: It depends on your numbers. Sometimes closing for a few months is the right call. But use that time to prepare next season's marketing instead of starting March from scratch.

Who writes this

Andreia Cirne

I'm a marketing consultant and certified trainer (CCP) based in Faro. I spent almost six years at a digital agency managing marketing and website projects, and saw a lot of money spent on things nobody knew were working. Today I work directly with service businesses: I help decide what to do first and teach teams to do it without depending on anyone. Not even me.

Read about my path

If you want to use the coming months to prepare your marketing for the whole year, I can help you decide where to start.

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