Holidays in 2026: Take advantage of these dates to take a vacation in Portugal
2026 is coming, and with the arrival of the new year comes a new holiday calendar.
In this article, we will not only show you the holidays for 2026, but we will also give you tips on how to take advantage of these holidays to use fewer vacation days and have a longer vacation.
In addition, you will discover here which long weekends are perfect for that getaway you have been planning for some time.
So, read this content and start planning your next vacation, for example, with a stay at an AP Hotels & Resorts hotel.
January 2026
The first month of the year also brings the first holiday of 2026, on January 1.
The holiday falls on a Thursday, which means that if you take one day off on Friday, January 2, you can combine it with the weekend and have four consecutive days off to rest.
Holidays:
- New Year’s Day (January 1) – Thursday
February 2026
February is synonymous with Carnival. However, Carnival is not a mandatory holiday, so it is up to each company to decide whether or not to give their employees this holiday.
If you are lucky enough to be one of the people who benefits from this holiday, then here is another opportunity to have four consecutive days off. This is because the Carnival holiday falls on Tuesday, February 17, which means that if you take one day off on the previous Monday, you can combine it with the weekend and enjoy four days off.
This holiday is perfect for a romantic getaway, as February 14, Valentine’s Day, falls on the Saturday of that weekend.
If you want to make plans for two, check out our special Valentine’s Day packages.
Holidays:
- Carnival Day (February 17) – Tuesday
April 2026
Although March has no holidays, April brings us three. However, two of them fall on weekends.
Fortunately, the first holiday in April falls on a Friday, in this case, April 3. This holiday refers to the famous Good Friday, which precedes the Easter holiday (April 5, Sunday).
This holiday means a long weekend between April 3 and 5, perfect for a getaway.
However, if you want to extend your days off and take a longer vacation, you can take just four days off and enjoy a whole week of complete rest between March 28 and April 5, 2026. By taking only 4 days of vacation this week, you can enjoy 9 consecutive days of rest. This way, you use less of the 22 days of vacation you are entitled to by law and enjoy more time off.
Finally, April brings the holiday of April 25, Freedom Day, which, however, falls on a Saturday.
Holidays:
- Santa Friday (April 3) – Friday
- Easter (April 5) – Sunday
- Liberty Day (April 25) – Friday
May 2026
May brings us Labor Day, which is celebrated on May 1. This is another holiday that falls on a Friday, giving us another long weekend within the space of a month.
As with the holiday on April 3, it is possible to take just four days off this week and enjoy nine consecutive days of rest between April 25 and May 3.
This is the perfect situation for a long vacation, for example, at one of the hotels in the AP Hotels & Resorts group.
Holidays:
- Labor Day (May 1) – Friday
June 2026
June offers two holidays (three if you are in Lisbon or Porto).
The first is June 4, Corpus Christi, which falls on a Thursday. This means that if you take Friday off, you can combine it with the weekend and enjoy four consecutive days off.
However, if you are thinking of a longer vacation, keep an eye out for the next holiday, which falls on June 10 (Wednesday), the following week.
This way, you can take only 8 days of vacation from the usual 22 days you are entitled to by law and enjoy two consecutive weeks, for a total of 16 days off.
If you are from Lisbon, you are entitled to the Santo António holiday on June 13, but unfortunately, it falls on a Saturday.
If you are from Porto, you will have a holiday on June 24, São João Day, which falls on a Wednesday.
Holidays:
- Corpus Christi (June 4) – Thursday
- Portugal Day (June 10) – Wednesday
- St. Anthony’s Day (June 13) – Saturday (municipal holiday in Lisbon)
- St. John’s Day (June 24) – Wednesday (municipal holiday in Porto)
August 2026
August brings us a holiday, but unfortunately it falls on a Saturday, so in this case there are no strategies we can recommend for you to use the holiday to your vacation advantage.
Holidays:
- Assumption Day (August 15) – Saturday
October 2026
October means another holiday in 2026 and another long weekend.
In this case, we are talking about October 5, which falls on a Monday.
Once again, this is an opportunity to take a short break or even extend your vacation by using only 4 vacation days.
If you choose to take those 4 vacation days this week, you will enjoy 9 consecutive days off between October 3 and 11.
Holidays:
- Implantation of the Republic Day (October 5) – Monday
November 2026
November brings us a holiday, but unfortunately it falls on a Sunday, so in this case there are no strategies we can recommend for you to use the holiday to your vacation advantage.
Holidays:
- All Saints’ Day (November 1) – Sunday
December 2026
It’s not 1. It’s not 2. It’s actually 3 holidays that are scheduled for December.
And none of them fall on a weekend.
First, we have December 1, Independence Restoration Day, which falls on a Tuesday. Needless to say, if you take one day of vacation on Monday, November 30, you get a long weekend to enjoy four consecutive days off.
The recipe is the same for the following week, when we also have a holiday on a Tuesday, December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
If, in addition, you want to enjoy a two-week extended vacation, with 16 consecutive days off and only use eight days of your vacation time, simply take your vacation during these two weeks that include the holidays of December 1 and 8.
This way, you will be off work between November 28 and December 13.
Finally, one of the most eagerly awaited holidays of 2026 arrives: Christmas Day, December 25. This year, it falls on a Friday, which means another long weekend, ideal for spending more time with the family and celebrating this special date.
In addition, during the week known as Christmas week, you can take just four days of vacation and enjoy nine consecutive days off, as is already the case in other months mentioned above.
Holidays:
- Independence Restoration Day (December 1) – Tuesday
- Immaculate Conception Day (December 8) – Tuesday
- Christmas (December 25) – Friday
These are all the holidays you can enjoy in 2026.
As you can see, there are several long weekends for a quick getaway or several holidays that allow you to take fewer vacation days and enjoy a longer vacation.
In either case, it’s a good excuse to book one of the AP Hotels & Resorts units and enjoy a stay full of excitement, comfort, and good food. Oh, and of course, a good rest.
When planning your vacation for 2026, take these days into account and use them to your advantage.
