Visiting Portugal during winter..?

Travel Info
I'll be going to Portugal in 3 weeks time. I actually bought the flight ticket before doing any research (because it was so cheap!!). Now after browsing through the web, I'm getting the impression that it's a bad idea to go to Portugal during winter. Is it true about the bad weather and tourist attractions and shops are closed?? That'll be a bummer...

Travel Tips

It's only a bad idea if your plan was to bask in the warm sunshine but it's a great time of year for visiting the major cities. The weather is good and the absence of tourists reveals the real Portugal, which you will love.

Check out our travelogues for ideas for your trip: http://www.thetravelzine.com Portugal is one of our favorite destinations ~ you'll soon understand why. Enjoy!

Others
It depends on where you will be going.

Algarve (the south) will mostly be dead as it only thrives on the summer tourism.

However if you travel further north, especially Lisbon and Porto will be worth to see.

Portuguese winters are mostly dominated by rain.
I'm from portugal and i advise u to come in the summer... but the weather has already better. a week ago was rally bad weather but now it's much better. i'm from porto and for now is everything open i advice u to visit the casa da musica, serralves museum, ect. you should try to search in wikipedia for those cities and take your conclusions. i think it's a great idea visit portugal because as the best landscapes
personal experience
Depends on what you're used to for weather. I live in New England so when I went to Lisbon in the winter it wasn't that bad. A little chilly. Kind of like the mid Atlantic states in the winter. The shops will still be open (they do have siestas- which are long lunches so they may be closed from noon til 2). Tourist attractions should still be open. It will also be less crowded than in the summer.
Have gone to Portugal several times in the winter. I have family there.