Spring and early autumn are the best times: clear, mild, with the riverside green and not too many people. Summer (July and August) brings Portuguese holidaymakers and Galician day-trippers, and the place can feel surprisingly busy for its size — though never overwhelming.
Winter is wet. The Minho valley catches the Atlantic weather and rain is frequent from November through February. The compensation is the lamprey season: from mid-January through about the end of March, restaurants put it at the top of their menus and Spanish food enthusiasts cross the river to eat it.
The Festa de Santa Rita de Cássia in late May brings processions and music to the streets. The Festival Vilar de Mouros, a few kilometres inland, runs over four days in August.