Surviving the heat: our first off-grid summer in Portugal!
One thing is for sure—central Portugal experiences extreme heat throughout the summer. Weeks upon weeks of temperatures ranging from high-30s to low 40s, combined with months without rain, make it incredibly tough. We knew summers here would be challenging, but nothing quite prepared us for what was in store during our first summer in central Portugal (our second summer living fully off-grid).
One of the most surprising things about living off-grid in this climate is that while we certainly produced plenty of solar power, our energy consumption also soared. Devices and appliances, such as our fridge, used far more power just to stay cool in the heat. Our caravan fridge runs on gas, and we expected our gas usage would be way less than during the winter when we run our heater all the time. But our gas consumption barely changed and we were surprised by just how much gas it still needed simply to keep food cold.
Another major challenge was that most of our devices struggled in the heat. Phones refused to charge and power banks cut out. Even our flip-flops and Crocs shrank in the heat!! We kid you not!
Air conditioning wasn’t even an option for us because of the huge energy demand. Our awning often reached 55–60°C throughout July and August, making it completely unlivable, while inside the caravan, temperatures regularly climbed above 40°C. Cooking became unbearable and something we dreaded.
By late morning—around 10 or 11 a.m.—it was simply too hot to do anything. In central Portugal, summer forces you to surrender to the heat, and surrender we did.
All work on the quinta came to a halt. The vegetables stopped growing, flowers frazzled, the grass on the terraces turned to straw, and our stream completely dried up. Once midday arrived, with no way to escape the scorching temperatures, the only solution was to plunge ourselves into the cold mountain river. Our afternoons were spent lazing at our local praia fluvial (river beach). We are so lucky to have such a beautiful natural swimming spot just a five-minute walk from our land—it became our second home over the summer. It gave us the opportunity to meet many other families in the village, and we made many new friends.
Then, at the beginning of August, wildfire season began—and things got really scary. We knew wildfires were a part of Portuguese summers, but we weren’t expecting to live through the worst wildfire in the country’s history. This devastating fire raged for nearly two weeks and tore through a vast region of central Portugal, leaving unthinkable destruction in its path. We had to evacuate our quinta for nearly a week. The flames came terrifyingly close, and at one point we thought our land had burned.
By some miracle we were spared, but sadly many of our neighbours and friends lost their land, and for some, their homes, and everything they owned. The devastation to the wildlife and environment is shocking and deeply saddening to see. Yet, we know nature will rejuvenate and flourish once again.
This autumn, we are more grateful than ever—to still have our land, to be harvesting fruits and nuts from our trees, to have a vegetable garden we can tend again, and to still have our humble home and belongings.
Looking back, our first summer off-grid in Portugal was one of the hardest things we’ve ever done. The relentless heat tested our resilience, our systems, and our patience. But in the middle of the struggle, we also learned valuable lessons about slowing down, respecting nature’s rhythms, and finding joy in simple pleasures.
As autumn rolls in, we’re carrying those lessons with us and making changes to prepare for next summer—because while the challenges are very real, so too is the beauty of this life.