The best time to visit Madeira for winter sunshine is from December to March. Although there will be some rainfall and even snow on the mountains at the center of the island, temperatures are mild, the landscape lush, and the climate is perfect for hiking and sightseeing.
There’s a good reason why Madeira is known as the “Island of Eternal Spring”. This subtropical archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, part of Portugal but 311 miles from the coast of Morocco, is known for its colorful foliage, which is in constant bloom, the climate influenced by the warming Gulf Stream.
Come in spring for the Flower Festival and in summer for whale watching. The fall and winter months are great for walking trips, a reason many people visit Madeira. Essentially, there is no bad time to come to this beautiful island.
Visiting Madeira By Season
Summer
Funchal
June, July, and August are hot in Madeira. The warm, dry Leste wind blows from the Sahara, bringing temperatures to a daily average of 74.9°F (23.8°C), but with highs of over 33°C not unusual. The mountains may be cloaked in morning clouds, but this generally melts away. In July and August, rainfall is negligible.
Summer is peak time for mainland European visitors to descend on the island for fine weather, so towns and beaches will be busy. Locals head for the neighboring island of Porto Santo, known for its long, golden beaches, to escape the crowds.
Fall
September, October, and November are quieter months on the island as the summer crowds have left. In September and October, the sea is still warm enough for swimming, at 74°F (23.5°C). Average daytime temperatures are still a balmy 67.8°F (19.9°C) in November.
Visit towards the end of fall and you will most likely encounter some rain. November is one of the wettest months, with 3.4 inches (100mm), but it won’t be cold—and there are still five hours of sunshine per day. What’s more, there’s much more likelihood of rain in the northwest than in the southeast, where Funchal, the capital, is located.
Winter
Winter is arguably the best time to go to Madeira to escape the cold northern temperatures. Although this is a time of higher rainfall, with November, December, and January each receiving around 3.9 inches (100mm), temperatures are wonderfully mild. In January, one of the coolest months of the year, expect daily averages of 63°F (17.2°C), with average highs of 68°F (19.8°C).
Depending on when Easter falls, Madeira’s pre-Lenten carnival is one of the most spectacular in the world, running from the Friday before Lent to Shrove Tuesday. This is a time of lavish parades, balls and parties, feasting, and merriment.
Spring
Madeira Botanical Garden
The island is at its most beautiful in spring, with tropical flowers in bloom; if you love botanical gardens and wildflowers, this is the best time to go to Madeira.
Spring is a wonderful time for hiking the levadas, the old irrigation channels that snake around the contours of the mountains, built to bring water from the wetter northwest to drier southeast. Many of the levadas have marked walking trails that run alongside the channels.
Rainfall tails off as spring progresses, with May receiving just 0.8 inches (20mm) and enjoying warm temperatures averaging 66.6°F (19.2°C).
When Is Rainy Season?
Winter, from November to February, is the rainiest time in Madeira, but this does not mean the whole island is affected. A lot of the rain falls on the mountains and the northwest. Locals joke about the island displaying four seasons in one day. For example, it can be raining in the northwest, snowing in the mountains, and beach weather in the south.
When Is High Season?
The summer months are high season in Madeira, with locals and international visitors enjoying the warm weather. A lot of Portuguese from mainland Europe come to the island for their summer vacation.
There’s another peak around Christmas and New Year’s as people come to the island for the spectacular New Year’s celebrations and firework displays.
When Is Shoulder Season?
Funchal
Shoulder season in Madeira is October to December, the quieter period between the summer peak and the Christmas rush. There’s more cloud cover during these months, and while it may not be the best time to sit on the beach, the weather is still perfect for sightseeing and hiking.
When Is Low Season?
January to March is considered low season in Madeira, although there will still be plenty of visitors coming for hiking and winter warmth. The island really doesn’t have a defined quiet season, when everything shuts down.
There’s another low in June, typically a very cloudy month. In June, temperatures are high but there are only 5.5 hours daily of sunshine, on average. Locally, this is known as “June gloom”.
Read: Best Things to Do in Madeira
Camara de Lobos
Do you want to discover the “island of eternal spring” for yourself? Browse Celebrity’s cruises to Madeira and plan your visit to this subtropical paradise.
