Madeira is one of the few destinations in Europe which offer a safe warm haven from winter. Today’s post will go over a few reasons why winter is a great time for a trip to Madeira. Additionally, we’ll examine just what kind of weather you can expect from Madeira in December, January and February. Enjoy!
Smaller crowds in Madeira
A break from people
We’d argue that the single most important argument for winter in Madeira is fewer tourists. If you detest crowds, we’d certainly recommend these months for Madeira, as it’s quite a busy place. It’ll be a lot easier to find accommodation at acceptable prices and you won’t have to push through waves at the main tourist spots or hiking paths. It’s a perfect period for a break from people :). Though, for the record, this doesn’t really work for Christmas in Madeira, as it’s a busy period too. Everything after Christmas is safe ground.
Madeira is cheaper in winter
Cheaper holidays in Madeira
The recent economic trends haven’t been particularly helpful in anything, so we should save money where we can, including holidays. You’ll pay significantly less for accommodation and some services on the island in winter, mostly due to lower demand. Accommodation prices can drop by more than 60% compared to high season. If you’re not a big fan of swimming in the ocean anyway, this might be the perfect season for you. As with tourists, though, this doesn’t apply to Christmas and New Year’s Eve, as this brings demand back and so the prices go up too.
Christmas in Madeira
Toot
But perhaps you don’t mind? A Portuguese-style Christmas is quite wonderful in Madeira. The temperatures are mild but pleasant and the various illuminations and Christmas decorations are simply stunning (seriously). You can also find plenty of beautiful nativity scenes (lapinhas). On 23 December, the so-called ‘shopping night’ (A Noite de Mercado) takes place in Funchal and a few other places, where you can buy special products right before Christmas. On the night of 24-25 December, the Portuguese midnight mass takes place, though here, it’s referred to as… the Mass of the Rooster.
The Portuguese in Madeira actually celebrate the entire period from Christmas all the way until the end of the year, with New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day concluding the Festa month. Don’t forget to try out the traditional Christmas cuisine here, including various meats in wine, honey cakes and the Tangerine liqueur.
The perfect time to go hiking in Madeira
Trekking through the Madeira
Winter in Madeira is also the perfect time to go hiking in the surrounding parks and beautiful scenic paths. It’s here that you’ll find one of the highest cliffs in Europe, the Cabo Girão. You can always see a beautiful sunrise on Pico Ruivo or go on a shorter hike along Madeira’s Levadas (the famous irrigation canals). We also recommend taking a walk along the paths of the St Lawrence peninsula. If you are a hiking enthusiast, you will certainly not be bored here.
Winter weather in Madeira
The island of Eternal Spring?
You’ve probably already heard such a phrase as the Land of Eternal Spring, which is exactly what Madeira is – the temperatures here are mild all year round and it’s a perfect spot for a break from the cold winters. Truth be told, it’s probably not so warm here that you can take long swims in the ocean, but it’s certainly weather for short-sleeves. What are the temperatures like?
December weather in Madeira
Winter temperatures
December is the perfect time for a trip to Madeira, with temperatures ranging from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius (this was the case in 2022), dropping to around 17 – 19 degrees above zero at night. Does it rain in Madeira in December? You may encounter rain a tiny bit at times, but most of the month will be consistently sunny.
January weather in Madeira
Winter temperatures
You can expect temperatures ranging from 17 to 21 degrees Celsius every day in January, with a typical day being 20 degrees. In 2022, the bars reached as high as 25 degrees Celsius on New Year’s day. At night, temperatures can drop to 15 degrees. You can expect maybe around 5 rainy days for the whole month.
February weather in Madeira
Winter temperatures
February in Madeira is very similar to January. You can still expect around 19 degrees Celsius, and around a 5-degree drop at night. Thankfully, there’s even less rain this month than in January, around 2 days at most.
Remember, however, that the weather can be a bit unpredictable (like the 25 degrees on New Year’s Eve 🙂 ) in the Atlantic Ocean, so do take all of this with a grain of salt. Still, winter in Madeira is a fantastic time to take a bit of a break from the grey winters here at home.
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