When to visit Madeira: weather and trails month by month

Rainfall drops fast: from 62.3 mm in March to 27.2 mm in May. Greenery after the winter rains is at its lushest, levadas carry plenty of water, and the Festa da Flor closes the season (in 2026: 30 April to 31 May).

Spring in the mountains can be fickle: the March normal for Chão do Areeiro averages about 6.6 °C (computed from IPMA bulletins, indicative). In April 2026 Pico do Areeiro recorded -2.8 °C, 57.5 mm of daily rain and wind up to 125 km/h while Funchal had about 21 °C.

The driest period: July and August together bring about 3 mm of rain. A safe bet for ridge trails and sunrise at Pico do Areeiro, but also the highest temperatures (average high of 26.8 °C in August) and the most tourists.

The sea reaches 23 to 24 °C (indicative, confirm at the source). Start exposed trails early and carry water; in the mornings a cloud cap often hangs over Funchal while the peaks break through.

September is still dry and warm (26.6 °C) with the warmest sea of the year (indicatively 23.8 °C). October brings the first bigger rains (91.2 mm); from November rainfall exceeds 80 mm.

A good post-peak window: fewer crowds and usually stable conditions. Funchal's record daily rainfall is 158.6 mm (26 November 2010); autumn storms can close trails for several days.

The wettest quarter: December 94.8 mm, January 67.1 mm, February 72.4 mm. Still, the average high in Funchal stays around 20 °C and frost has never been recorded; the record low is 8.5 °C (15 March 2011), the record high 38.2 °C (9 August 2016).

In winter, temporary trail closures after IPMA warnings are regular: on 9 December 2025 all trails and the forest road were closed, and 19 March 2026 brought further closures. Check the live status before every outing.

Rainfall grows with altitude: from about 600 mm a year near Funchal to about 3000 mm on the crest of the eastern range (RMetS publication 2025). The same weather can mean drizzle on a levada and sunshine above the clouds on a peak.

Normals for Chão do Areeiro (computed from IPMA bulletins, indicative): March average about 6.6 °C, high about 9.7 °C, low about 3.5 °C; April high about 10.7 °C, low about 4.1 °C; rainfall normal from October to April about 1930 mm.

Northeasterly trade winds blow 56 to 58% of the time from April to September and build a cloud layer from about 600-800 m to about 1600 m. Peaks above the inversion rise over a white sea, one of the greatest sights of PR 1 at sunrise.

Capacete is a cloud cap hanging about 700 to 1500 m above Funchal, most common in summer. Fog appears at Pico do Areeiro on about 229 days a year and at Bica da Cana on about 235 days; the annual fog cycle is weakly defined, so there is no rule for a worst month.

Leste is a hot, dry wind from the Sahara: it can push temperatures above 30 °C within hours, fortunately briefly. There is no reliable statistic for its frequency.

After severe storms IFCN closes trails administratively: on 9 December 2025 all trails and the forest road were closed, and 19 March 2026 brought temporary closures after IPMA warnings. No frequency statistics exist, but in winter such episodes are regular.

A closed trail stays closed even with a valid SIMplifica booking. Check the current status on our catalogue's homepage; we refresh it hourly from IFCN.

Tourism-source consensus (indicative, confirm at the source): the best trekking months are March - May and September - October. High season is July and August plus peaks at Christmas, New Year and the Festa da Flor; the quietest stretch is November to March outside the holidays.

In practice: in peak season book trails several days ahead (PR 1 slots sell out first), while off-season you get peace at the price of winter closures.

Festa da Flor 2026: 30 April to 31 May, with parades on May Sundays; check the exact dates for a given year at eventsmadeira.com. Carnival 2026: 11 to 22 February, with the Great Parade on 14 February and the Cortejo Trapalhão on 17 February (dates change every year, indicative).

New Year's Eve: the fireworks show on 31 December lasts about 8 minutes from 58 stations; in 2006 it entered the Guinness records (66 326 pieces), a record beaten in 2012. Festa da Nossa Senhora do Monte: 14 and 15 August.