Madeira - pleasant colourful flowers, gently floating with the beautiful shades of green in harmony with the blue sea. Imagine having that all year round. It is said that Madeira has the perfect climate. There are very few rainy days and it's never too hot. Need we say more, your perfect autumn or winter holiday destination is here!
Madeira is a small archipelago off the west coast of North Africa, belonging to Portugal. More specifically, Madeira is located about 700 km from Africa, 450 km from the Canary Islands, 800 km from the Azores, and 900 km from mainland Portugal.
The island has a very mountainous topography and therefore the island is full of different microclimates, which makes it possible to find snow on the tops of the mountains, while at sea level it is sunny and warm.
While enjoying the pleasantly warm climate on your off-season holiday in Madeira, check out some of the events we will list below.
Autumn/Winter Weather in Madeira
As we have already mentioned, Madeira has a tropical climate with hot summers and mild, pleasant winters with sunshine all year round. The inhabitants of Madeira are, so to speak, lucky to enjoy a warm and very stable climate all year round. The winter months are just as popular for a visit as the summer months.
The warmest month is August with an average temperature of 27°C and the coolest month is February with an average temperature of 18°C.
The months of October to December are popular with Europeans to escape the cool and rainy weather in their home country and enjoy warm and sunny weather in Madeira. However, there is an alternation of clouds and rain, but with pleasant temperatures.
From January to March, the weather is the same as from October to December, only with slightly lower temperatures, and if you are planning a mountain hike, you may experience heavy rain, as there is always a chance of rain in the mountains during this time.
For your benefit, you should always plan your holiday according to the weather forecast. So if rainy days are on the horizon, you can relax at the hotel, have a spa day, visit museums or eat and drink extensively!
Events in Madeira – Autumn/Winter 2021
October
- Madeira Flower Festival 1st-24th: This major annual event usually takes place two weeks after Easter, but is now celebrated in October because of the Pandemic. There are two highlights to this event, one is the "Wall of Hope" (October 2nd) where the children of Madeira gather in a parade and build a wall of flowers, thousands of flowers. The following day (October 3rd) there is another big parade, and there are many other activities during the event.
The Flower Festival is known as one of the tourist events of Madeira and you should not miss it! - Madeira Nature Festival 5th-10th: Discover Madeira's natural beauty with the dynamic program that offers an insight into Madeira's natural and cultural heritage. This event is suitable for all ages and offers a wide range of activities.
- Madeira Wine Festival 8th-24th: The great and very popular Madeira Wine Festival takes you on a very enjoyable "wine journey" that follows on seamlessly from Flower Festival. You'll learn everything you need to know about Madeira wine, from harvesting to tasting (the best part)!
This great festival is also one of Madeira's tourist events.
November
- Book Fair 12th-21st: Under the beautiful jacaranda trees on the Avenida Arriaga website, visitors can browse books from local bookstores and Portuguese publishing, attend book launches, poetry recitals, entertainment for children, live music, and much more.
- Funchal Film Festival 14th-20th: Take a look at the great selection of independent films of various genres. This week-long festival takes place in Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias.
Christmas Events in Madeira 1st Dec 2021-9th Jan 2022:
- The whole month of December is devoted to the celebration of Christmas. The festive season begins when the streets of Funchal are magnificently decorated with colourful and elaborate light decorations. The "Childbirth Mass" is a nine-day mass that represents the nine months of pregnancy that the Virgin Mary had gone through. Before, after, and during the masses, people gather in front of their churches and enjoy local food and drinks while listening to live music. The day after the end of "Childbirth Mass" (December 23) is the time to enjoy Market Night. Funchal's old town transforms into a huge market all night long. Both locals and tourists populate the bustling streets, eating and drinking local Christmas specialities while listening to Christmas Carols, doing their last-minute shopping, and buying fresh produce for the days ahead. On New Year's Eve, experience the world's most spectacular fireworks display, which has been entered into the Guinness World Records! What a way to leave the old year behind, don‘t you think?
