Madeira in December
Mild days, cold mountains, Christmas lights from the first of the month and fireworks at the end of it. Two very different halves, at two very different prices.
My quick take
Come in the first half of December for the lights at half the price. Come from 23 December for the market night and the fireworks, and book early.
- Coast
- About 21 °C by day and 16 °C at night in Funchal
- Mountains
- Around 5 °C at Pico do Arieiro, below freezing on the coldest nights
- Daylight
- About 10 hours; sunset around 6pm all month
- Car hire, typical week
- About €114 early in the month, €238 to €265 over Christmas
Madeira in December is mild on the coast, cold in the mountains and the wettest month of the year in Funchal. The city averages 21 °C by day and 15.5 °C at night (IPMA), the sun sets around 6pm, and the Christmas lights are on from 1 December. The first half of the month is quiet and cheap; from around 19 December, car hire prices double and Funchal fills up for Christmas and New Year.
December is when the island feels most like itself. Families who live abroad come back, the streets fill with lights and stalls, and we drink our poncha without ice. It is a family month, and the island shows it.
Early December or Christmas week?
The same island, two different trips. Car hire prices are from our own study of DiscoverCars offers for each week.
| What | 1 to 18 December | 19 December to New Year |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas lights | On from 1 December | On, with the city at its busiest |
| Big nights | Street stalls in Funchal most evenings | Market night on 23 December, fireworks at midnight on 31 December |
| Car hire, typical week | About €114 | €238 to €265 |
| Crowds | Quiet: December has far fewer visitors than summer | The busiest weeks of the winter |
| Book | A few weeks ahead | As early as you can, flights and rooms first |
Car hire: Madeira car hire price study, small manual car, typical offer for a week from each Saturday. Tourist nights: DREM.
Christmas and New Year
The festive season runs from 1 December 2026 to 10 January 2027. Funchal hangs its lights over the whole centre, stalls sell poncha, liqueurs and carne de vinha d’alhos sandwiches, and the dawn masses of the Missas do Parto fill the nine days before Christmas.
Two nights matter most. The Noite do Mercado on 23 December is the most Madeiran night of the year, and the one I would tell anyone not to miss. On 31 December the fireworks go off all around the bay at midnight: last season they lasted 8 minutes, with 11 cruise ships in the bay.
Everything about the festive season is in Christmas in Madeira, and where to watch the fireworks is in New Year’s Eve in Madeira.
Madeira weather in December
The coast and the mountains are two climates. Pack and plan for both.
| What | Funchal and the south coast | Pico do Arieiro, 1,818 m |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 21 °C by day, 15.5 °C at night (average) | 5.4 °C average in December 2025; lowest -1 °C |
| Rain | About 9 days, 94.8 mm: the wettest month | More than the coast, with fog, wind and the odd frost |
| Sunshine | About 134 hours in the month, around 4 a day | Check the summit webcam before you drive up |
| Sea | About 19.5 °C |
Wet days in December usually come in spells, and the south coast is often dry when the north and the mountains are in cloud. Keep a free day in your plan, decide the mountain days the evening before, and check the official trail status on the morning of every walk: rain and wind close trails more often in winter.
Funchal: IPMA climate normals 1991–2020, Funchal station (58 m). Pico do Arieiro, sunshine and sea (Pontinha pier): DREM: weather data, December 2025.
Walking with ten hours of daylight
Sunrise from 7:51 to 8:09, sunset from 18:02 to 18:10. The shortest days of the year.
| Walk | Official time | Start by |
|---|---|---|
| PR8 Ponta de São Lourenço | 2 h 30 | 14:30 |
| PR11 Balcões viewpoint | 1 h 30 | 15:30 |
| PR1 Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo | 3 h | 14:00 |
| PR6 25 Fontes | 3 h | 14:00 |
| PR9 Caldeirão Verde | 6 h 30 | 10:30 |
The start times leave an hour before the earliest December sunset, because levadas run through valleys and tunnels where it gets dark first. The late sunrise has one advantage: sunrise at Pico do Arieiro is around 8am, and the 06:00 bus from Funchal reaches the summit at 06:45. Bring everything warm you have; the summit drops below freezing on the coldest nights. Every walk here needs a slot on SIMplifica.
What to pack for December
Light layers for the coast, real winter clothes for the mountains.
On the coast, a T-shirt is enough on a sunny afternoon and a jumper or light jacket in the evening, when you will be out in the streets for the lights. For sunrise at Pico do Arieiro or a walk in the mountains, bring a warm coat, hat and gloves. Add a rain jacket, shoes with grip that can get wet, and a torch for levada tunnels.
Coming earlier in the autumn? See Madeira in November. Still choosing a season? Read the best time to visit Madeira, and for the car, car hire in Madeira.
Questions about Madeira in December
Is Madeira warm in December?
Mild on the coast. Funchal averages 21 °C by day and 15.5 °C at night in December (IPMA, 1991–2020). The mountains are cold: in December 2025 Pico do Arieiro averaged 5.4 °C and went down to -1 °C (DREM).
Does it rain a lot in Madeira in December?
December is the wettest month in Funchal, with 94.8 mm over about 9 days (IPMA). It still averages about 134 hours of sunshine in the month, and rain usually comes in spells rather than for days on end.
Can you swim in Madeira in December?
The sea in Funchal averages about 19.5 °C in December (20.2 °C in December 2025, measured by DREM at the Pontinha pier). That is swimmable on a sunny day, but few Madeirans go in at this time of year.
Is Madeira busy in December?
Most of December is quiet: the island had 808,000 tourist nights in December 2025, against 1,399,000 in August 2026 (DREM). The exception is Christmas to New Year, when Funchal fills up and a typical week of car hire costs €238 to €265 instead of about €114.
What is the best time in December to visit Madeira?
The first half of the month if you want the Christmas lights, quiet roads and lower prices. The week from 23 December if you want the market night and the New Year fireworks, and do not mind paying more and booking early.
What time is sunset in Madeira in December?
Around 6pm all month in Funchal: 18:02 on 1 December and 18:10 on 31 December. Sunrise moves from 7:51 to 8:09.
Coming in December?
Tell us your dates and what you love doing, and we plan your days around the weather and the big nights, with a plan B for rain. A personal plan from our family is €149 for up to 5 days (€199 for 6 to 8), ready in 48 hours.