Madeira · Month comparison
February vs September
September ranks #1 overall vs February at #4. Wine Festival, warmest sea temps, and prices dropping — September is the sweet spot.
February
#4 of 12 months
Best match
Carnival week transforms Funchal — parades, costumes, and still well below peak prices.
- ↑Madeira Carnival (dates vary by Easter, typically February) is one of the most characterful carnival celebrations in the Portuguese world — the main Saturday parade through central Funchal features elaborate floats and costumes comparable in ambition if not scale to Rio. The Allegorical Parade and the Traje à Vontade (come-as-you-please) parade on Tuesday give the whole city a festive atmosphere for an entire week. Hotel prices spike for Carnival week itself but remain below summer peak.
- ↑February's improving sunshine (5.8 hours daily vs. January's 5.2) and slightly lower rainfall make it a meaningfully better month for outdoor activities than January. The almond trees in the Jardim da Serra area above Câmara de Lobos bloom white and pink in February — a spectacle specific to this microclimate that is one of the island's most beautiful seasonal events.
September
#1 of 12 months
Best match
Wine Festival, warmest sea temps, and prices dropping — September is the sweet spot.
- ↑The Madeira Wine Festival (first two weeks of September, centred on Funchal) is the island's most culturally rich annual event. The harvest treading in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos (visitors can participate), the wine parade through central Funchal, and the Blandy's and Henriques & Henriques lodge open days combine for a celebration that is genuinely rooted in the island's economy and culture rather than tourist artifice. Tastings of vintage Madeira — wine that can survive for a century in cask — are included in many festival events.
- ↑September sea temperatures peak at 24°C — the warmest of any month — while the summer crowds have diminished significantly after the first week of September. The beaches at Calheta and Machico, and the Porto Moniz rock pools, are at their most inviting with warm water and manageable visitor numbers.
| Factor | February | September |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 6 | 9 |
| Value score | 8 | 6 |
| Crowd score | 8 | 6 |
| Events score | 8 | 9 |
| Atmosphere | 8 | 9 |
| Avg high temp | 19.8°C | 26.5°C |
| Monthly rain | 78mm | 30mm |
| Daily sunshine | 5.8hrs | 7.8hrs |
February trade-offs
- ↓Rainfall remains meaningful at 78mm — March is the transition month, and February still delivers regular wet spells. The northern and mountain areas of the island are significantly wetter than the south coast figures suggest, and cloud can settle in the Rabacal plateau for days at a time.
- ↓Carnival week accommodation needs booking 2–3 months in advance for central Funchal, and the immediate post-Carnival period can feel anticlimactic as the island quietens suddenly after the festivities.
September trade-offs
- ↓September sees the first meaningful autumn rainfall returning — 30mm, compared to August's 5mm. This mostly manifests as occasional afternoon showers rather than sustained rain, but the transition from absolute summer dryness is noticeable. North coast trails can become temporarily muddy after heavier showers.
- ↓Wine Festival weekends specifically cause accommodation spikes — the festival is well-known in the Portuguese and British travel market, and Funchal hotel prices during the festival fortnight can be 30–40% above the surrounding weeks.
Scores compare months within Madeira. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →