Madeira · Month comparison
May vs September
September ranks #1 overall vs May at #5. Wine Festival, warmest sea temps, and prices dropping — September is the sweet spot.
May
#5 of 12 months
Best match
Warm, sunny, and dry — the best all-round month for hiking, beaches, and town culture combined.
- ↑May delivers the combination of good weather, accessible trails, and non-peak pricing that makes it arguably the single best month to visit Madeira. Temperatures reach 23°C on the south coast, sunshine averages 8 hours daily, and rainfall has reduced to scattered light showers. The full levada network is accessible, the sea temperature (21°C) is warm enough for comfortable swimming, and the Funchal restaurant and café culture is operating at full spring capacity.
- ↑The post-Flower Festival period in May is when Madeira's gardens are at their most diverse and colourful — the Monte Palace Tropical Garden above Funchal has over 100,000 plants across its terraces, and the formal gardens of the Quinta do Palheiro Ferreiro (dating to 1801) are considered among the finest gardens in Europe.
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 | May | September |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 9 | 9 |
| Value score | 6 | 6 |
| Crowd score | 6 | 6 |
| Events score | 6 | 9 |
| Atmosphere | 8 | 9 |
| Avg high temp | 23°C | 26.5°C |
| Monthly rain | 22mm | 30mm |
| Daily sunshine | 8hrs | 7.8hrs |
May trade-offs
- ↓May prices are meaningfully above the January–February low — a 4-star Funchal hotel that costs €180 in February will run €240–280 in May. Alcatrão levada walks near Funchal can be busy on weekends with local day-trippers as well as visitors.
- ↓The summer holiday crowds have not yet arrived, but British half-term (late May) brings a noticeable spike in family visitors and a corresponding jump in accommodation rates for that specific fortnight.
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 →