Madeira · Portugal
January
Post-New Year quiet with mild 19°C days — Europe's warmest winter island at its cheapest.
Best match
#3 of 12 months
January is one of the best times to visit Madeira.
Climate
High
19.5°C
Low
13.8°C
Rain
92mm
Sun
5.2hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How January scores in Madeira
Weather
Good
Value
Outstanding
Crowds
Outstanding
Events
Very good
Atmosphere
Excellent
What you gain in January
- ↑Madeira hosts what is officially certified as the world's largest New Year's Eve fireworks display, launching from multiple points along the Funchal hillsides simultaneously. The display lasts over 8 minutes and is filmed for broadcast across Europe annually — the city's hotel infrastructure sells out months ahead for December 31, but early January visitors find the island transformed by post-celebration quiet and prices at their annual floor. Funchal's old town (Zona Velha) and the cable car to Monte are accessible without the crowds that build in spring.
- ↑At 19–20°C on the south coast, Madeira in January is warmer than most of continental Europe in May. The subtropical Laurisilva (laurel forest) is at its most lush and atmospheric during the wet season — morning mist in the Rabacal valley and the levada walks around Fanal are genuinely ethereal, with ancient trees draped in moss and the paths empty of other walkers.
- ↑January hotel rates in Funchal are typically 40–50% below peak summer pricing. The island's tourist infrastructure is quieter but fully operational — restaurants, the casino, the Mercado dos Lavradores (workers' market), and the cable cars all run normally with wait times of minutes rather than the queues of April and summer.
What you sacrifice
- ↓January sees Madeira's highest rainfall of the year — the south coast receives 92mm, but the north and mountains can see two to three times that volume. Levada walks in exposed northern areas can be genuinely hazardous after heavy rain, and trail closures occur. Checking trail conditions with local operators before setting out is essential.
- ↓Ocean swimming is possible but cool — water temperatures drop to around 19°C in January, which is comfortable for some but below the threshold of casual beach culture. The south coast beaches (Machico, Calheta) are swimmable but not warm.
How January compares to September (best month)
| Factor | January | September ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 6 | 9 |
| Value | 9 | 6 |
| Crowds | 9 | 6 |
January in other destinations
Lisbon (13.6°C)Barcelona (13.2°C)Tokyo (9.8°C)Bali (30.2°C)Santorini (13.4°C)Paris (7°C)New York (3.3°C)Marrakech (17.3°C)Amsterdam (5.6°C)Maldives (30.1°C)Rome (11.6°C)Bangkok (31.1°C)Istanbul (8.7°C)Vienna (3.2°C)Seoul (1.1°C)Dubrovnik (11.1°C)Rio de Janeiro (30.9°C)Kyoto (9.2°C)Phuket (31.5°C)Cape Town (26.1°C)Prague (2°C)Amalfi Coast (12°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (31°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (24°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (29°C)Miami (24.1°C)Florence (9.2°C)Queenstown (22°C)Madrid (9.4°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (4°C)Budapest (4°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (6°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (18°C)Osaka (9°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (19°C)Buenos Aires (30°C)Mykonos (13°C)Zanzibar (32°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (28°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (13°C)Seville (15°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (29°C)Havana (26°C)Split (10°C)Taipei (19°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (15°C)Ho Chi Minh City (33°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (4°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (28°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (18°C)Jordan (12°C)Azores (17°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (19.8°C)Cairo (19.1°C)Kenya (26.8°C)Jaipur (22.2°C)Las Vegas (13.9°C)San Francisco (13.2°C)Vancouver (6.9°C)Muscat (26.4°C)Lima (26.2°C)Cinque Terre (11°C)Kotor (10°C)Tel Aviv (18°C)Santiago (30°C)Bogotá (19°C)Bruges (5.8°C)Penang (31.5°C)Lombok (30.8°C)Cape Verde (26.2°C)Fez (13.8°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (18°C)Oslo (-1°C)Auckland (24°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Madeira, not across destinations. Methodology →