Madeira · Portugal
May
Warm, sunny, and dry — the best all-round month for hiking, beaches, and town culture combined.
Best match
#5 of 12 months
There are better months for Madeira — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
23°C
Low
16°C
Rain
22mm
Sun
8hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How May scores in Madeira
Weather
Outstanding
Value
Good
Crowds
Good
Events
Good
Atmosphere
Excellent
What you gain in May
- ↑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.
- ↑Birdwatching in May is excellent — Madeira's endemic species (Madeiran Firecrest, Laurel Pigeon, Zino's Petrel) are all active, and the Laurisilva UNESCO World Heritage forest at its most productive biologically. Guided birding walks from Funchal regularly produce all five endemic species in a half-day.
What you sacrifice
- ↓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.
How May compares to September (best month)
| Factor | May | September ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 9 | 9 |
| Value | 6 | 6 |
| Crowds | 6 | 6 |
May in other destinations
Lisbon (20.7°C)Barcelona (20.8°C)Tokyo (23.8°C)Bali (31.2°C)Santorini (19.8°C)Paris (18.1°C)New York (20.4°C)Marrakech (26.4°C)Amsterdam (16.4°C)Maldives (31.5°C)Rome (21.7°C)Bangkok (32.6°C)Istanbul (20.7°C)Vienna (19.7°C)Seoul (21.4°C)Dubrovnik (20.9°C)Rio de Janeiro (26.2°C)Kyoto (25.2°C)Phuket (32.6°C)Cape Town (18.9°C)Prague (21°C)Amalfi Coast (23°C)Mexico City (27°C)Medellín (27°C)Fiji (28°C)London (18°C)Sydney (19°C)Iceland (10°C)Tulum (32°C)Dubai (38°C)Singapore (33°C)Hoi An (33°C)Chiang Mai (33°C)Miami (30.6°C)Florence (23.1°C)Queenstown (11°C)Madrid (21.7°C)Porto (21°C)Edinburgh (15°C)Copenhagen (16°C)Budapest (22°C)Kraków (20°C)Tbilisi (23°C)Palawan (32°C)Hanoi (31°C)Osaka (25°C)Goa (33°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (19°C)Mykonos (23°C)Zanzibar (28°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)Costa Rica (27°C)Cancun (32°C)Krabi (33°C)Athens (25°C)Seville (27°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (34°C)Havana (30°C)Split (22°C)Taipei (30°C)Kuala Lumpur (33°C)Valletta (24°C)Ho Chi Minh City (34°C)Hawaii (29°C)Cappadocia (22°C)Dominican Republic (31°C)Jamaica (31°C)Tanzania (23°C)Seychelles (28°C)Nepal (28°C)Jordan (28°C)Azores (21°C)Bora Bora (28°C)Los Angeles (22.8°C)Cairo (34.8°C)Kenya (26.1°C)Jaipur (40.2°C)Las Vegas (33.8°C)San Francisco (17.5°C)Vancouver (17.8°C)Muscat (40.1°C)Lima (20.5°C)Cinque Terre (21°C)Kotor (22°C)Tel Aviv (27°C)Santiago (17°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (17.8°C)Penang (33.2°C)Lombok (31.5°C)Cape Verde (27.8°C)Fez (27.8°C)Kerala (33°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (28°C)Oslo (17°C)Auckland (17°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Madeira, not across destinations. Methodology →