Madeira in December
Christmas lights + New Year fireworks — Funchal's most magical month.
19–21 °C in Funchal, cool in the mountains.
20 °C, swimmable for the hardy.
December splits in two: a quiet first three weeks ideal for hiking and cheap stays, then an explosion of activity around Christmas and New Year. Funchal's Christmas lights are extravagant and the New Year fireworks display — once Guinness-record-listed as the largest in the world — is the island's signature event.
Why come in December
- +Christmas lights through central Funchal
- +World-famous New Year fireworks
- +Mild winter sun in early December
- +Laurisilva at its lushest
Trade-offs
- −NYE doubles hotel prices and books out by October
- −More mountain cloud than autumn
- −Some trails close briefly after winter rain
Events in December
What to prioritise
Funchal
townMadeira's capital and largest city. Home to the cable car to Monte, the historic Old Town and the cruise port.
Câmara de Lobos
townColourful fishing village just west of Funchal, famously painted by Winston Churchill.
Santana
townNorthern town known for its triangular thatched-roof houses (palheiros) and access to the laurisilva.
Porto Moniz
townVolcanic-pool town on Madeira's north-west tip, famous for its naturally-formed lava swimming pools fed directly by the Atlantic.
Machico
townThe first settlement on Madeira, in a wide eastern bay close to the airport.
Cabo Girão Skywalk
viewpointGlass-floor viewing platform on one of Europe's highest sea cliffs, 580 m above the Atlantic.
Pico do Areeiro
viewpointMadeira's third-highest peak, reachable by car — the easiest place to be above the clouds at sunrise.
Miradouro dos Balcões
viewpointEasy 30-minute levada walk to a panoramic balcony over the central mountain massif.
Frequently asked
- When are the New Year fireworks in Madeira?
- Midnight on December 31st in Funchal harbour. Best free viewing: Pico dos Barcelos, Pico da Cruz or any south-facing hotel terrace booked months ahead.
- Are Madeira's Christmas lights worth it?
- Yes — central Funchal is fully decorated from late November, with tableaux on Avenida Arriaga and the cathedral square. Locals call the run-up to Christmas 'Festas' and it's the busiest month for restaurants.