Madeira in February
Carnival month, colour, music and the start of the almond blossom.
Weather
Similar to January, 18–20 °C in Funchal. Statistically the driest winter month.
Sea temperature
18 °C, still cool. Cable-car and toboggan operate as normal.
Month at a glance
February brings Madeira's biggest winter party, Carnival, with parades, costumes and all-night street programming through Funchal. Outside Carnival week the island is still in low season, with mild dry weather and almond trees in bloom across the north slopes.
Why go in February
- Carnival parade week is genuinely spectacular
- Often the driest winter month
- Almond blossom on the north coast
Trade-offs
- Hotel prices spike around Carnival weekend
- Carnival weekend parking near Funchal centre is impossible
What's on in February
Madeira Carnival
The first big event in Madeira's calendar: samba-style street parades in Funchal and costume parties across the island. The 2027 edition runs 3 to 14 February, confirmed by the Madeira Tourism Board, with two main parades in Funchal on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 February and the satirical Cortejo Trapalhão on Carnival Tuesday, 9 February.
Carnival Market (Mercadinho de Carnaval)
Funchal market running through the 2027 Carnival season, 3 to 14 February, with regional produce, fresh fruit and plants, and Carnival treats such as malassadas and sonhos.
Cherry Blossom (Jardim da Serra)
Late-February to mid-March bloom of cherry orchards above Câmara de Lobos, Madeira's answer to hanami.
Festa dos Compadres (Santana)
Santana's satirical carnival festival and one of Madeira's oldest surviving folk traditions, the reception of the Comadres, the Thursday of the Compadres, an ethnographic parade and the famous 'Julgamento dos Compadres', in which two giant effigies accuse each other of the year's sins in front of the town hall before both are burned. The 2026 edition ran 5, 12, 21 and 22 February; 2027 dates follow the Carnival week of 3–14 February and are confirmed by the council in January.
Exposição Regional da Anona (Custard Apple Festival, Faial)
The village of Faial in Santana celebrates the anona, the custard apple that grows on the north coast, with tastings, anona liqueur and cakes, farming workshops, folk groups and evening concerts. The 35th edition ran 24 February – 1 March 2026; the 2027 edition is expected in the same late-February window.
What to prioritise
Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo
trailMadeira's most iconic ridge hike, from Pico do Areeiro (1,818 m, the island's third-highest peak) to Pico Ruivo (1,862 m, the highest) across exposed ridges, stairs and tunnels.
Levada do Caldeirão Verde
trailThe PR9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde is a 17.4 km out-and-back walk from Queimadas Forest Park above Santana, following an 18th-century laurisilva levada to a 100 m waterfall dropping into a green rock amphitheatre. Almost flat, four unlit tunnels, moderate exposure, one of the two most famous levada walks on the island.
Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço
trailThe arid eastern peninsula. Volcanic colours, dramatic sea cliffs, almost no shade. A complete contrast to the green interior.
Levada das 25 Fontes
trailWalk through Rabaçal's laurisilva to a lagoon fed by 25 springs. One of the most popular routes, go early.
Vereda do Fanal
trailOfficial 10.8 km route (about 4 h) from Assobiadores on the Paul da Serra plateau down through laurel forest to the Fanal forestry post, famous for its ancient til trees in the fog.
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.