So you can swim all year round in Madeira if you are not cold. If you want to sunbathe and swim, the months of May to September are obviously the best. The island of Porto Santo and its 7 km long beach should interest you, even if the influence of tourists is impressive in high season!
A Portuguese archipelago that's closer to Africa than mainland Portugal, January's the wettest month of the year but you'll still get lots of winter sun if you plan your Madeira holidays at this time.
The southwest is the place to be for more guaranteed sun; Ribeira Brava, Ponta do Sol and Calheta boast the best climates on the island followed by Funchal, Camera de lobos and Machico.
Considered one of the best beaches in Europe and enjoying the unique characteristics of the north coast, Seixal Beach is a paradise for all kinds of swimmers: from beginners to the most experienced ones. Calheta Beach is one of the island of Madeira's few yellow sandy beaches.
Located in Funchal, the Complexo Balnear do Lido, open year round, is a place for swimming enthusiasts, either in the sea or in a saltwater pool. Formosa Beach - A long beach that combines pebble and sandy areas, offering a complete swimming experience along the coast of Funchal.
Absolutely.If you are looking to escape the cold of Winter, enjoy some warmth and stunning landscapes, traveling to Madeira is an excellent idea. However, understand that it is not a tropical destination – many beaches have rocks, not sand, and temperatures are more Spring-like warm than hot.
Madeira is 967.7 kilometers (601.3 miles) away and has the same time zone with Lisboa, Portugal. Madeira's climate is classified as Mediterranean, warm summer (Köppen climate classification: Csb) while Lisboa has a Mediterranean, hot summer climate (Csa). Madeira generally has warmer weather than Lisboa.
Famous for it's year-round warmth and sunshine – choosing the best time to visit Madeira all depends on the type of holiday you're looking for… Let's start at the beginning of the year – January through to March is the coolest time of the year, but it's also the quietest and the cheapest.
Madeira has a subtropical climate thanks to its location off the northwest coast of Africa, with the Portuguese archipelago great for winter sun. February's one of the wettest months of the year but there's less rain than January and you'll get plenty of warm and sunny weather.
Whale and dolphin watching is possible in Madeira year-round, thanks to resident cetacean populations and good sea conditions. However, the best season for whale-watching tends to be from spring to autumn.
We went in April and whilst I agree that Madeira is a stunning island particularly in the interior we found it much cooler than the Canaries at the same time of year. It depends what you want in a holiday but you only need to look at how green the island is to realise that there must be significant rainfall.