Madeira in January: weather, events and what to pack

January is one of the calmest months of the year. The New Year crowds leave in the first days, prices fall, and the island goes back to its everyday rhythm. In Funchal it is usually T-shirt weather at lunchtime and jumper weather in the evening.

The weather in January

Expect days around 20 °C on the south coast and nights around 14 °C. Rain comes in spells, often with a few grey days followed by clear, sunny ones. The sea is about 19 °C. The mountains are cold, with frost possible at dawn on the high peaks, and the north coast is wetter than the south. This is one of the months when strong wind is most likely to delay flights.

Mid-month you get about 10 hours of daylight, with sunrise around 08:10 and sunset around 18:23. For today’s conditions, see our weather page and the live webcams.

Festivals and events

The Christmas lights stay on into the first week of January. On 5 January traditional groups sing the Cantar dos Reis, the Epiphany songs, and on 15 January many families close the festive season on Santo Amaro, taking down their nativity scenes. The full list of dated events for January is below, taken from our calendar.

What to do in January

• Low and middle-altitude levada walks, which are green and quiet
• Funchal’s gardens, with camellias in flower at Palheiro
• Long lunches outside on sunny days
• Clear days for Pico do Arieiro, if you are flexible

What to pack

• Layers: T-shirts plus a warm jumper or light down jacket
• A proper rain jacket
• Long trousers and grippy shoes for walks
• Hat and gloves for mountain sunrises

See the full packing list.

Crowds and prices

One of the cheapest months, apart from the first few days. Flights and apartments are good value from the second week.

Good to know

Keep one or two days flexible for walks, and leave a buffer before connecting flights in case of wind. Read the best time to visit Madeira to compare the months.