Early December 1 December
67°F
Typical afternoon high
37% historical wet-day frequency
Portugal · Beach
Madeira
in December.
Is December a good time?
Mild days.
A steady visitor season.
December averages 66°F afternoons and 69°F seas, with about 9 rain days.
- Afternoons
- 66°F
- Sea
- 69°F
- Visitor demand
- 62%of August peak
Historical Região Autónoma da Madeira regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Funchal and Porto Santo; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
6.8/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#10 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather6.4/10Good
CrowdsSteady all yearsimilar all year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, one of Europe's busiest this month
CostModeratefor Europe
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your December
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 66°F (19°C): light layers; nights around 55°F (13°C): a sweater and a light jacket. Bring rain gear: about 9 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 10 hours of daylight.
Can I swim in December?
The sea averages 69°F. Our swimming guide: fresh: fine once you are in. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.
Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 10 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 08:02 and sets about 18:03 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 55°F (13°C); afternoons reach about 66°F (19°C). Expect rain on about 9 days in a typical December.
Typical afternoon
66°F (19°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
55°F (13°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
69°F (20°C)
fresh; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
10h 01m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late December?
Early and late December have similar afternoon averages. The afternoon high averages 67°F on the 1st, versus 65°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 37% to 21% between those dates.
Mid December 15 December
66°F
Typical afternoon high
28% historical wet-day frequency
Late December 31 December
65°F
Typical afternoon high
21% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Public holidays · 2026: 1 Dec Independence Day; 8 Dec Immaculate Conception Day; 25 Dec Christmas.
Daily calendar & holiday datesDecember 2026 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
December 2026 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2026.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 167° | 267° | 366° | 466° | 566° | 666° | |
| 766° | 866° | 966° | 1066° | 1166° | 1266° | 1366° |
| 1466° | 1566° | 1666° | 1766° | 1865° | 1965° | 2065° |
| 2165° | 2265° | 2365° | 2465° | 2565° | 2665° | 2765° |
| 2865° | 2965° | 3065° | 3165° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons hold at about 66°F (19°C) all month. The chance of a wet day runs 19–37%. Local schools are out 16–31 December 2026.
Schools here are off 16–31 December 2026 (Christmas holidays). Public holidays: 1 Dec Independence Day; 8 Dec Immaculate Conception Day; 25 Dec Christmas. Elsewhere in December 2026, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 39%, Germany 29%, Italy 35%, Spain 32%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Steady all year. December averages 62% of August's overnight stays per day. Overnight demand varies little across the year.
Overnight stays across Região Autónoma da Madeira do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, one of Europe's busiest this month.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
A little above usual. Historical regional hotel revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €65 per guest-night. An average, not a booking quote.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
Historical hotel average
€65
2024–2025 monthly average; hotel revenue per guest-night; not a current booking quote. +7% vs this region's usual month.
Portugal as a whole
Well below EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 76 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
The historical regional amount comes from INE Portugal, Inquérito à Permanência de Hóspedes: hotel room revenue per guest-night; the country price level is national. Hotel averages are not live booking quotes.
Year-to-year variation
How much does December vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 62°F (17°C) and 68°F (20°C); in 14 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 66°F (19°C). Rain days ranged from 3 to 16; half the years had 5–11.
Rain days in each December
Rain days
9
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 13 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
3 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no December in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
13 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded DecemberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 65°F | 3 |
| 2012 | 65°F | 5 |
| 2013 | 65°F | 7 |
| 2014 | 62°F | 9 |
| 2015 | 68°F | 7 |
| 2016 | 65°F | 10 |
| 2017 | 65°F | 5 |
| 2018 | 67°F | 4 |
| 2019 | 67°F | 9 |
| 2020 | 65°F | 9 |
| 2021 | 66°F | 13 |
| 2022 | 68°F | 16 |
| 2023 | 68°F | 8 |
| 2024 | 66°F | 11 |
| 2025 | 65°F | 11 |
Checked against official climate averages for Funchal (Observatorio). How we check
Compare dates
November, December
or January?
| Typical conditions | Nov | Dec | Jan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 69°F | 66°F | 64°F |
| Sea | 71°F | 69°F | 67°F |
| Rain days | 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Overnight demand | 75% | 62% | 60% |
November: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than December. November guide →
January: Cooler sea and fewer rain days than December. January guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.
Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with December Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. December stays as your reference.
Hotel stays vary little through the year. May to October have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than December.
Your comparison
December or November?
Overnight stays vary little through the year.
Historical regional hotel revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €56 per guest-night. An average, not a booking quote.
Read the November guide →| Typical conditions | December | November |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 66°F | 69°F |
| Nights | 55°F | 58°F |
| Sea | 69°F | 71°F |
| Rain days | 9 | 10 |
| Visitor season | Steady all year | Steady all year |
| Overall / 10 | 6.8 | 7.3 |
| Month rank | #10 | #7 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.8 | #11 | 64°F | 53°F | 67°F | 7 | 6.0 | Steady all year |
| February | 6.8 | #12 | 64°F | 52°F | 65°F | 6 | 6.0 | Steady all year |
| March | 6.9 | #9 | 66°F | 53°F | 65°F | 6 | 6.3 | Steady all year |
| April | 7.2 | #8 | 68°F | 54°F | 66°F | 6 | 7.0 | Steady all year |
| May | 7.7 | #6 | 71°F | 56°F | 68°F | 3 | 8.1 | Steady all year |
| June | 8.4 | #4 | 75°F | 59°F | 70°F | 1 | 9.4 | Steady all year |
| July | 8.6 | #1 | 79°F | 62°F | 72°F | 0 | 10.0 | Steady all year |
| August | 8.6 | #2 | 81°F | 64°F | 74°F | 1 | 10.0 | Steady all year |
| September | 8.5 | #3 | 78°F | 64°F | 75°F | 4 | 9.8 | Steady all year |
| October | 7.9 | #5 | 75°F | 62°F | 74°F | 9 | 8.4 | Steady all year |
| November | 7.3 | #7 | 69°F | 58°F | 71°F | 10 | 7.1 | Steady all year |
| December | 6.8 | #10 | 66°F | 55°F | 69°F | 9 | 6.4 | Steady all year |
Elsewhere in Europe
Better December weather than Madeira
Madeira's weather ranks 7 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Portugal have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Madeira.
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
Hotel stays are steady all year here: this month is 62% of the busiest and 24% below average. That counts overnight stays, not how busy the sights are. That means about 20,000 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 16% of them from Portugal itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 10,000 more: 49 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100) | 67 |
| How our weather was checked | Official climate averages for Funchal (Observatorio) from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 2°F (1.2°C), night lows within 3°F (1.8°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 79 |
| Busiest month here | August · 127 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 7.3% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 98th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 16% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 49 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 10.5% |
| Population used | 259,000 |
| Statistical region | PT30 · Região Autónoma da Madeira |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national; the first figure is regional (INE Portugal, Inquérito à Permanência de Hóspedes: hotel room revenue per guest-night). Full method · this region's data.