1. Weather
First of all, it is the weather! It is a completely different way to experience winter. Madeira Island is situated in the Atlantic Ocean north-west of Africa. The subtropical climate in Madeira is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and as a result doesn’t have much of the temperature extremes. Madeira is considered to be an island of eternal spring and we cannot more than agree!
2. Calm Surroundings
Despite of the stable clime throughout the year, winter months in Madeira Island are less occupied by the tourists. The streets, restaurants, museums, churches, but also other places of interest are not that crowded so take it as an advantage to visit the Island.
3. Traditional Food & Drinks
Come and don’t miss the opportunity to try traditional food served during this period. For example, warm chestnuts are one of the favorite goodies which are very tasty. There are also other markets with many things to try, from traditional drinks like poncha and Madeira wine to local “bolo do caco” and others.
4. Christmas And New Year’s Eve
The Christmas and New Year celebrations in Madeira offer an eclectic program of cultural, popular and artistic events. Coming in December you can see spectacularly decorated streets of Funchal and colored lights lit in the main streets of the city until the beginning of January. The highlight of the New Year celebration is the firework display launched from about 50 stations that brings thousands of visitors to the Island every year.
5. Carnival Festival
The Madeira Carnival, one of the biggest street parties in Europe, evokes the effusive spirit of Rio de Janeiro! There are the two main events, the first called “Great Allegorical Parade” held on Saturday that is exhibiting the best bands and schools of samba with their colorful costumes. The other one, “The Clumsy Parade” is held on Tuesday and is more popular than the first one and also a little anarchical because of its marks of the political and social criticism.
Hi, I am Jhonathan Rodrigues and I’ve been running my own travel business for the last 12 years in Madeira Island. I was born in Venezuela but soon I fell in love with Madeira
My mission with themadeiraislandguide.com is to show you the best that Madeira has to offer. I hope you enjoy it!.
I love the carnival festival in Madeira!
Amazing! 🙂