Madeira in February. 🎭 Carnival and spring in the middle of winter

I’ve been to Madeira in February twice. In 2025 I spent a month working remotely from Funchal, together with my dog Tesla. In 2026 I flew in for a few days. Those two trips gave me more photos than any others, and all the pictures in this guide come from them.

Below I’ve put together what’s worth knowing before a February trip: the weather on the coast and in the mountains, the 2027 Carnival dates, what’s in bloom, things to do, flights and accommodation prices. I checked the figures against IPMA data, regional statistics (DREM) and the Madeira tourism authority’s calendar.

Is Madeira worth visiting in February?

February is a good month if you’re after a mild winter rather than a beach holiday. In February’s favour:

• around 20°C by day in Funchal, in the middle of winter,
• Carnival in Funchal, in 2027 with two evenings of parades,
• lush greenery after the winter rains and gardens in bloom,
• lower accommodation prices than in summer.

There are downsides too:

• the sea is around 18°C, and there are no lifeguards on the beaches yet,
• the mountains are cold and wet, it sometimes snows, and trails are sometimes closed after heavy rain,
• the days are shorter than in summer, around 10.5–11.5 hours,
• February isn’t quiet: hotels are around 70% full, and Poland is the fourth-biggest market after the UK, Germany and Portugal.

Madeira weather in February

On the south coast February is one of the coolest months, but it’s only “cool” by local standards. According to IPMA’s 1991–2020 normals, the average temperature in Funchal is 16.8°C: around 20°C by day and around 14°C at night. It rains on 5–6 days on average, around 72 mm in total (IPMA normals for Funchal). The lowest February temperature recorded in that period was 8.7°C.

The mountains have a different climate. At the Chão do Areeiro station (1590 m) it’s around 11°C colder than in Funchal in February, and more than three times as much rain falls. Downpours happen: on 18 February 2025, 162.8 mm fell there in 24 hours (DREM, IPMA bulletin for February 2026). The north of the island is wetter than Funchal: in Santana the February normal is around 129 mm.

February can also surprise you with sunshine. In Funchal in February 2024, 2025 and 2026 there were 189–202 hours of sun, well above the normal. Photos from a single week in February 2026 show both faces of the month: clouds over Câmara de Lobos on 9 February and clear skies over Seixal the next day.

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1: Seixal, 10 February 2026, 2: Câmara de Lobos, 9 February 2026, 3: Clouds over the coast, seen from a yacht, 11 February 2026. Photos: Ewelina Podrez-Siama

You’ll find the current forecast for Funchal, Porto Moniz, Pico do Arieiro and Porto Santo on my Madeira weather page, along with a month-by-month comparison. If you can’t decide when to go, compare February with Madeira in March (longer days and Easter) and Madeira in November (a warmer ocean).

Madeira Carnival 2027

February in Madeira is all about Carnival. According to the regional tourism authority’s official calendar, in 2027 it will run in central Funchal from 3 to 14 February (DRT calendar 2026–2028, version of 6 October 2026). The key dates:

• Thursday 4 Feb: in the morning, a parade of around a thousand children from Funchal’s schools and nurseries on Avenida Arriaga; later, the Carnaval Solidário, a charity procession from Avenida Arriaga to the Municipal Garden,
• Friday 5 Feb and Saturday 6 Feb: the Grande Cortejo Alegórico, the grand parade with floats and dance groups. According to Visit Madeira, in 2027 it will run on two evenings for the first time,
• Tuesday 9 Feb: the Cortejo Trapalhão, a satirical fancy-dress procession that anyone can join.

The organisers haven’t yet announced the times and route for 2027. Until now the allegorical parade set off on Saturday at 20:00 and the Trapalhão on Tuesday at 16:00. Both followed the same route: from Avenida Francisco Sá Carneiro by the port, along the Avenida do Mar waterfront to Praça da Autonomia (DNoticias, 2026; DNoticias on the Trapalhão; 2023 programme). In 2026 around 1700 people took part in the parade. In previous years you signed up for the Trapalhão on the spot, on the day of the procession, between 14:00 and 15:30. I’ll add the 2027 programme once it’s out.

You can see Carnival coming a few days in advance: decorations and lights go up along the avenues. In my photos from the end of February 2025, Avenida Arriaga is glowing with Carnival lights, and in February 2026 masks were waiting in the hotel lobby. The island’s Carnival season opens with the Festa dos Compadres in Santana. There’s no date for 2027 yet. I’ve seen Carnival in Madeira twice: in 2025 I went to the parade with Tesla, and on 13 February 2026 I saw the Carnaval Solidário and the children’s parade.

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1: Carnival masks in a hotel in Funchal, February 2026, 2: Carnival lights in Funchal, February 2026, 3: Carnival lights in central Funchal, February 2025, 4: With Tesla at the Carnival in Funchal, February 2025. Photos: Ewelina Podrez-Siama

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1: Carnival in Funchal, February 2025, 2: Carnaval Solidário, 13 February 2026, 3: A Carnival procession in Funchal, 13 February 2026, 4: The children’s Carnival in the Municipal Garden, 13 February 2026. Photos: Ewelina Podrez-Siama

What’s in bloom in Madeira in February?

Madeira is at its greenest in winter. In February the camellias are in flower in the Quinta do Palheiro garden: according to Visit Madeira, the best time to see them is from November to April (Palheiro Gardens). In the mountains, mimosa blooms yellow from January to April. It looks beautiful, but it’s an invasive species that crowds out native plants.

I’ll show you the rest in my own photos from February 2026. In Funchal the African tulip trees and bird of paradise flowers were in bloom, a flowering agave arched over the city, and the stalls were piled with bunches of proteas and heaps of fruit: passion fruit, bananas, mangoes and pitayas.

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1: African tulip tree in Funchal, 8 February 2026, 2: A flowering agave above Funchal, February 2026, 3: Proteas on a stall in Funchal, February 2026, 4: Bird of paradise flowers in Funchal, February 2026. Photos: Ewelina Podrez-Siama

Things to do in Madeira in February

The west of the island on a sunny day

When the forecast shows sunshine, head west and north. Ponta do Sol is a colourful little town below a terraced cliff. Higher up, on the edge of the Paul da Serra plateau, is the Fanal forest, with ancient til trees and cows grazing in the meadows. On the north coast, Seixal awaits with its black beach and a natural pool below the cliff.

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1: Ponta do Sol in February, 2: Fanal in February, 3: The natural pool in Seixal. Photos: Ewelina Podrez-Siama, 2026

Not far from Seixal is Porto Moniz. Its natural pools are open all year, in winter from 9:00 to 17:00, and entry costs €3. They’re sometimes closed when there’s a big swell from the north.

Levadas and trails

In winter IFCN closes trails because of the weather more often, usually for 1–3 days, e.g. from 1 to 3 January 2026. A weather warning doesn’t close them automatically, though: IFCN decides each time (IFCN, FAQ). Check the trail status the day before and in the morning before you set off. IFCN trails require a ticket (how to buy one), and you only get a refund if the trail is officially closed.

In February you get around 10.5–11.5 hours of daylight, so start longer walks in the morning. The levadas are wet and slippery, and a head torch comes in handy in the tunnels. I compare routes from easy strolls to full-day hikes in my round-up of the most beautiful levada walks in Madeira.

Sunrise at Pico do Arieiro

In mid-February the sun rises at around 7:50, so you don’t have to get up as early as in summer. It’s cold at the top, though: at night the temperature drops to around zero, and with the wind it feels colder. Snow on the highest peaks happens from November to April, e.g. on 15 February 2025. When it snows, the authorities close the ER202 to Pico do Arieiro and the ER218 to Achada do Teixeira, as on 3 March 2026. A widget in my guide to Pico do Arieiro shows the sunrise and cloud forecast at summit height.

Swimming in the ocean

In February the sea off Funchal is around 18°C: in February 2026 IPMA measured an average of 18.0°C, and a year earlier 19.1°C. There are no lifeguards on the beaches in February. Bathing seasons are set by regulation separately for each beach, and the earliest starts on 15 April (Portaria 206/2026).

Dolphins and whales

Dolphin and whale-watching trips run all year. 28 species of cetaceans have been confirmed in Madeiran waters (Museu da Baleia). Bottlenose dolphins live here all year, and common dolphins appear more often from December to May: in a 2011–2014 study they were seen on more than 70% of trips in March and April (a thesis from the University of the Algarve). Large whales are irregular, so no operator can guarantee them.

Gardens and Funchal

On a rainy day, Funchal and the gardens are your best bet. I visited Monte Palace on both February trips. I cover tickets, the map and a route round the garden in my guide to Monte Palace Tropical Garden.

The Monte toboggan ride

I’ve done the wicker toboggan ride down from Monte once: it was fun, but it’s the kind of thing you do once. The carreiros, dressed in white, steer the toboggans from below the Nossa Senhora do Monte church to Livramento, about 2 km down a steep street. The toboggans run Monday to Saturday, 9:00–18:00, and a ride costs €30 for one person, €40 for two and €60 for three. You can only buy tickets on the spot and only for the same day. In bad weather they may stop early (Carreiros do Monte). I explain how to combine the toboggan with the cable car and the garden in the half-day plan in my guide to Monte Palace.

Working remotely from Madeira in February

In February and March 2025 I spent a month working remotely from an apartment close to the centre of Funchal. Tesla, my dog, was with me. I explain how to prepare a dog for the flight and where you can take it in my guide to Madeira with a dog.

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1: Working remotely on a terrace in Funchal, 2025, 2: The view from my apartment terrace in Funchal, February 2025, 3: Tesla above the bay of Funchal, February 2025, 4: Funchal at night, February 2025. Photos: Ewelina Podrez-Siama

In winter Madeira is on UTC. I compare the best areas for a longer stay in my guide to where to stay in Madeira.

Flights to Madeira in February

Madeira has direct flights from the UK and many EU airports.

Madeira airport has mandatory wind limits. When it blows hard, planes circle, land on Porto Santo, in Faro or on Tenerife, or the flight is cancelled. That’s what happened on 26 and 27 February 2026: 13 flights were cancelled on the first day and at least 45 on the second (DNoticias, ECO/Lusa). Days like that happen at any time of year, so leave some slack before an important journey home. My Madeira airport wind checker shows the wind forecast over the airport.

Prices and accommodation in Madeira in February

According to regional statistics, the average hotel room rate in February 2026 was €109.58 a night, about 34% less than in August (€166.24). Hotel occupancy was 69.9%, compared with 83.1% in August (DREM, February 2026; DREM, August 2026). January is quieter: room occupancy was 57.5%, and the average rate was even slightly higher than in February (DREM, January 2026). Book early for Carnival, as those are February’s busiest days.

I compare the best areas to stay in my guide to where to stay in Madeira.

What to pack for Madeira in February

• layers: a T-shirt, a jumper or fleece and a rain jacket that also keeps out the wind,
• a hat and gloves if you’re going up to Pico do Arieiro for sunrise,
• shoes with grippy soles for wet levadas,
• a head torch for the tunnels and in case darkness falls while you’re on the trail,
• sunscreen and sunglasses, because the February sun in Madeira can be strong,
• swimwear for the pools in Porto Moniz or the hotel pool.

Madeira in February: FAQs