Madeira in March. 🌸 Weather and Easter on the island

In March 2025 I was finishing my month of remote work in Funchal, together with my dog Tesla. We lived in a studio close to the centre, so I know Funchal in March from everyday walks, not just from a single weekend.

Below I’ve put together what to expect in March: the weather on the coast and in the mountains, the sea temperature, Easter and other events, things to do, flights and accommodation prices. I checked the figures against IPMA data, regional statistics (DREM) and the official events calendar.

Is Madeira worth visiting in March?

March is a good month for the first warmth of spring, dolphins and walks around Funchal. In March’s favour:

• around 21°C by day in Funchal, when it’s often still cold back home,
• longer and longer days, over 12 hours by the end of the month,
• the peak season for spotting common dolphins,
• Easter with processions in Funchal (in 2027 at the end of March).

The downsides:

• the coldest sea of the year and no lifeguards on the beaches,
• cold and wet in the mountains, sometimes snow, and trails are sometimes closed after heavy rain,
• March can be very wet: in 2026 Funchal had more than twice its normal rainfall,
• accommodation is pricier than in January and February.

Madeira weather in March

According to IPMA’s 1991–2020 normals, the average temperature in Funchal in March is 17.4°C: around 21°C by day and around 14°C at night. It rains on 6 days on average, around 62 mm in total (IPMA normals for Funchal). The March records are 30.5°C (22 March 2002) and 8.5°C (15 March 2011).

An individual March can stray a long way from the norm. In 2026, 138.4 mm of rain fell in Funchal, and 664.9 mm at the Chão do Areeiro station in the mountains. Even so, Funchal had 212.7 hours of sunshine, more than usual (DREM, IPMA bulletin for March 2026).

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1: A rainbow over the rooftops of Funchal in March, 2: Wet cobbles after morning rain in Funchal, 3: Sunrise at Pico do Arieiro, 4: Sunrise above the clouds, Pico do Arieiro. Photos: Ewelina Podrez-Siama, 2025

You’ll find the current forecast and a month-by-month comparison on my Madeira weather page. I cover autumn in Madeira in November and winter in Madeira in February.

Easter and events in March

The region’s official events calendar has no major events in March 2027: Carnival is in February, and the Festa da Flor (Flower Festival) runs from the end of April to the end of May (DRT calendar 2026–2028). Still, a few things happen in March:

• Holy Week and Easter: in 2027 Palm Sunday falls on 21 March, Good Friday on 26 March (a public holiday across Portugal) and Easter Sunday on 28 March. In 2025 in Funchal, palms were blessed at the Igreja do Colégio at 10:30 on Palm Sunday, followed by a procession to the cathedral; on Good Friday at 19:30 there was the Enterro do Senhor procession, and on Easter Sunday at 10:30 the Resurrection procession. The diocese usually publishes the programme about a week before Palm Sunday.
• Festival de Música da Madeira: a classical music festival, in 2026 from 7 to 28 March, with 10 concerts across the island and free entry. There are no dates for 2027 yet.
• Festa da Anona in Faial: the Santana municipality lists it for March, but recent editions have been in February – in 2026 from 24 February to 1 March.

What’s in bloom in Madeira in March?

In the Quinta do Palheiro garden the camellias are still in flower in March; their season runs from November to April. In the mountains, invasive mimosa blooms yellow. The jacarandas in Funchal won’t flower until the end of April.

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1: Bougainvillea and Cabo Girão from Câmara de Lobos, 2: Flowers in a park in Funchal in March, 3: Calla lilies in the Monte Palace garden in March, 4: Protea-family flowers at Monte Palace in March. Photos: Ewelina Podrez-Siama, 2025

Things to do in Madeira in March

Dolphins

March is a good month for a boat trip. In a 2011–2014 study, common dolphins were seen off the south of the island on more than 70% of trips in March and April (a thesis from the University of the Algarve), and bottlenose dolphins live around Madeira all year (Museu da Baleia). In stormy weather trips may not go ahead, and nobody can guarantee a sighting.

Sunrise at Pico do Arieiro

I went up for sunrise in March 2025 in a light jacket and was grateful for every extra layer: it was −1°C at the top and the first snowflakes were falling. In 2026 the temperature dropped to −3.3°C, a record for that station. Snow and closed roads to Pico do Arieiro happened in March in 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026, and on 3 March 2026 snow fell as low as around 800 m. A widget in my guide to Pico do Arieiro shows the sunrise forecast.

Levadas and trails

In March IFCN closed trails in bad weather: twice in 2025 and three times in 2026 – on 19 March, all of them. Check the trail status in the evening and again in the morning, because IFCN trails require a ticket (how to buy one), and you only get a refund if a trail is officially closed. I compare routes in my round-up of the most beautiful levada walks in Madeira.

Funchal and around on foot

When it’s pouring in the mountains, the coast is often sunny. From Funchal you can walk west along the promenade, past Praia Formosa all the way to Câmara de Lobos, with views of the Cabo Girão cliff. I write about the town itself in my guide to Câmara de Lobos.

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1: Boats in Câmara de Lobos, 2: The little lighthouse by the harbour in Câmara de Lobos, 3: Câmara de Lobos below the Cabo Girão cliff, 4: A hillside with a view of Cabo Girão. Photos: Ewelina Podrez-Siama, 2025

In Funchal itself, it’s worth wandering the steep streets above the centre and stopping by the English Church (Holy Trinity Church) on Rua do Quebra Costas. You’ll find more ideas in my guide to Funchal.

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1: Funchal’s steep streets, 2: A street in central Funchal, 3: Holy Trinity Church (English Church) in Funchal, 4: A window full of flowers in old Funchal. Photos: Ewelina Podrez-Siama, 2025

My favourite spot in Funchal is Fortaleza do Pico, the fortress on the hill above the centre. From below its walls you can see the rooftops of the old town and the ocean.

Swimming in the ocean

March has the coldest sea of the year: in 2026 IPMA measured an average of 17.6°C off Funchal. There are no lifeguards on the beaches, because the earliest season starts on 15 April in Porto Moniz (Portaria 206/2026). The pools in Porto Moniz are open all year, in winter 9:00–17:00, entry €3.

With a dog and for longer stays

My March stay in 2025 was remote work with my dog. I explain how to prepare a dog for the flight and where you can take it in my guide to Madeira with a dog, and I compare the best areas for a longer stay in my guide to where to stay in Madeira.

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1: A full moon over Funchal, 2: The moon over Funchal at night, 3: Tesla on a walk above the banana plantations, 4: Tesla in a hanging chair in the courtyard of our apartment in Funchal. Photos: Ewelina Podrez-Siama, 2025

Flights to Madeira in March

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

In March 2026 the wind paralysed the airport twice. On 3 March, 17 arrivals and 17 departures were cancelled up to the following morning, and on 29 March flights were diverted. Leave a spare day before an important journey home. My Madeira airport wind checker shows the wind forecast.

Prices and accommodation in Madeira in March

In March 2026 the average hotel room rate was €121.81 a night, about 27% less than in August (€166.24) but about 11% more than in February. Hotel occupancy was 73.8%, and overnight stays passed one million in a March for the first time (DREM, March 2026; DREM, August 2026). Poland was Madeira’s fourth-largest source of visitors. If a lower price matters to you, go in January or February.

What to pack for Madeira in March

• layers: a T-shirt, a jumper or fleece and a rain jacket that also keeps out the wind,
• a hat and gloves for Pico do Arieiro, where it can drop below zero,
• shoes with grippy soles for wet levadas, and a head torch for the tunnels,
• sunscreen: March in Funchal can be sunny even in a rainy year,
• a small umbrella or a light rain jacket for the city.

Madeira in March: FAQs

Data checked: 17 October 2026. I’ll add the 2027 Holy Week programme and festival dates once they’re announced.