Our previous photo weather report post – Weather in Madeira in December – was well received, so during the May visit, I also kept recording the weather conditions using the same app. Unlike the December post which focused on entire Madeira, this one focuses on Porto Santo and Funchal, because that’s where we spent most of our time due to the Flower Festival
Thinking about Madeira or Porto Santo in May? This post is for you.
Madeira Island weather in May
It would seem that on the “Island of Eternal Spring” May should be a month with great weather. However, this is a month when the summer season is just beginning, temperatures are slowly starting to rise and rainfall levels are falling. However, this isn’t statistically the best period for those hoping for swimming and sunbathing.
SEE ALSO: MADEIRA CLIMATE AND WEATHER
It is funny that the previous time, the weather was the worst on the two most important days –Christmas and New Year’s Eve – while being good or great on all other days… and in May it did the exact opposite. Almost all days were cloudy, but the most important day of the trip was simply great!
Weather in Madeira at the end of April welcomed us with sun….
Weather in the entire Funchal area was great, sunny and very hot, at least 21 degrees, but it felt the temperatures were higher.
The sky was clear and beautiful, we sunbathed until the sunset and after that one afternoon, we had a proper tan…
Pictures taken at: Se Boutique Cafe in Funchal
The first evening was also perfect, around 19 degrees, the streets were full of life.
Encouraged by such a warm welcome, we were enthusiastic and full of hope, but the weather tricked us.
On the 1st of May, we took a ferry to Porto Santo. During the ferry cruise along the southern coast, it was easy to see the weather differences on the island. While the bay of Funchal was in the golden sun, east and Ponta de Sao Lorenco were grey and covered with thick clouds.
After returning to Funchal on May 2, we found the city sad – a nasty grey sky hung all over the island. Jackets were necessary even in the center of Funchal.
May 3 was identical. The weather disrupted our hiking plans and we decided to stay in Funchal. At noon the sky looked a bit better, but sunbathing and summer clothes were out of the question.
Saturday (May 4) really made me tired… I was so fed up with the unpredictable weather. I alternately added and removed layers of clothes.
It was not cold, the weather was bearable, but the sky was often grey, with temporary periods of sunshine.
May 5th on the other hand – was perfect!
Luckily, because the 5th of May was a really important date!
During the Sunday Flower Parade the sky was clear, and allowed to make a lot of great, sunny photos:
May 6 was an interesting case. While visiting the new Savoy Palace Hotel I was practically on the border of clouds.
When photographing the west of Funchal I had a true summer postcard view. When photographing the east, heavy, gray clouds.
We left the island on May 7th, feeling a bit tired of the moody weather…
Porto Santo weather in May
We went to Porto Santo on May 2nd and stayed there for just one night.
Porto Santo is a smaller island of the Madeira Archipelago, located about 2 hours by ferry from Madeira and famous for its beautiful snow-white beaches. That’s what we really hoped for.
Weather forecasts were not favourable and if we had not made reservations and bought ferry tickets, we would have probably changed our plans. Although, in general, the weather in Madeira was not the best either… We decided to go to Porto Santo as planned.
And indeed, the beaches of Porto Santo are fabulously beautiful, but the weather did not allow us to enjoy it…
Momentary clearings were not enough to spend our days sunbathing, so we decided to… go on a little snorkeling tour.
There are not many indoor attractions on Porto Santo, so we left it without much regret.
We had no luck but for example, our friends who sailed 2 days later were really lucky. Not only they saw dolphins following the ferry, but they also spent the whole day sunbathing and sunbathing, returned to Funchal in the evening – tanned and delighted.
As you can see, the May weather on Madeira and Porto Santo was not very favourable. Out of our 7 days stay, the weather was really good only during 2 days.
I do not want to discourage anyone, because the weather on Madeira can never be guaranteed. However, if you care about sunbathing: Statistically, the best conditions for that are at the end of summer.
SEE POST: MADEIRA CLIMATE AND WEATHER
It is still worth visiting Madeira, but for a very different reason, which is the Flower Festival – Festa da Flor. Despite unpredictable weather, this beautiful spring holiday is definitely a beautiful time to visit Madeira. I wrote 5 posts about the Madeira Flower Festival, so be sure to check these.
