Madeira in October and autumnweather, sea, trails, events and what changes

Checked on 11 October 2026. Event dates are the 2026 editions as listed by the regional tourism board. Weather figures are long-term averages, not a forecast.

The short answer

October is a good month for Madeira’s south coast, with one change from summer: the rain comes back. In Funchal the average high is still 25.2 °C, the low 19.2 °C, and the sea about 23.0 °C, almost as warm as in September [1][25]. October also brings about 7 rainy days in Funchal and much more rain in the mountains [1][4]. Most official bathing seasons, when lifeguards are assured, have ended by then; after 1 October 2026 only Porto Moniz’s natural pools (to 15 October) and three Porto Santo beaches (to 31 October) still had one [6]. The clocks go back on 25 October 2026 [9], the Porto Santo ferry pauses from 15 to 22 October [18], and the chestnut festival in Curral das Freiras is on 31 October and 1 November 2026 [16][17]. September is the warmest, driest autumn month; November is mild, with about as many rainy days in Funchal as October and the most rain of the year at several mountain stations [1][4].

Sea data, checked 11 October 2026: we calculated monthly averages from NOAA OISST v2.1 for 2001–2020 at 32.625° N, 16.875° W, offshore from Funchal [25]. We averaged each year’s daily values within each month, then averaged those 20 monthly means. The 0.25° grid combines satellite and in-water observations; it represents offshore surface water, not a reading at a beach or pool. These are historical averages, not a forecast. Dataset method: [2].

Weather in September, October and November

Funchal	September	October	November
Average high (IPMA 1991–2020)	26.6 °C	25.2 °C	22.8 °C
Average low	20.4 °C	19.2 °C	17.0 °C
Rain	23.1 mm	91.2 mm	80.3 mm
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)	3.1	7.0	7.3
Sun, hours a day (2012–2025)	6.9	6.4	5.8
Sea offshore from Funchal	23.8 °C	23.0 °C	21.5 °C

Figures from Madeira weather by month: air temperature and rain are IPMA’s 30-year normal for Funchal [1], the sea is NOAA OISST v2.1 offshore from Funchal averaged over 2001–2020 [25], and sunshine is IPMA’s monthly hours for 2012–2025 averaged per day [3]. The sea is warmest in September in this 2001–2020 series [25].

The mountains and the north are cooler and wetter. Funchal is on the dry side of the island. In November, over 2012–2025, Funchal averaged 82 mm of rain, Santana on the north side 168 mm, Santo da Serra 232 mm and Pico do Areeiro 291 mm [4]. A clear morning in Funchal says little about the levadas in the hills.

Porto Santo is drier: 48.4 mm of rain in October against 91.2 mm in Funchal, with highs of 23.8 °C [5][1].

What to pack. Summer clothes for the coast; a rain jacket and a warm layer for the mountains, where it is much cooler than in Funchal; walking shoes with grip, because levada paths get slippery after rain.

September: the warm end of summer

September is still summer on the south coast: highs average 26.6 °C, there are only about 3 rainy days, and the sea at Funchal is at its warmest of the year, 23.8 °C [1][25].

• Lifeguards leave during the month. In 2026 the official bathing season at most of Funchal’s beaches and pools, the Lido included, ran from 1 June to 15 September (a few, such as Cliff Bay, to 30 September); Calheta’s beach to 30 September; most of Machico’s beaches to 27 September [6].
• Wine Festival. The Madeira Wine Festival was scheduled for 23 August to 13 September in 2026; the 2027 dates are 22 August to 12 September [15].
• Columbus Festival on Porto Santo. The Columbus Festival on Porto Santo was scheduled for 17 to 20 September 2026; the 2027 edition is listed for 23 to 26 September [15]. On the island: Casa Colombo.

October: rain returns, the sea stays warm

October is the month the weather turns: Funchal’s rain jumps from 23 mm in September to 91 mm, over about 7 rainy days, while highs stay around 25 °C [1]. The sea, at about 23.0 °C, is barely cooler than in September [25].

• Swimming without lifeguards. After 1 October 2026, the only official bathing season left on Madeira island was at the natural pools of Porto Moniz, to 15 October; on Porto Santo, the Cabeço da Ponta, Fontinha and Ribeiro Salgado beaches had one to 31 October [6]. Outside an official season, lifeguard cover is not assured; ask locally. Funchal’s Lido, with two saltwater pools, is listed by Visit Madeira as open all year [7], and the Porto Moniz council says its natural pools open all year [8]. Check on the day.
• Nature Festival. The Madeira Nature Festival, outdoor sport and nature activities, was scheduled for 6 to 11 October in 2026 (the calendar is “subject to change”); in 2027 it is listed for 5 to 10 October [15].
• Other events listed for October 2026: the Feira do Mar e do Pescador, a sea and fish fair in Caniçal (Machico), 16–18 October [21]; the Rally Madeira Legend for historic and classic cars, 22–24 October, around Funchal, Ribeira Brava and Santa Cruz (if you drive that weekend, look out for road closures) [22]; and the International Mandolin Festival at the Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias in Funchal, 23–25 October [23].
• Porto Santo ferry pause. The Lobo Marinho has no sailings from 15 to 22 October 2026 for scheduled maintenance [18]. Flights and the rest of the timetable: Madeira to Porto Santo.
• Clocks go back on Sunday 25 October 2026. Madeira changes with the mainland: at 02:00 local time (01:00 UTC) the clocks go back to 01:00 [9]. Sunset comes an hour earlier by the clock from that day.
• 5 October is Republic Day, a national holiday [20]; in 2026 it has passed.

November: mild and quieter, wet in the hills

November is mild in Funchal, with highs of 22.8 °C and lows of 17.0 °C, and about as many rainy days as October, 7.3 [1]. The sea is still about 21.5 °C [25]. It is the wettest month at several hill stations [4], so plan walks around the forecast.

• Chestnut festival, Curral das Freiras. The Festa da Castanha is listed for 31 October and 1 November 2026, organised by the village’s Casa do Povo, with Madeiran chestnuts, chestnut liqueurs and cakes, and a cooking contest in the village restaurants [16][17]. Curral das Freiras is a village in the mountains north of Funchal; check bus times on Horários do Funchal’s journey planner, or go by taxi or car.
• 1 November, All Saints’ Day, is a national holiday [20]; in 2026 it falls on the Sunday of the chestnut festival.
• Porto Santo ferry: in November 2026 there are no sailings on Tuesdays 10, 17 and 24 November, and on Fridays 13, 20 and 27 November the only departure from Funchal is in the evening [19]. A day trip does not work on those days.
• Mandolin festival, second part: a concert on 14 November at the Museu Henrique e Francisco Franco in Funchal [16][23].
• December starts the Christmas season: the lights of the Funchal amphitheatre go on on 1 December 2026 [15]. Events, the New Year’s Eve fireworks and where to watch: Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Madeira.

Hiking and levadas in autumn

Autumn is cooler for the long walks than summer, but October and November have more rainy days than September [1]. What changes, from our Madeira hiking guide:

• Book and pay before you go. Since 1 January 2026 every walker on IFCN’s classified trails, including those who walk free, books a time slot on the SIMplifica portal. A trail costs €4.50, and the full PR1 from Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo €10.50; children 12 and under walk free [11].
• Check the status on the morning you walk. On IFCN’s list updated on 2 October 2026, PR1 was open on the western path through the tunnels, with the eastern variant via Pico das Torres closed [10]. Beyond the Pedra Rija viewpoint it is one-way towards Pico Ruivo, and you leave by PR1.1 or PR1.2, so you need transport from the other end [11]. IFCN says a weather warning does not automatically close every trail; closures are decided route by route and shown on the list [11]. It also tells walkers not to set out in heavy rain, strong wind, hail or snow, and to finish before dark [14].
• Shorter days. After 25 October it gets dark an hour earlier by the clock [9]; start long walks early.
• Pico do Areeiro bus. The Horários do Funchal service to the summit leaves Funchal at 06:00 and 13:30; from 25 October 2026 the last bus down leaves at 18:00 instead of 19:00 [13].
• São Lourenço (PR8) works. Repair works started on 30 September 2026 for at least 270 days; the trail stays open, with small signposted diversions [12]. See PR8 Ponta de São Lourenço.
• Easy walks: PR6.1 Levada do Risco and the other short routes are in Madeira levada walks.

Madeira with kids in autumn

• Swimming: after the official bathing seasons end [6], check opening and lifeguard cover before you swim. The Lido in Funchal is listed as open all year [7]; the Porto Moniz natural pools had lifeguards until 15 October in 2026 [6].
• Walking: children 12 and under walk the IFCN trails free but still need a booking [11]. Short routes suitable for children: Madeira with kids.
• Rainy days: indoor options in Funchal and on the north coast are in Madeira with kids.
• Chestnuts: the Curral das Freiras festival on 31 October and 1 November is a day out for the whole family; the liqueurs are for the adults [17].
• Earlier evenings after 25 October [9].

Planning an autumn trip

• Best weeks: September for the warmest sea and lifeguards; October for warm water and walking, with a rain plan; November for mild weeks with more rain in the hills [1][25][4]. Bed occupancy in collective accommodation, a rough proxy for crowds, fell from 75.1% in September 2025 to 71.2% in October and 63.1% in November [24].
• Ferry dates: for a Porto Santo day trip, avoid 15–22 October, Tuesdays 10, 17 and 24 November, 14 October (an early sailing with no return that day), and the days with only an evening departure from Funchal (30 October and Fridays 13, 20 and 27 November 2026); the full list is in Madeira to Porto Santo [18][19].
• Getting around without a car: Madeira without a car.
• Where to stay: where to stay in Madeira.
• Other seasons and comparisons: best time to visit Madeira, Madeira weather by month and, for the islands’ autumn and winter side by side, Madeira or the Canary Islands.

Sources

Numbered references match the source list on this page. Read on 11 October 2026 unless stated.

1. IPMA: Climate normal 1991–2020, Funchal (PDF), read 9 October 2026
2. NOAA OISST v2.1: dataset description, accessed 11 October 2026.
3. DREM: Sunshine 2012–2025 (xlsx), read 9 October 2026
4. DREM: Precipitation by month and station 2012–2025 (xlsx), read 9 October 2026
5. IPMA: Climate normal 1991–2020, Porto Santo (PDF), read 9 October 2026
6. JORAM: Portaria n.º 206/2026, bathing seasons 2026 (PDF)
7. Visit Madeira: Lido bathing complex, read 9 October 2026
8. Câmara Municipal do Porto Moniz: Praias, read 9 October 2026
9. Observatório Astronómico de Lisboa: Mudança da hora
10. IFCN: Classified walking routes, status list
11. IFCN: FAQ, fees and bookings
12. IFCN: PR8 repair works
13. Horários do Funchal: Pico do Areeiro service
14. IFCN: Precautions and advice for walkers
15. Direção Regional do Turismo: Tourist entertainment calendar 2026–2028 (PDF)
16. Visit Madeira: Events
17. Visit Madeira / Events Madeira: Festa da Castanha
18. Porto Santo Line: Timetable October 2026
19. Porto Santo Line: Timetable November 2026
20. Diário da República: Lei n.º 8/2016 (PDF)
21. Visit Madeira: Feira do Mar e do Pescador
22. Visit Madeira: Rally Madeira Legend
23. Visit Madeira: Festival Internacional de Bandolins da Madeira
24. DREM: Collective tourist accommodation 2025 (xlsx), read 9 October 2026
25. NOAA OISST v2.1: daily SST off Funchal (32.625 N, 16.875 W), 2001–2020; monthly means calculated from 20 annual monthly means, accessed 11 October 2026.