Madeira weather · March
Weather in Madeira in March
A monthly average blurs the two Madeiras together: a drier south, a wetter and greener north. The numbers below are the island averaged out. On the day you actually walk, one coast is clear and the other is under cloud.
March is the hinge between winter and spring. Days stretch noticeably, the first sustained dry spells appear, and the island starts flowering from the coast upward. Rain still shows up, but it clears faster.
What are Madeira's temperatures, rain and sea like in March?
| Where | Day / night | Rain | Rainy days | Sun/day | Peak wind | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funchal / south coast | 19.1 / 13.8 °C | 85 mm | 13 | 10 h | 17 km/h | 19.4 °C |
| Porto Moniz / north coast | 18.4 / 14 °C | 125 mm | 16 | 10 h | 18 km/h | — |
| Pico do Arieiro (1,818 m) | 7.6 / 1.6 °C | 111 mm | 15 | 10 h | 12 km/h | — |
10-year monthly averages (2016-01-01 to 2025-12-31), historical archive. See all months
This page shows the averages. The pass shows what each trail is doing today, re-checked every 20 min, and which one is worth your morning.Where does March rank among Madeira's twelve months?
Measured on the south coast, March is number 3 of 12 for rain, number 7 of 12 for sunshine and number 12 of 12 for sea temperature, where number 1 is the wettest, the sunniest and the warmest month of the year.
In figures: 85 mm of rain, in a year that runs from 11 to 91 mm. 10.1 hours of sun a day, against a yearly range of 8.1 to 12.8. A sea of 19.4 °C, against 19.4 to 24.9 °C across the year. The order uses the same ten-year averages as the table above, so it describes a typical March rather than any single year, and it holds for the south coast only: the north coast and the summits keep their own order.
Why does Madeira's weather differ so much by coast and altitude?
The three rows above are the point: in the same March week, Funchal and the summits behave like different countries. Madeira's mountains split every weather system in two, so "weather in Madeira" is really the weather of whichever coast and altitude you stand on. The pattern is explained in our microclimate guide; for a specific day, live per-trail conditions beat any monthly average.
The three rows are three altitudes, not three towns: Funchal sits at 25 m, Porto Moniz at 20 m and Pico do Arieiro at 1,818 m. That last figure is why the third row reads like another island. In March its average day maximum is 11.5 °C below Funchal's, so a walk that starts in a t-shirt on the coast finishes in a warm layer at the top.
Wind splits the same way. In March the daily peak averages 12 km/h at Pico do Arieiro, 17 km/h at Funchal and 18 km/h at Porto Moniz. Each figure is the average of the strongest reading of each day over ten years, so single days run well above it. What decides whether you feel it is exposure, not altitude: the ridge between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo and the coastal spine of Ponta de São Lourenço have nothing to break the wind, while a levada running inside laurel forest barely registers it.
Is March a good month for hiking in Madeira?
A good month for the middle heights: the levadas between 600 and 1,000 m are green, full and mostly mild. Summit days start becoming reliable again, though the top can still be wintry. Morning starts beat the afternoon cloud that builds on the plateau.
Good starting points this month: easy levada walks and coastal walks. Regulated classics like PR1 need advance booking via SIMplifica.
What is March like in Madeira beyond the weather?
Wildflowers get going along the coastal paths, and the water channels are still running high from winter. Sea temperature bottoms out around now, so swimming is for the committed.
Common questions
How warm is Madeira in March?
On the south coast around Funchal, March days average about 19.1 °C and nights about 13.8 °C. The mountains are a different world: at Pico do Arieiro (1,818 m) the average daytime high is around 7.6 °C. Pack for both if you plan to hike high.
Does it rain a lot in Madeira in March?
Funchal averages roughly 85 mm across about 13 rainy days in March, one of the wetter months on the south coast. The north coast and the mountains always catch more. Rain is usually local: when one coast is wet, the other is often dry, which is why a single island-wide forecast misleads.
Is it windy in Madeira in March?
In March the strongest wind of the day averages 12 km/h at Pico do Arieiro, 17 km/h at Funchal and 18 km/h at Porto Moniz, over a ten-year record. Individual days run well above that. Wind is a question about the path rather than about the island: the ridge between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo and the coastal spine of Ponta de São Lourenço are fully exposed, while levadas inside laurel forest are sheltered for most of their length. On an exposed section, wind costs you balance and body heat before it costs you time.
Can you swim in the sea in Madeira in March?
The Atlantic around Funchal averages about 19.4 °C in March, which is brisk, for determined swimmers. The natural lava pools at Porto Moniz and Seixal are the classic post-hike swim spots.
Is March a good month for the levada walks?
Yes. Levada walks work all year because most sit in sheltered valleys and forest, and Madeira has no real off-season. What changes in March is which side of the island has the better day, so check live per-trail conditions on the morning rather than trusting a single island-wide forecast.
Nearby months: February · April
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