Madeira and Algarve are close in December. Madeira averages 16–21°C with high crowds; Algarve 10–17°C with low crowds.
By Daan · Last reviewed October 2026
Madeira and Algarve
The verdict for December
Christmas and fireworks
+Christmas lights and New Year's fireworks.
–The wettest month and peak prices at New Year.
December brings Christmas lights across Funchal and one of the world's best-known New Year's Eve fireworks displays.
Wettest month
+Quiet and cheap.
–The rainiest month.
December is the wettest month, quiet and cheap, with holiday lights in the towns.
Scores and crowd levels are my own judgement; temperatures are monthly averages. Higher scores are better: quieter, cheaper and more pleasant.
Another month