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Madeira (Funchal) in December
Better avoided: December is outside the recommended season (April – October). Against it: Wind at Madeira Airport; Atlantic Storms: Flights and Boats Cancelled. New Year's Eve fireworks, Madeira can fall this month.
The season opens in April, 4 months away. Wildfire Season usually starts in July, 7 months away. Wind at Madeira Airport: usually over after April.
4 days in Madeira (Funchal) in December · from ₹59,664 for two
Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra
The weather in December
What the season does to Madeira (Funchal) this month.
Worth knowing
Wind at Madeira Airport
Madeira's airport, on a runway built out over the sea below the mountains, has strict wind limits: on gusty days flights circle, divert to Porto Santo or the Canaries, or return to Lisbon, most often from autumn to spring. Keep a spare day before a flight home or a connection.
Heads up
Atlantic Storms: Flights and Boats Cancelled
From November to March Atlantic storms bring days of rain and wind to Madeira and the Azores: flights are delayed, whale-watching and boat trips cancelled, and mountain roads and trails closed. Winters are mild, but keep a spare day before your flight home.
Before you book December
Closures, crowds and rules at Madeira (Funchal) this month.
Heads up
Madeira's Trails: Fee and Closures
Madeira's best-known trails (Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo and the main levadas) charge non-residents a small fee, paid online before the walk, and close after storms, rockfalls or fires. Check the regional government's trail status page the day before, start early for parking, and take a jacket: the peaks are cold and often in cloud.
What’s on in December
Timing a trip around these changes what you pay and what you can book.
New Year's Eve fireworks, Madeira2026: 31 Dec
Fireworks fired from all round Funchal's amphitheatre of hills and from ships in the bay at midnight, among the largest displays in the world, after weeks of Christmas lights in the city. Cruise ships fill the harbour and rooms sell out months ahead.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 4 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹59,664 for two
- Room a night₹8,520
- Food a day, each₹3,042
- Main sight entry, each₹1,700
Mid-range
₹1,22,308 for two
- Room a night₹15,980
- Food a day, each₹7,020
- Main sight entry, each₹1,700
Luxury
₹2,71,769 for two
- Room a night₹35,150
- Food a day, each₹16,380
- Main sight entry, each₹1,700
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Portugal yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Lisbon (LIS), 973 km away
Then: Flight · 4h 42m (TAP / easyJet / Ryanair, Lisbon–Funchal (non-stop))
Flights from India: from 9 cities, one way from ₹29,000
Fly into Porto (OPO), 1197 km away
Then: Flight · 4h 48m (TAP / low-cost carriers, Porto–Funchal (non-stop))
Flights from India: from 3 cities, one way from ₹29,000
Entry rules
Visa needed before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹12,974
- Apply for a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa at a VFS Global Portugal centre in India, at least 6 weeks before you fly, and 8 weeks ahead for trips from April to August and in December (no earlier than 6 months). Apply to Portugal if it is your only or longest stay in Schengen. The fee is €90 (about ₹9,600; €45 for children 6-11) plus VFS's service charge of ₹3,384, and it is not refunded if the visa is refused.
- Book the appointment early: in Delhi and Mumbai slots can be 3-8 weeks out in the busy months, and another city's centre may be sooner. At the appointment give your fingerprints and photo (skipped if you gave them for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months). The decision usually takes about 15 days, up to 45 if other Schengen states are consulted, and VFS takes a few more days to return the passport.
- If you have lawfully used two Schengen visas in the last three years, ask for a multiple-entry visa: under the EU's 2024 cascade rules for Indians you can be given a two-year visa, then a five-year one.
- On your first arrival in the Schengen Area your fingerprints and face are scanned at passport control (the EU Entry/Exit System, in full use since April 2026) instead of a stamp. Allow extra time: queues at Lisbon airport's passport control can be long at peak times.
Carry: Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages; Completed visa application form and two recent photos (35 x 45 mm); Travel insurance with at least €30,000 medical cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip; Return flight booking and a day-by-day itinerary, with the trains or flights inside Portugal (Madeira and the Azores included); Hotel bookings for every night; Bank statements for the last 3-6 months, income-tax returns, and a leave letter from your employer (or business or college papers).
One Schengen visa covers Portugal and every other Schengen country (Spain, France, Italy and more) for up to 90 days in any 180, Madeira and the Azores included, but not the United Kingdom, which needs its own visa. The Embassy in New Delhi handles most of India; the Consulate General in Panaji, Goa, covers Goa, Maharashtra, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. ETIAS is only for visa-free travellers, so it does not affect you. VFS centres and waits vary: check visa.vfsglobal.com for your city before you book flights.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Want this as a real plan?
Madeira (Funchal) in December, day by day, priced for your group.