April is Madeira's quiet run-up to its best month: warming days, greening hillsides and comfortable hiking, without May's flower-season crowds. Funchal sits around 18–19°C, the rain from winter is easing, and the island's gardens and levada banks are filling out ahead of May's peak bloom. The sea is still cool. Here's the weather and what to do.
- 01April is the quiet build-up to May – warming, greening and comfortable for hiking, before the flowers and crowds peak the following month.
- 02Easter is the one bump in an otherwise quiet month – flights and central hotels tighten around the holiday, whenever it falls.
- 03Spring flowers are building rather than peaking – gardens and hillsides are greening fast, but the jacarandas and Flower Festival belong to May.
- 04The sea is still cool at around 18–19°C, so April remains a walking and sightseeing month rather than a beach one.
- 05Crowds and prices are moderate – busier than winter, quieter than May, and a good window before the year's best month gets busy.
April weather in Madeira
April brings genuine spring warmth without summer's heat. Funchal daytime highs sit around 18–19°C, nights near 13–14°C, and the rain is easing steadily as the island moves out of its wet winter months – though showers, especially on the north coast, are still part of the picture.
The microclimate still holds: the south stays the sunniest and driest side of the island, while the peaks and the north coast see more cloud and rain. Conditions are comfortable for walking – warmer than March, cooler and greener than the coming summer – so it's a strong month for the levada walks if you keep an eye on the forecast.
Easter and the run-up to spring's peak
Easter is April's one predictable bump. The date moves every year, but whenever it falls, flights and central Funchal hotels tighten around the holiday week as both UK and Portuguese visitors travel – book earlier than you would for a normal April week if your trip includes it.
Outside Easter, April is a quiet, building month. The island is greening fast and spring flowers are emerging across the gardens and hillsides, but the peak – jacarandas turning Funchal lilac and the Funchal Flower Festival – belongs to May. Come in April for a quieter preview of the same spring colour, with noticeably fewer visitors.
Things to do in April
Comfortable temperatures and a greening island make April a good month for hiking – cooler and less crowded than the trails will be by midsummer, with the levadas running full after winter rain. It's a strong month for photography too, as the hillsides shift from winter green to spring colour.
The sea is still too cool for most swimmers, so treat April as a walking, gardens and sightseeing trip rather than a beach one. Boat trips and early whale-watching outings run as normal, and rainy afternoons are easily filled in Funchal's museums, markets and wine cellars.
Time your trip around Easter if it falls in April, and outside it you'll find a quiet, comfortable month that sets up nicely for the island's flowers to come. For more on filling the days, see our things to do in Madeira guide.
Featured image: Hedwig Storch / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
