What to Do in madeira in December
‘Tis the Season. Madeira changes completely at this time of the year. Funchal alone is lit by over a million Christmas lights, but every village has their own decorations, lights, market, and Nativity Scene. From the ocean, and even from the sky, the whole island must look like a gigantic lighthouse in the middle of the Atlantic.
The weather, although cooler, is still mild. In any case, you’ll be warmed by the smell of freshly roasted chestnuts and recently baked bolo do caco. Plus, it’s also the time to make honey cakes (not bee honey, but sugar cane syrup, similar to molasses or treacle) and cookies of all sorts, which are often infused with ginger, spices, oranges or tangerines, giving them a delicious, deep, Christmas-y flavour profile.
All of this stravaganza culminates on New year’s Eve, when fireworks are shot from all around Funchal, taking advantage of the natural bay to create a 360º spectacle. The show is world-famous, and Madeirans try to outdo themselves year after year. So, without further ado, this is what you should do in Madeira in December:
Christmas Lights at Largo do Pelourinho, near Bazar do Povo and the Cathedral.
See the Christmas Lights in Funchal
At this time of the year, Funchal looks like a Christmas postcard, except sans snow. Once you get over the snowflake decorations when it’s 20ºC and focus on the elegantly-lighted trees, you’ll get right into the spirit. Even the roads uphills have extra lights, turning the island in a magical place. Apart from the lights, there’s often live music, a market on Avenida Arriaga (between the Cathedral and the Ritz – you can’t miss it), and a Christmas village for children at Praça do Município. The atmosphere is truly joyful.
Visit the December Markets
I’ve already mentioned the market at Avenida Arriaga, which displays several local products (including chestnut cakes from Curral das Freiras, Madeira wine, poncha, bolo do caco and handicrafts). There’s also a recreation of a traditional village, with a restaurant that serves sopa de trigo, a hearty meat soup with wheat, similar to a Tuscan farro soup; people selling traditional boots and attire, and some artisans working.
Apart from the Arriaga market, the Farmer’s Market is also opened on Sundays – December 7th, 14th and 21st. On the 14th, the market will be promoting “Christmas delicacies”, so be sure to drop by and taste some of those seasonal specialities. But what’s really special is the “Noite do Mercado” (literally, Market’s Night), when the market stays open all night and sellers take to the surrounding streets.
On this night, there are several food stalls serving drinks and sandwiches with carne d’vinha de alhos (pork marinated in copious amounts of wine, laurel and garlic for several days), concerts, and other activities. Every one comes out, even from outside of Funchal, and the streets are filled. Last year there was pretty sizeable crowd even with rain.
Fábrica de Santo António is one of the best places to stock up on cookies and bolo de mel.
Try Local Christmas delicacies
Now, most Portuguese eat cod on Christmas’ Eve and turkey or lamb on Christmas day. Madeirans, of course, do it differently. They usually start with a canja (chicken soup) and they prepare a lot of carne de vinha d’alhos, which I mentioned before. (If you’re vegetarian or don’t eat pork, Fala Fala serves an excellent adaption on Noite do Mercado.)
Then, Madeirans go full steam ahead with sugar. The star of the show is sugar cane syrup (which has a deep, treacle-like flavour), used for bolo de mel (honey cake with nuts), broas de mel (cookies with honey), broas de areia (butter cookies topped with sugar), and palitos de cerveja (beer sticks, you guessed it, topped with sugar), and filhós (served with honey). I recommend going to Sésamo or Casa de Sto. António, both at Rua do Forno in Funchal, for all things cookie and bolo de mel-related.
Another popular delicacy is bolo preto (made with molasses, stout beer and spices) and bolo família, which is similar to bolo preto and includes candied fruit. Besides, you can also find Bolo-Rei (a sweet bread with a ton of candied fruit) and Bolo Rainha (the same thing but with nuts instead of fruit), although it’s not as big of a deal as in the mainland. Bolo preto varies somewhat according to the spice mix, but you’ll find decent versions both at Sésamo and Amanhecer Ponta do Sol.
Due to the high number of Venezuelans, you can also find Italian panettone and traditional Venezuelan Christmas dishes such as pan de jamón (a sweet bread with bacon and raisins) and hallacas (cornmeal dough filled with a stew and wrapped in banana leaves). And finally, all of this is washed down with a cup of local liqueurs, like licor de anis (anise), licor de anona (cheirmoya), licor de maracujá (passion fruit), licor de ginja (sour cherry) or amêndoa amarga (almond).
There’s plenty to choose from!
Cherimoyas, avocados, tamarillos and passion fruit are in season.
Taste some tropical fruits
A visit to the Farmer’s market is warranted regardless of when you’re coming to Madeira. But don’t be deceived. We don’t have all tropical fruits imaginable all the time. A lot of vendors will try to sell you imported fruits at very high prices. The trick is to go to the Farmer’s Market on Fridays and Saturdays, when local producers hit the ground floor, and take only what’s in season.
Fruit is a nice way to cut through the sugar, although the highlight of the month is quite sweet – cherimoyas (anonas). The Incas used to offer cherimoyas to the Gods because of their rich flavour. If I had to describe it, I’d say it tastes like a tutti frutti of tropical fruits, with hints of banana, pineapple and papaya all in one. The smell of ripe cherimoyas is quite strong, as if it had been infused with fruit extracts. But it’s all natural. Truly, truly wonderful.
Also in season, we have avocados (abacate), guavas (goiabas), and tamarillos (also called ‘tomate inglês’ or ‘maracujá tomate’). Of course, bananas are available all year round. Although not tropical, Madeirans love their regional tangerines, which are greener and tangier than regular tangerines, and often use them on the Christmas table.
You can still make levadas, just make sure to check the weather beforehand.
Choose some Easy Levadas (Choose Carefully in Winter)
Coming to Madeira and not hiking a levada is like going to Rome and not going to the Vatican. However, at this time of the year, you need to choose carefully. Stick to shorter, flatter, well-known and safer paths like Levada dos Balcões, Queimadas or Levada do Risco. The hike from Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo is now opened as well, although you need to check the weather first. Besides, you can also visit Fanal forest.
You should avoid hikes after the rain, trails with landslide warnings (a real possibility), and levadas high in altitude. The weather uphill can be starkly different from the one we have on the seaside. Although rare, there may even be snow up there! I’ve experienced 3ºC and 5ºC temperatures up in the clouds while by the seaside there were a wam 18ºC. So, take that into consideration, check visibility conditions, and bring appropriate clothing and shoes.
Sweet Madeira wine, with Atlantic notes and vibrant acidity.
Take a Wine Tour
Taking a wine tour is not a December-specific activity, but any wine lover will tell you that Madeira’s sweet, deep notes are perfect for the weather. You can either sign up for a wine lodge tour in Funchal (H. M. Borges, Blandy’s Wine Lodge, or Pereira d’Oliveira) or, for something more adventurous, take a 4x4 tour with a wine tasting. If you want to spend a day outside of Funchal and exploring the island, which I highly recommend, take a tour to Câmara de Lobos and São Vicente. You’ll get to see the Cabo Girão skywalk, the vineyards the the honey museum all in the same day. For an even more exclusive experience, this tour includes lunch and several wine tastings throughout the day.
A colourful, flowerful Nativity Scene in the centre of Funchal.
Missas de Parto & Nativity Scenes
While a lot of people associate Christmas with the tree, lights and gifts, Madeirans don’t forget the religious meaning of Christmas. As such, nativity scenes (presépios or ‘lapinhas’, as they’re known locally) are at the centre of every village. Each one has its own on display and… they get a little competitive! Apart from the birth, they sometimes picture little villages in an extremely intricate way and feature offers such as fruits or wine.
Now, here’s something you won’t read on most guides. If you’re Catholic (or even if you’re not, but interested in religion), you may want to explore more Madeiran Christmas traditions. One thing I’ve never seen or heard of anywhere else in the world are Missas de Parto (literally, “Labour Masses) to commemorate Mary’s pregnancy.
These masses are celebrated from December 16th to December 24th, usually between 5:00 and 7:00 (a.m.). Besides the schedule, there’s also another unusual thing: they’re followed by gatherings where people sing, eat and drink broas, local liqueurs, or hot cocoa. Apparently, this tradition was introduced by Franciscan priests shortly after the islands became inhabited, although it’s not clear if they ate and drank as much as people do nowadays.
Christmas and New Year’s Concerts
Madeira is a top destination at this time of the year (88% of beds are already booked for NYE), and a lot of these tourists are used to New Year’s Concerts. Madeira’s Orchestra will play at Teatro Baltazar Dias on December 28th. On December 6th there’s a Christmas Concert with Cuca Roseta, a fado singer, in Calheta; and on December 13th and 14th there will more shows with the Orchestra in Funchal and other soloist. Plus, the English Church and several hotels also organise their own concerts.
The spectacular firework display.
New Year’s Eve Fireworks
The fun doesn’t end once Christmas is over (in fact, the holidays only wrap up January 6th – Three Kings’ Day). Madeira’s New Year’s Eve fireworks are famous worldwide and it’s not just hype. There are shots from all over the bay, so it creates an immersive, 15 minute spectacle that you can see from any high point of the city. Porto Santo also has its own firework show, although it’s understandably more modest.
I’d recommend watching the fireworks from the Funchal marina, near Pontinha (the place where cruises depart from), Parque de Santa Catarina, Pico dos Barcelos or, better yet, from the sea. If you can get on a boat on New Year’s Eve, you’ll have the best view in town. For example, you can buy a ticket for Lobo de Marinho, which is the ferry that usually crosses from Madeira to Porto Santo.
December in Madeira is not a beach month, and it’s not the time for big mountain hikes either — but it’s fantastic for Christmas lights, food, markets, wine, and gentle walks. The island feels festive, cosy, and very alive. I’d even say the Christmas spirit is contagious… and that’s Madeira!
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