Usually, yes. Rain on its own is not what decides a boat trip in Madeira: the sea, the wind and the risk of thunder do, and on the south coast a grey morning often brings no more than a passing shower.
Why does the sea matter more than the rain?
A shower makes you wet. A big swell or a strong wind makes a small boat unsafe or miserable. Those are different problems, and only the second one cancels trips. A light rain on flat water is a perfectly good morning at sea, and it can be strangely beautiful, with cloud hanging on the cliffs and the water a darker blue.
The island helps, too. Most of Madeira's rain falls on the mountains and the north side, where the north-east trade wind is pushed up the slopes, cools and drops its water. The south coast, where Funchal sits, gets a fraction of it. In 2023, the rain gauge at Funchal/Lido recorded less than 300 mm for the whole year, while Chão do Areeiro, high in the mountains above the city, recorded more than 2,200 mm, according to the regional statistics office. On many days you can sit in sunshine on the seafront and watch the peaks vanish into cloud.
How often does it rain in Funchal?
Not often, and hardly at all in summer. IPMA's climate normals for 1991 to 2020 at the Funchal observatory show about 53 days a year with 1 mm of rain or more. They are bunched into the cooler half of the year.
- Most rainy days: December (about 8.6 on average), November (7.3) and October (7.0).
- Driest months: July and August, each with well under one rainy day on average.
- In between: January to April have about five or six rainy days a month, May about three.
Keep in mind that a day counts as rainy in those records after just 1 mm. One heavy shower followed by hours of sun is still a rainy day. That is why a cloud icon with drops on your phone tells you very little. Look at the hourly rain amounts and, above all, at the wind and the waves.
Sunshine tells the same story from the other side. The same IPMA normals give the Funchal observatory about 2,300 hours of sun a year. Even December, the dullest month, averages around 151 hours, close to five a day, while July and August pass 230. A wet forecast in winter rarely means a day without bright spells.
What is it like on the boat in a shower?
Damp, mostly. The boat has a canopy, which gives shade on sunny days and keeps some of a passing shower off the seats under it. It is still an open boat. In steady rain you will get wet, and the cushions will too.
Rain also feels heavier when the boat is moving, because you are driving into it, and lighter as soon as you stop at a cove. Wear clothes that dry fast, bring a light waterproof, and keep your phone in a pocket or a small dry bag. On the Day Trip, the swim stops at Fajã dos Padres and Ribeira Brava are no worse in drizzle. You are getting wet anyway.
The record of your trip changes rather than stops. Every Chifbay trip includes an Insta360 360° video and photos taken with a real camera. Drone footage depends on the weather, so rain or a strong wind can keep the drone in its case. When a shower moves on, the washed, low light over Câmara de Lobos and the cliffs can be the finest of the day.
When does a wet day become a no-go day?
When the rain comes with something more serious. These are the situations that keep careful skippers in port:
- Thunderstorms. IPMA issues thunderstorm warnings for Madeira. An open boat on the water is the wrong place to be when lightning is around.
- A front with strong wind from the west or south-west. Winter rain often arrives this way, and that wind and swell hit the south coast directly.
- Heavy rain warnings. After a downpour, the streams that run down to the sea carry mud and debris, and the water near their mouths turns brown. Not a place to swim.
- Poor visibility. Low cloud and heavy rain can hide the very coast you came to see.
We go by the water, not the clouds. When the water is too rough to go out, you can rebook or have your money back. The skipper makes that decision, made with the forecast and a look at the water. What happens next is explained in our guide to boat trips and bad weather.
Should you move your trip if rain is forecast?
It depends on the trip you booked. On the Day Trip, a few showers change little: the cliffs, the swim and the food and drinks on board are all still there. On the Sunset Trip, the sunset is the point. A thick band of cloud on the western horizon can hide it completely, and no skipper can fix that.
So if your heart is set on a clear sunset and the forecast shows a grey, wet evening, move the date while cancellation is still free, up to 24 hours before departure. The Chifbay Sunset Trip is timed from each evening's sunset, 1 h 15 before it, and that hardly shifts within a week, so a later date keeps almost the same hour. If the forecast only shows a chance of showers, wait and check again. On an island this steep, much of the rain in a forecast falls on the mountains rather than on the coast, as our piece on Madeira's microclimates explains.
And if the day turns out truly wet and windy, with the trip moved, our list of rainy day ideas in Madeira will fill it. The sea will usually be back the next day or the one after.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get a refund if my boat trip is cancelled for weather?
If the skipper cancels because the sea is not safe, you choose another date or a full refund. If you cancel yourself, it is free up to 24 hours before departure.
Is there cover on the boat if it rains?
There is a canopy, which keeps some rain off the seats under it, but the boat is open. In steady rain, expect to get wet and dress for it.
Which months have the most rain in Funchal?
October to March. December has the most rainy days, about eight or nine on average. July and August are almost dry.
Does it rain more in the mountains than in Funchal?
Much more. In 2023 the mountain station at Chão do Areeiro recorded over 2,200 mm, against under 300 mm at Funchal/Lido on the coast.
Some days in Funchal you sit in sunshine on deck and watch the rain fall on the mountains.