2026-10-18
Image: Nicola Toscan / Pexels · Madeira · Pexels License
Tenerife: pick the right coast
Tenerife's southern airport station records a December average daytime maximum of 22.8°C. Choose the south if warmth and beach time are your priority. The mountainous interior and northern coast can feel completely different.
Madeira: choose nature over beach guarantees
Madeira offers coastal gardens, levada walks and mountain landscapes. Funchal is mild in winter, but the mountain trails can be wet, windy or closed due to dangerous conditions. Check official trail alerts before walking.
What about swimming?
On both islands the sea may feel cool in December. If pool swimming matters, check whether accommodation offers a genuinely heated pool instead of assuming that every hotel pool is warm.
Which costs less?
There is no permanent cheapest winner. Compare flight plus bag fees, accommodation location, airport transfers and whether you'll need a car. A hotel far from attractions can make a low room rate misleading.
Choosing quickly
Warmth and mostly beach-focused rest: Tenerife south. Landscapes, gardens and walking: Madeira. Always look at the specific week's forecast before departure.
