Webcams

There used to be numerous live feeds here, but they were using a lot of resources and slowing the website down. We have replaced these with direct links to specialist websites below.

Most prolific of these is Portal NetMadeira, which, as of May 2022, had twenty-three fixed cameras and two live web-cams. One on the Pontinha and a new one at Palheiro Golf which gives views of the bay of Funchal:

The second site, Madeira Web, has twenty live HD web-cams at locations on the island. Seven from Funchal, two in Machico, two in Porto Moniz and others in;   Câmara de Lobos, Machico, Caniçal, Ponta Delgada, Porto da Cruz, Santana, Madalena do Mar, Paul do Mar and Calheta. These can be found here:

Madeira Web live webcams

The webcams above – which are updated real-time – can sometimes reflect the wonderful temperate climate of Madeira, as sunny days are seen throughout the island. On other occasions, the webcams can illustrate the diversity of micro-climates found on the island, where sunshine in Funchal can be partnered with clouds on the north coast ( see the Sao Jorge webcam) and rain in the high mountains (Pico do Ariero and Eira do Serrado webcams).  50% of the island is above 700 metres ( just short of 2300 feet) which gives rise to various micro-climates within a micro-climate. The tall central mountains of the island shoulder the Atlantic winds from the southern lowlands around Funchal and keep the clouds at bay – thus allowing the capital to enjoy more sunshine and lighter winds. The south-western parts of the island are thought to be sunnier still but suffer more from sea winds. You can expect the high central regions of Madeira to be often covered in cool mist during the morning. The northern parts of the island which don’t benefit from any sheltering (Poto Moniz and Sao Jorge webcams) are fully exposed to the Atlantic winds and experience higher rainfall, sometimes twice that of Madeira’s average rainfall. The prevailing north-easterly winds bring with them clouds which sit between 700m and 1000m above sea level. As they travel across the Atlantic they pick up moisture until they eventually hit the northern slopes of Madeira. They then rise up the slopes, cooling and condensing as they go – causing cloud high levels of rainfall in the high central areas (Pico do Areiro and Eira do Serrado webcams).