- Temperature
- Feels like
- Rain
- Wind
- Sea water
- Waves
- Updated
Sea water: 24.2°C, practically unchanged all week
Waves: 2.1m
At 24.2 °C the water in Porto Santo is genuinely warm. Comfortable for long swims.
Sunrise: 07:37 · Sunset: 20:35 · Day length: 12h 59m
| Day | Sea water | Waves |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 28/08 | 24.2 °C | 2.1 m |
| Saturday 29/08 | 24.2 °C | 1.9 m |
| Sunday 30/08 | 24.1 °C | 1.4 m |
| Monday 31/08 | 24.2 °C | 1.4 m |
| Tuesday 01/09 | 24.1 °C | 1.3 m |
| Wednesday 02/09 | 24.0 °C | 1.3 m |
| Thursday 03/09 | 24.1 °C | 1.0 m |
| Month | Average water |
|---|---|
| January | 20.0 °C |
| February | 18.9 °C |
| March | 18.7 °C |
| April | 19.2 °C |
| May | 20.0 °C |
| June | 21.2 °C |
| July | 22.8 °C |
| August | 23.9 °C |
| September | 23.9 °C |
| October | 23.6 °C |
| November | 22.5 °C |
| December | 20.9 °C |
Monthly averages for 2022–2025.
This page shows the water temperature at Porto Santo today and over the next seven days, so you can pick the best beach day before you go.
Sea temperature moves much more slowly than air temperature. A hot afternoon does not warm the ocean, and a windy day can cool it fast. Checking the water itself is the only reliable way to know what to expect.
Porto Santo lies northeast of Madeira and has nine kilometres of golden sand along its southern shore, something the rest of the archipelago simply does not have. The island sits in deep, open ocean far from any continental shelf, so the water changes slowly and never swings far in either direction. August brings around 24 °C, the warmest of any Portuguese coast, and even in late winter it rarely falls below 19 °C.
The water is warmest in August, averaging 23.9 °C, and coldest in March at 18.7 °C. Madeira has the smallest seasonal swing of all the Portuguese coasts, and the sea stays mild even in midwinter.
The ocean gains and loses heat far more slowly than land, so it runs months behind the seasons. On top of that, the summer northerly wind pushes surface water offshore and draws cold deep water up in its place, which is why a heatwave on land so often coincides with a colder sea.
Nine kilometres of sand and mild water make this the swimming island of the archipelago, with none of the pebble shores of Madeira. Diving, snorkelling, sailing and boat trips run along the south coast, and the sand itself has long been credited with therapeutic properties. The ferry from Funchal takes a couple of hours and turns the crossing into part of the trip.