- Temperature
- Feels like
- Rain
- Wind
- Sea water
- Waves
- Updated
Sea water: 24.7°C, warming slightly to around 25°C over the coming days
Waves: 1.0m
At 24.7 °C the water in Santa Cruz is genuinely warm. Comfortable for long swims.
Sunrise: 07:39 · Sunset: 20:37 · Day length: 12h 58m
| Day | Sea water | Waves |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 28/08 | 24.7 °C | 1.0 m |
| Saturday 29/08 | 24.7 °C | 1.0 m |
| Sunday 30/08 | 24.8 °C | 1.0 m |
| Monday 31/08 | 24.9 °C | 1.0 m |
| Tuesday 01/09 | 25.0 °C | 1.0 m |
| Wednesday 02/09 | 25.0 °C | 1.0 m |
| Thursday 03/09 | 25.2 °C | 0.9 m |
| Month | Average water |
|---|---|
| January | 20.1 °C |
| February | 19.5 °C |
| March | 19.1 °C |
| April | 19.6 °C |
| May | 20.5 °C |
| June | 22.0 °C |
| July | 23.6 °C |
| August | 24.4 °C |
| September | 24.2 °C |
| October | 23.8 °C |
| November | 22.6 °C |
| December | 21.0 °C |
Monthly averages for 2022–2025.
This page shows the water temperature at Santa Cruz 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.
Santa Cruz is on the eastern side of Madeira, close to the airport, with the pebble sand of Praia das Palmeiras below the town. Like the whole island it drops away into deep Atlantic water within a short distance of the shore, which keeps the sea steady from one day to the next. Summer brings about 24 °C and winter holds near 19 °C, the smallest seasonal swing of any Portuguese coast.
The water is warmest in August, averaging 24.4 °C, and coldest in March at 19.1 °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.
Praia das Palmeiras gives easy access to mild water all year, with the pebble shore typical of Madeira and a promenade above it. Diving and boat trips work this coast, the aquarium and the water park are next door, and whale and dolphin excursions run in every season. Swimming here is comfortable in months when the mainland needs a wetsuit.