Things to see in Madeira

Funchal's second-largest bathing complex, on the seafront promenade of the hotel zone: a huge sunbathing deck, two seawater pools (adults and children) and a tidal pool refreshed by the flow, plus stairs for swimming in the sea within the marked area. In season a large floating platform is anchored offshore for jumping in. First aid, parasol and lounger hire, changing rooms, a supervised beach, a beach library, Wi-Fi, a bar with terrace, access for people with reduced mobility. Passeio Público Marítimo, tel. +351 291 105 763. Bathing season 2026: 1 June – 15 September, a supervised beach with lifeguards assured. Blue Flag 2026. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

Funchal's best-known bathing complex, almost a century old, on the seafront promenade amid a garden: a large sunbathing deck, two seawater pools including one for children, sea access, a supervised beach with first aid, parasol and lounger hire, Wi-Fi, a bar, a diving centre and a shop. Accessible to all — lifts, ramps and amphibious chairs — and open all year. It opens daily 8:30–20:00 from 1 June to 30 September. Prices on the operator's site (frentemarfunchal.pt); tel. +351 291 105 163. Bathing season 2026: 1 June – 15 September, a supervised beach with lifeguards assured. Blue Flag 2026. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

Built into the seafront that runs the length of the town, this free-access complex combines pools (one for children), a lounger area, toilets, changing rooms, a bar and a restaurant, and a beach of pebbles and black sand. Works in 2021 improved access to the sea and added walkways for people with reduced mobility, who reach the sun deck directly by the car-park lift. Water known for its quality — Blue Flag 2026. Bathing season 2026: 1 June – 22 September, a supervised beach with lifeguards assured. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

Madeira's first artificial beach: opened in 2004 next to Calheta's marina, 100 m of golden sand imported from Morocco and about 7,300 m² of sunbathing area, protected by two breakwaters. Free access; loungers and parasols, a bar, changing rooms and first aid. Warm, calm water, popular for canoeing and windsurfing. Blue Flag 2026. Bathing season 2026: 29 June – 30 September, a supervised beach with lifeguards assured. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

Porto Moniz's ex-libris and one of the north coast's great attractions: pools of volcanic origin, formed over millennia by the cooling of lava, into which the sea flows constantly and renews the water — hence its quality. About 3,800 m² of bathing area two metres deep, 3,210 m² of sun deck (7,600 m³ of seawater, average temperature 20–21 °C according to the municipality). Children's pool, playground, changing rooms, bar, first-aid post, car park, access for people with disabilities, lounger and parasol hire. Open all year (summer 9:00–19:00, winter 9:00–17:00); entry €3, reductions as listed. The island's longest bathing season, 15 April to 15 October, with lifeguards. Bathing season 2026: 15 April – 15 October, a supervised beach with lifeguards assured. Blue Flag 2026. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

At the mouth of the Ribeira do Faial, in Santana: a small pebble beach with a natural pool, in a rare geological setting — a prismatic jointing (basalt columns) born of lava flows, right beside it. The complex lines up a sand pitch fit for football, handball and beach volleyball championships, a multi-sports hall, a children's seawater pool, a playground, a restaurant, adapted toilets, first aid and a large sun deck; a karting track next door. Blue Flag 2026. Bathing season 2026: 26 June – 27 September, a supervised beach with lifeguards assured. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

One of the most charming coves on the east coast, sheltered by green mountains facing a clear sea, and yet little known. The promenade along it links it to Caniçal — perfect for jogging or walking by the water. Full facilities: loungers and parasols on a large sun deck, lifeguards in season, a bar and a car park. Its waters received Quercus's "Gold" rating in 2016. Blue Flag 2026. Bathing season 2026: 16 June – 27 September, a supervised beach with lifeguards assured; classified as a limited-use beach. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

Machico's sandy beach, on the right bank of the mouth of the Ribeira de Machico: about 70 m long and 100 m wide, in golden sand imported from Morocco — one of the few of its kind on the island, now one of the bay's most popular leisure areas. Lifeguard in season; cabins, showers, toilets, parking, access walkways and conditions for people with reduced mobility, leisure and sports equipment. Blue Flag 2026. Bathing season 2026: 16 June – 27 September, a supervised beach with lifeguards assured. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

The east coast's only natural sand beach: near Ponta de São Lourenço, Prainha stands out from the pebble beaches with its natural volcanic sand in coppery tones, and with its arid yellow-and-brown setting, the opposite of the island's green. Just above, the Piedade dunes and their 300,000-year-old limestone fossils, unique in Europe, below the Nossa Senhora da Piedade chapel (16th century). Restaurant, changing rooms, toilets, parasols, loungers and parking. Blue Flag 2026. Bathing season 2026: 30 June – 27 September, a supervised beach with lifeguards assured; classified as a limited-use beach. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

The bathing complex of the town of Santa Cruz, next to the municipal market, designed for all ages and accessible to people with reduced mobility: on one side the pools (adults and children), on the other a typical pebble beach. Lifeguard and first-aid post, changing rooms, showers, toilets, restaurants. Water quality recognised by the Blue Flag (2026). Bathing season 2026: 1 June – 30 September, a supervised beach with lifeguards assured. Blue Flag 2026. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

At Caniço, on the east coast known for the transparency of its water, a small, well-equipped pebble beach: parking, toilets adapted for people with disabilities, a sports area, parasols, a restaurant and bar with a view of the Atlantic, lifeguards and a first-aid post. A concrete sun deck and a pier complete the pebbles. The Blue Flag flies here every year (2026 included). Bathing season 2026: 1 June – 30 September, a supervised beach with lifeguards assured. Blue Flag 2026. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

Between nature and tradition, the town and municipality of the north coast (about 8,800 inhabitants, 96.2 km², six parishes: Arco de São Jorge, Faial, Ilha, Santana, São Jorge, São Roque do Faial) is known worldwide for its triangular thatched "casinhas", the symbol of an isolation that for a long time was hard to break by land or sea. Listed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2011 — 14,889 ha including the marine area, 6,558 inhabitants at the 2021 census — it offers more than 120 km of trails, the Madeira Theme Park, the Rocha do Navio Nature Reserve and Pico Ruivo, the roof of the archipelago; the Queimadas, Pico das Pedras and Ribeiro Frio forest parks lie within it.

The island's eastern tip, a world apart: a nine-kilometre volcanic peninsula, basalt with some limestone sediments, extended by the Desembarcadouro and Farol islets, where the semi-arid climate and northern winds allow only creeping plants — not a single tree. A regional Natural Monument and Natura 2000 site (1,320 ha with the marine part), an important bird area (Cory's shearwater, Bulwer's petrel, Madeiran storm petrel, terns), one of the Region's largest gull colonies, some 160 plant species including exclusive endemics, and now and then a monk seal offshore. Baía d'Abra is a remarkable anchorage; to the west, Prainha and the Piedade dunes with their 300,000-year-old fossils below the 16th-century chapel. PR 8 (4 km + 4 km, 2:30) leads to Casa do Sardinha; the tip, bought by the Region in 1994, is under total protection. Views of both coasts from Ponta do Rosto.

One of the places where the Laurissilva, a World Heritage site since December 1999, is most alive: between Ribeira da Janela and the Paul da Serra plateau, the Fanal forestry post is famous for its centuries-old tils, some of them already standing before the island was discovered, and for the mystical atmosphere of its fogs. A small volcanic crater classified as a Rest and Quiet Reserve by the Parque Natural da Madeira and a Natura 2000 site, it is a place of contemplation as much as a trail junction: PR 13 Vereda do Fanal arrives here from Paul da Serra, PR 14 Levada dos Cedros leaves towards Curral Falso, PR 28 (closed) drops to Rocha Vermelha. On the ER 209; free access, trails charged.

Madeira's first marine reserve, created in 1986 on the initiative of a group of divers alarmed by the impoverishment of the seabed: 376 ha along about six miles of coast south-east of Funchal, between Ponta do Lazareto and Ponta da Oliveira, from the high-tide line to the 50 m isobath (never less than 600 m from the shore). Fishing banned, navigation restricted, habitats representative for in-situ conservation; its calm, clear waters make it the island's reference dive site, with dusky groupers and giant manta rays. Land access by the Cais do Lazareto or Garajau beach (cable car); above, Ponta do Garajau (Natural Monument), the 1927 Cristo Rei and the Pináculo viewpoint, a Natura 2000 area important for Cory's shearwaters and terns. Regional forestry institute environmental-education visit programme for groups.

On Santana's north coast, an exclusively marine reserve born in 1997 of the will of the local people, aware of the degradation of fishing resources by destructive practices: 1,822 ha between Ponta do Clérigo and Ponta de São Jorge, from high tide to the 100 m isobath, with Ilhéu da Rocha das Vinhas and Ilhéu da Viúva (94 m), a Natura 2000 botanical refuge of plants found only in the archipelago. The name recalls the wreck of a Dutch ship in the 19th century. You go down from the viewpoint by a steep path cut in the rock or by cable car; access to the sea is very limited by sea conditions, often rough on this coast. Reception centre and exhibition room; regional forestry institute environmental-education visit programme.

The three uninhabited islands visible from the south coast — Ilhéu Chão, Deserta Grande and Bugio — form, with their islets and the sea down to the 100 m isobath, a nature reserve of 12,586 ha, in line with Ponta de São Lourenço, 12 nautical miles from it and 22 from Funchal (official coordinates 32° 30' N, 16° 29' 30'' W). Protected since 1990 as a Special Protection Area, they owe their status to the urgent need to save a small colony of Mediterranean monk seals, the lobo-marinho, whose conservation project began in 1988; the Vigilantes da Natureza keep a permanent watch. Thousands of people visit them every year by boat — private craft, maritime-tourism operators, Navy ships — always with prior authorisation, which manages the area. The Doca of Deserta Grande is the landing point.

The Ribeiro Frio forest park, in Santana, shows the flora of Madeira's original forest: laurel, folhado, til, vinhático and endemics such as isoplexis, massaroco, estreleiras and the mountain orchid; the firecrest, chaffinch and trocaz pigeon, all endemic, can be seen. The Posto Aquícola has bred rainbow trout since 1960 to restock the island's streams — renovated in 2019, it receives thousands of visitors a year; entry costs €3 for those over 12. Start of PR 10 Levada do Furado and PR 11 Vereda dos Balcões; frequent fog.

Above Santana, one of the island's most visited forest parks, by visitors and residents alike, for its scenery and biodiversity: tils, pau-branco, centuries-old heaths, folhados and uveiras of the Laurissilva, mixed with Madeira cedars, cryptomerias and copper beeches; the endemic chaffinch, firecrest and trocaz pigeon, grey wagtail and buzzard. The Casa de Abrigo das Queimadas, with the thatched roof of Santana's houses, has become the "Casa das Tradições Madeirenses". Start of PR 9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde and of the accessible PR 9.1 to Pico das Pedras; picnic area, restaurant-café, shop, bird hide, paid parking and toilets.

In the heart of the Laurissilva, a World Heritage site since December 1999, on the ER 104 that drops from Encumeada to São Vicente: laurels often bearing the "madre-de-louro" caused by a fungus, tils, rarer vinháticos, folhados, sanguinhos, faias-das-ilhas, heaths and uveiras whose berries go into jams; the endemic firecrest, chaffinch and trocaz pigeon. Tables and benches, fountains, fireplaces and lawns make it one of the forest leisure spots most sought after by Madeirans; the PR 22 Vereda do Chão dos Louros loop (1.9 km) goes round it, with a lookout over the São Vicente valley and a link to PR 21. Free parking, paid toilets.

At the mouth of the Ribeira da Janela, the island's longest watercourse, big rocks stand in the ocean; one of them is pierced by a window-shaped opening ("janela") that gave its name to the river and the village. The "Escoada da Foz da Ribeira da Janela" — the lava flow at the mouth — is among the Region's fifteen Natural Monuments created in 2021, witnesses to the archipelago's volcanic history born of two hotspots. A rocky beach with free access, toilets and showers 9:00–19:00 according to Porto Moniz municipality; seen from the Porto de Abrigo viewpoint and the Ribeira da Janela lookout.

The islet that closes Porto Moniz's landscape, facing the natural pools: Ilhéu Mole is one of the Region's fifteen Natural Monuments created in 2021, for the archipelago's geodiversity — rocks, volcanic structures and landforms that document its history. It is not visited: you admire it from the seafront, the pools and the lookouts.

Europe's highest promontory, 580 m sheer above the ocean, and the archipelago's most photographed suspended glass platform (skywalk). Under your feet, the Rancho and Cabo Girão fajãs, small cultivated plots at the foot of the cliff served since 2003 by a cable car built for the farmers; to the east, Câmara de Lobos and Funchal in their amphitheatre. The name comes from the "giro", the turn-around of Zarco's first survey of the coast. A Natural Monument and Protected Landscape of Cabo Girão, with a marine natural park offshore; stone from its quarries went into Funchal cathedral. A paragliding and BASE-jumping site; the Nossa Senhora de Fátima pilgrimage chapel (1951) is nearby. Access 2026: €5.00 per visitor over 12, paid on the SIMplifica portal, free for under-13s and residents.

The end of the island: at Ponta da Vigia, Madeira's westernmost cape, the viewpoint stands on top of a 290 m cliff, with views over the Atlantic and the imposing cliffs running to Achadas da Cruz, in the municipality of Porto Moniz. The lighthouse, in service since June 1922, has a 14 m tower and its light shines at 312 m; it is classified as heritage of local value by the Regional Government, and a small museum created in 2001 shows objects, photographs and documents about Madeira's lighthouses. The site belongs to the Ponta do Pargo Protected Area: a Natural Monument, Protected Landscape and marine natural park, with its cultivated fajãs, its "palheiros" and its stone terraces.

The highest point of the archipelago, 1,862 m, Portugal's third-highest summit, and the island's widest panorama: the Curral das Freiras valley and Câmara de Lobos, the villages of Santana, the Ribeira Grande and Ribeira de São Jorge valleys, Ponta de São Lourenço, Paul da Serra and, with good visibility, Porto Santo and the Desertas. It is reached only on foot, by PR 1 from Pico do Areeiro (one-way from Pedra Rija, €10.50 ticket) or by PR 1.2 from Achada do Teixeira (2.8 km, €4.50) — SIMplifica booking compulsory in both cases. High-altitude heath and monumental rock formations that often pierce the cloud layer; it is also the nesting ground of Zino's petrel. The lookout itself has no fee.

The island's third-highest peak, at 1,818 m, and the most visited thanks to its road and facilities: from up here, the whole Maciço Montanhoso, Ponta de São Lourenço, Curral das Freiras and, on clear days, Porto Santo, with the Atlantic as a backdrop. The sunrise spectacle, weather permitting, draws ever more onlookers and photographers — the best hour, provided you wrap up. It is the start of the Vereda do Areeiro (PR 1) to Pico das Torres (1,851 m) and Pico Ruivo (1,862 m), fully reopened on 1 May 2026. Access: car park charged at €4.00 per hour; a shuttle is run by Horários do Funchal (timetables on their site). The lookout itself is free.

The bathing area of the Clube Naval do Funchal, on the city's seafront, between Praia Formosa and Ponta Gorda. It flies the 2026 Blue Flag: one of the fourteen flagged sites on Madeira island this season, alongside Ponta Gorda, the Lido, Barreirinha and Praia Formosa in Funchal. The flag rewards water quality, safety, services and environmental education.

The waterfall drops straight towards the sea, on the old road linking São Vicente to Seixal. It is the hanging mouth of Ribeira de João Delgado: the rapid retreat of the coast, by vertical erosion, left the stream bed in mid-air. The regional forestry institute has classified it a Natural Monument — one of the ten on Madeira island. You look at it from the Véu da Noiva viewpoint, on the road above.

Beside the Foz da Ribeira do Faial bathing complex stands a prismatic, or columnar, disjunction: regular columns born of the slow cooling of a lava flow. The regional forestry institute has classified it a Natural Monument, one of the ten on Madeira island. It is visible from the pebble beach and its natural pool, without leaving the complex.