Paul do Mar

Paul do Mar's lively beach, one of the most popular on the west coast: pebbles, clear water warm almost all year, a relaxed atmosphere. Unsupervised but well equipped — bar, sun deck, parasols, showers — with the village bars and restaurants serving this coast's fish all around. Much loved by surfers, it has hosted several competitions. Bathing season 2026: 15 June – 15 September, but lifeguard cover not yet confirmed. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

At the eastern end of Paul do Mar, next to the harbour, the pebble beach of a village that has lived from the sea for centuries: on one side the narrow streets sheltered by the cliff, on the other the Atlantic where the traditional fishing boats float. Clear, mild water all year. In July the village hosts the limpet festival, which draws Madeirans and tourists. Bathing season 2026: 15 June – 15 September, but lifeguard cover not yet confirmed. In a swell follow the flags: red = no bathing.

In the south-west of the island, a parish of the municipality of Calheta shaped by the sea: a "paul", a valley sheltered by imposing rocks on one side and washed by the ocean on the other. An important fishing centre — the fish makes the restaurants' reputation — the village had a tuna-export cannery from 1912, whose chimney still stands. As at Jardim do Mar, the waves draw surfers; the Porto and Ribeira das Galinhas beaches line the seafront and its bars. You get down by road or by the Caminho Real do Paul do Mar (PR 19) from Prazeres, 534 m of paved steps. Limpet festival in July.