Machico, where Madeira began
The bay on the east coast where the Portuguese discoverers came ashore in 1419, now a town with a yellow-sand beach.
Machico at a glance
The east-coast bay where the Portuguese discoverers landed in 1419, now a town with a yellow-sand beach.
- Where
- Machico, on the east coast
- From Funchal by car
- about 25 min
- Time to allow
- 30 minutes to 1 hour
- The landing
- in 1419 the discoverers Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira came ashore on Machico beach
- The beach
- Banda d'Além, about 70 m of yellow sand brought from Morocco, with lifeguards in summer, showers and toilets
Go there with us
- East Madeira: Santana and Ponta de São Lourenço Private tour 8 h €2501–4
- Surf lesson day at Porto da Cruz Private tour 5 h €2151–4
Prices are for the whole car, not per person. Each page has the price for 5 or 6.
What you see and do
Machico is where Madeira's history starts: in 1419 the discoverers Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira came ashore on Machico beach, and it was the first place settled on the island.
Today the bay has Banda d'Além, about 70 m of yellow sand brought from Morocco, with lifeguards in summer, showers and toilets. Along the front are the Amparo fort, a triangular fort built in 1706, the old centre with its parish church and, across the river, the Capela dos Milagres.
For the view, drive up to Pico do Facho, 280 m up, over the valley, the bay and Ponta de São Lourenço.
Before you go
- Machico is five minutes past the airport, so it fits the first or last hours of a trip.
- The sand beach has lifeguards in the bathing season; the other town beach, São Roque, is pebbles.
- Half an hour to an hour covers the seafront and a coffee. Add twenty minutes for Pico do Facho.
Machico with us
Our east Madeira day stops in Machico in the afternoon, before the eastern tip at Ponta de São Lourenço. The surf day goes to Machico when the swell suits it better than Porto da Cruz.
Nearby, on the same day
All places-
Ponta de São Lourenço
Madeira's bare, windswept eastern headland, walked on the PR8 from Baía d'Abra past red cliffs to Casa do Sardinha.
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Porto da Cruz
A north-east coast village under the Penha d'Águia rock, with sea pools, surf beaches and a steam-driven rum mill.
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Garajau and Cristo Rei
The 1927 Cristo Rei statue on a headland east of Funchal, above a marine reserve where you can swim and snorkel from the shore.
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Santana
A north-coast town known for its small triangular houses with thatched roofs and colourful fronts.
Machico questions
Is Machico beach sand?
Yes: the Banda d'Além beach is Banda d'Além, about 70 m of yellow sand brought from Morocco, with lifeguards in summer, showers and toilets.
How far is Machico from Funchal?
About 25 minutes by car on the expressway, a few minutes beyond the airport.
Machico on the east day
Pico do Arieiro, Santana, Machico and the eastern tip in one day from your hotel. Send us a date and we reply within 60 minutes, 07:00–22:00, with the price for the car.
East Madeira: Santana and Ponta de São Lourenço €250 per car for 1 to 4 people, €290 for 5 or 6