Ponta do Sol, the pier on the rock
A small town on the warm south-west coast, half an hour from Funchal, with a pebble beach and a pier built on a rock.
Ponta do Sol at a glance
A small south-west coast town with a pebble beach, a stone pier from 1849 and a 15th-century church.
- Where
- Ponta do Sol, on the south-west coast
- From Funchal by car
- about 30 min
- Time to allow
- 30 minutes to 1 hour
- The beach
- about 160 m of pebbles in a small cove, with changing rooms, toilets and a bar
- The pier
- built on a rock and opened in 1849
Go there with us
- West Madeira: Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal Private tour 8 h €2501–4
- Your own route, half day Your own route 4 h €1601–4
Prices are for the whole car, not per person. Each page has the price for 5 or 6.
What you see
Ponta do Sol is a small town in a cove on the south-west coast. The pier, built on a rock and opened in 1849, reaches out into the sea, and the pebble beach curves round below the old town: about 160 m of pebbles in a small cove, with changing rooms, toilets and a bar.
Behind the seafront, the church of Nossa Senhora da Luz dates from the late 15th century, its front rebuilt in 1708. Nearby is the John dos Passos Cultural Centre, in the house of the writer's family, whose grandfather was born here in 1812; open Monday to Friday.
It is one of the warmest corners of the island: the Lugar de Baixo weather station in Ponta do Sol had the highest mean air temperature on the island in 2023 and 2024, 21.7 °C.
Before you go
- Half an hour to an hour covers the pier, the beach and a coffee in the old town.
- The cultural centre is open on weekdays only.
- Bring water shoes for the pebbles if you plan to swim.
Ponta do Sol with us
Our west Madeira day comes back through Ponta do Sol at the end of the afternoon, on the way down from the plateau. It also fits a half day with a driver along the south-west coast, with Cabo Girão and Ribeira Brava.
Nearby, on the same day
All places-
Ribeira Brava
A seaside town where the road from the south coast turns up the valley to the north, with an old fort by the beach.
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Cabo Girão
A glass-floored viewpoint at the top of a 580 m sea cliff, looking straight down at the small fields on the shore below.
-
Calheta
A west-coast town with Madeira's first man-made beach, 100 m of golden sand by the marina.
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Paul da Serra
Madeira's only high plateau, a flat moor at about 1,500 m between the north and south coasts, often in cloud.
Ponta do Sol questions
Is Ponta do Sol the sunniest place in Madeira?
That is how it is often described, but sunshine hours aren't measured there. What is measured: the Lugar de Baixo weather station in Ponta do Sol had the highest mean air temperature on the island in 2023 and 2024, 21.7 °C.
How far is Ponta do Sol from Funchal?
About half an hour by car on the expressway along the south coast.
The south-west coast with a driver
Ponta do Sol, Cabo Girão and Ribeira Brava in a half day, or the whole west in a day. Send us a date and we reply within 60 minutes, 07:00–22:00.
Your own route, half day €160 per car for 1 to 4 people, €180 for 5 or 6