Porto Moniz, the pools in the lava rock
Seawater pools in the black rock at the north-west tip of the island, filled by the Atlantic.
Porto Moniz at a glance
A village at the north-west tip with seawater pools in the black lava rock: a paid complex and free pools nearby.
- Where
- Porto Moniz, at the north-west tip
- From Funchal by car
- about 60 min
- Time to allow
- 1 to 2 hours with lunch or a swim
- Pool complex entry
- €3 for anyone over 3, free for children 3 and under
- Open
- all year, 09:00 to 17:00 in winter and 09:00 to 19:00 in summer
- Free pools
- free, with an outdoor shower and no toilets; supervised in the bathing season
Go there with us
- West Madeira: Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal Private tour 8 h €2501–4
- Cruise day, 6 to 7 hours Private tour 6–7 h €2301–4
- Your own route, full day Your own route 8 h €2801–4
Prices are for the whole car, not per person. Each page has the price for 5 or 6.
What you see and do
Porto Moniz is the village at the north-west tip of Madeira, and its pools are the reason most people come. The sea fills hollows in the black lava rock, and walls and terraces turn them into pools you can swim in, with the waves breaking on the outer rocks.
There are two sets. The municipal complex charges entry and has changing rooms, a bar, lifeguards, sunbeds and umbrellas for hire, a children's pool. The water is seawater, renewed by the tide, about 20 to 21 °C on average through the year. A few minutes' walk east, the older pools by the Cachalote restaurant are free and simpler: free, with an outdoor shower and no toilets; supervised in the bathing season.
Restaurants look over the pools, and the Madeira Aquarium is in the old São João Baptista fort, with more than 90 local species.
Before you go
- Bring a swimsuit and a towel. The complex has changing rooms; the free pools have only an outdoor shower.
- Entry to the complex is €3 for anyone over 3, free for children 3 and under, and it is open all year, 09:00 to 17:00 in winter and 09:00 to 19:00 in summer.
- The north coast is windier and wetter than Funchal, so bring a layer for after the swim.
- It is an hour from Funchal, so Porto Moniz works best inside a day in the west, not as a trip on its own.
Porto Moniz with us
Our west Madeira day stops here for about 90 minutes around midday, for a swim and lunch, between Seixal and the Achadas da Cruz cable car. The longer cruise day also reaches Porto Moniz when your ship stays long enough.
Nearby, on the same day
All places-
Ribeira da Janela
Sea stacks off a pebble beach at the mouth of Madeira's longest river; a hole in one islet gave the place its name.
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Achadas da Cruz cable car
A small municipal cable car that drops down the north-west cliff to the fields and pebble shore of Fajã da Quebrada Nova.
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Seixal
A north-coast village with a black-sand beach, sea pools in the lava rock and vines on terraces above the sea.
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Fanal
Centuries-old til trees standing in open grass on the plateau above Seixal, often in fog.
Porto Moniz questions
Are the Porto Moniz pools free?
The main pool complex charges entry: €3 for anyone over 3, free for children 3 and under. The older pools by the Cachalote restaurant, a few minutes' walk east, are free, with an outdoor shower and no toilets.
Are there lifeguards at the Porto Moniz pools?
Yes at the main complex. The free pools by the Cachalote restaurant are supervised in the bathing season.
How far is Porto Moniz from Funchal?
About an hour by car, through the tunnels to São Vicente and along the north coast.
Porto Moniz on the west day
The pools, lunch by the sea and the north-west coast 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.
West Madeira: Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal €250 per car for 1 to 4 people, €290 for 5 or 6