Poço da Neve: Madeira’s old snow well in the mountains
The Poço da Neve, a stone ice house built in the early 1800s near Pico do Arieiro, where snow was packed into ice for Funchal. Its story and how to see it.
This page first appeared on Madeira Blog on 30 January 2010. We have rewritten it with up-to-date information.
High on the road from Funchal to Pico do Arieiro, a small stone dome stands in the moorland. It is the Poço da Neve, the “snow well”, a reminder that Madeira’s mountains get cold enough for snow, and of a time before refrigerators.
What it was for
The snow well was built in the early 1800s. In winter, workers collected snow from the surrounding peaks and packed it tightly into the deep stone pit, where it turned into ice and kept for months under insulation. When it was needed, blocks of ice were carried down the mountain, wrapped in straw and sacking, to Funchal.
The ice was used in the city’s hospital and to make ice cream and cool drinks for wealthy residents and visitors. It was a luxury that only the cold heights of the island could provide.
The well fell out of use in the early twentieth century, when ice could be made by machine. It has since been restored and protected as part of the island’s heritage.
Seeing it
The Poço da Neve is next to the road from Funchal towards Pico do Arieiro, signposted from the road. Stop on the way up to the peak or on the way back from a sunrise. From the site there are wide views over the hills towards Funchal on a clear day.
It is a short stop rather than a destination, but it adds a story to a drive into the mountains. See sunrise at Pico do Arieiro and the PR1 walk.
Snow in Madeira
Snow still falls on the highest peaks on a few days most winters, usually above about 1,500 metres. When it does, locals drive up to see it, and the mountain roads can close. Check the weather warnings before heading up in winter.