Where to swim in Madeira: beaches, lidos and natural pools
The best places to swim in Madeira: sandy beaches, pebble coves, seawater lidos and natural lava pools, with what each is like, when lifeguards are on duty and how to stay safe.
Madeira is not a classic beach island. The coast is mostly cliffs and pebbles, and the Atlantic can be powerful. But there are many good places to swim, from sandy bays to seawater pools carved into the rocks, and on a calm day the water is clear and inviting.
Sandy beaches
- Calheta: two sheltered beaches of golden sand behind breakwaters, next to the marina in the sunny south-west. Calm water, ideal for children.
- Machico: a golden-sand beach in a protected bay near the airport, with cafés along the seafront.
- Prainha, Caniçal: a small natural black-sand beach near the eastern tip. Lovely after the Ponta de São Lourenço walk.
- Seixal: black sand under green cliffs on the north coast. Beautiful, but more exposed to waves. See Porto Moniz and Seixal.
- Porto Santo: nine kilometres of golden sand on the neighbouring island. See Porto Santo.
Lidos and seawater pools
Madeirans swim at complexos balneares, bathing complexes with seawater pools, sun terraces, ladders into the sea, showers, cafés and lifeguards in season. Some charge a small entry fee in summer.
- Funchal: the Lido and Ponta Gorda complexes in the hotel zone, Barreirinha below the old town, and Doca do Cavacas with its natural rock pools.
- Caniço: the seafront at Reis Magos and Caniço de Baixo, with ladders into very clear water.
- Porto da Cruz: seawater pools on the north-east coast.
- Many towns have their own municipal pools by the sea.
Natural lava pools
- Porto Moniz: the most famous, with pools formed in black lava, filled by the waves. See Porto Moniz.
- Seixal and Doca do Cavacas also have natural pools.
These close when the swell is too big.
Pebble beaches
- Praia Formosa, Funchal: the city’s largest beach, pebbles and dark sand, with a long promenade to Câmara de Lobos.
- Garajau: below the cliffs east of Funchal, reached by cable car or a steep road, in a marine reserve with great snorkelling.
- Ponta do Sol: a small pebble beach by the village.
Water shoes make pebble beaches much more comfortable.
When lifeguards are on duty
The official bathing season runs roughly from June to September, when lifeguards patrol the main beaches and lidos. Outside it, swim only at calm, sheltered spots and never alone.
Staying safe
- Respect the flags: red means no swimming, yellow means take care.
- Don’t swim on the north coast or open beaches in big waves.
- Never walk on wet rocks close to the sea.
- Check the waves on our weather page and the webcams before you go.