Beaches

Created by Shelly Verschuur, Modified on Fri, 28 Feb, 2025 at 1:22 PM by Mirthe van den Beuken

Please find below the selection we made for you: 

  • Praia Formosa (Funchal): largest public beach of Madeira (mix of pebbles and black sand) 
  • Machico Beach: one of the few sandy beaches on the island (the golden sand is imported from Morocco) 
  • Praia do Garajau: part of the Garajau Natural Reserve (calm waters, you can take a cable car down to the beach from the viewpoint above) 
  • Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools: not a traditional beach, however it's famous for its natural volcanic sea pools 
  • Prainha de Caniçal: a smaller and more secluded beach 
  • Seixal Beach: surrounded by dramatic mountains and cliffs (black sand) 
  • Calheta Beach: one of the few man-made sandy beaches (sand is imported from Morocco) 
  • Lido (Funchal): featuring a collection of natural sea pools and a large lido complex including swimming pools, restaurants and sunbathing areas 

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