MADEIRA BEACHES

Madeira is not famous for its beaches. Most of the beaches are pebble or with volcanic black sand. There are also a few beaches with imported sand from the Sahara. However, most of them are very scenic with amazing wild beauty.

For sunbathing it is better to stay on the south coast. The north coast can be windier and also cloudy.

Below is a list of the 12 best beaches on the island.

This artificial beach with imported golden sand from Sahara is one of the most popular on the island. Located on the south coast that receives most of Madeira’s sunshine it actually consists of two small beaches opposite of each other.

It is a scenic black sand beach located on the north coast of the island and surrounded by huge cliffs.       

This is one of the closest beaches to the capital Funchal. It’s a beautiful long grey pebble beach surrounded by a few restaurants and hotels.

Another artificial beach with imported soft sand from the Sahara desert in Machico. One of the best options for a sandy beach in Madeira.

A long pebble beach next to the promenade of Santa Cruz surrounded by a few hotels and restaurants.

A pebble beach on the south coast of Madeira and one of the best places for sunbathing and enjoying the sunset.

A beautiful small sandy beach surrounded by rocks and cliffs to the east of Caniçal town.

A nice small grey pebble beach surrounded by cliffs next to Christo Rei statue. It can be reached by cable car or via a narrow winding road.

This pebble beach has excellent conditions for diving and snorkelling, with an underwater nature reserve nearby.

The most central beach of Funchal. It is a small pebble beach next to Funchal’s promenade.  

The most popular natural rock pools in Madeira are located in the town of Port Moniz, on the north coast and surrounded by a beautiful rocky landscape.  There are 2 volcanic rock pools here – one paid and one free of charge.   

A small pebble and black sandy beach at Ribeira Brava on the south coast, surrounded by a few restaurants and hotels.

There are actually two swimming pools surrounded by the rocky coastline on the north coast of Madeira. 

A small pebble beach close to Camara de Lobos.

A very scenic isolated pebble beach only accessible by boat or cable car (a unique experience). There is an organic farm and a good restaurant.

I have created a map that shows all the best beast beaches on the island and other useful information.

You can check the following posts:

• Madeira Travel Guide
• Town & Villages of Madeira
• Best sights & things to do in Madeira

• Flights: I always use Skyscanner as my first choice as it’s so easy to use and you can search best deals by month. Momondo is another very good search engine as well as Google Flights.
• Accommodation: I always use Booking.com as my first choice, as it offers a great choice of accommodation at affordable prices and it’s so easy to use. TripAdvisor and Trivago are the best search engines to check deals from different websites; however not as good for checking the actual properties & rooms. Airbnb is a great alternative to find out homes and apartments to rent by real homeowners.
• Ferries: For Porto Santo check Lobo Marinho
• Car Rental: I always check Skyscanner for the cheapest car rental options.
• Public Transport: There are 4 different companies with their own website for checking public transport in Madeira: Horários do Funchal, SAM, EACL & Rodoeste
• Day Trips & Tours: Viator provides the most comprehensive list of day trips and you can book directly with them. TripAdvisor is also a great place to search for tours & activities to do.
• Travel Insurance: SafetyWing is a great choice for long-term travellers and digital nomads. Alternatively, you can use one of the price comparison websites for cheaper quotes.

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