Volcanic rock pools that are refilled twice a day by the Atlantic, and a coastline so wild that the town carried on whaling here until the 1980s. Porto Moniz is not quite like anywhere else in Madeira, and that is precisely why you should make the journey to the far northwestern corner of the island.

The town sits on a rocky shelf where the mountains of western Madeira finally meet the sea, and for centuries this geography kept Porto Moniz cut off from the rest of the island. That isolation shaped its character, and you can still feel it today in the bracing wind off the Atlantic and the quiet that settles over the harbour once the tour coaches have rumbled back towards Funchal.

What draws most visitors here are the lava pools, a series of black basalt basins sculpted by ancient volcanic flows and now topped up by the rising tide. They are the undisputed highlight of the town, and in my view the finest place to swim anywhere on Madeira. Just beyond the town, the Levada da Ribeira da Janela offers one of the island's most scenic long-distance walks, while two shorter trails climb to viewpoints that look straight down onto the red rooftops and white surf below.

I would be honest with you about one thing. Porto Moniz is small, and you could see every sight in the town itself in half an hour. It is also a long way from anywhere else, a full 50 minutes by car from Funchal on winding mountain roads. That is not a reason to skip it, but it is a reason to come for the right purpose.

I have been exploring Portugal since 2001 and, together with my Portuguese wife, have returned to Madeira many times over the years, timing our visits to Porto Moniz to catch the town at its calmest, long after the day-trippers have left. This guide shares what we have learned, so you can look beyond the tour-bus view and experience Porto Moniz the way I believe it is best seen: slowly, and on its own terms.
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The seawater lava pools that are naturally filled by the ocean’s high tide, and offer a dramatic setting for swimming or paddling in. (A full guide to the pools is found later in the article).

The relaxed ambience of Porto Moniz - once the tours have departed!

The scenic roads, either following the ER101 as it snakes up into the hills or the VE2 as it follows the rugged coastline.

The Miradouro da Santa, with its wonderful views over the town.

The spectacular views from the Miradouro da Santa, but it's a steep 20-minute uphill walk...

Porto Moniz is a relatively small town, and all of the sights can be easily seen in a couple of hours of sightseeing. A half-day could be spent exploring the harbour and fort, and then relaxing in the lava pool complex.

With a car, you could drive up to the Miradouro da Santa viewpoint, or along the beautiful coastal road towards Seixal.
The day trip could be extended by visiting Achadas da Cruz, an abandoned village at the far western point of Madeira and is only accessible by cable car. There is a second great viewpoint at Miradouro dos Pombais (just past the village of Santa Maria Madalena).

If you are visiting Porto Moniz as part of an organised tour, expect only a brief stop in the town. This will provide time for a few photos and time to see the castle and harbour but not enough time to swim in the lava pools or hike up to the viewpoints.

We have worked with GetYourGuide for the past five years and some of their best tours that include Porto Moniz are:
• The best of western Madeira, full day coach tour
• Porto Moniz Volcanic Pools and Cliff top Skywalk, small group tour
• Enchanted Terraces and Porto do Moniz tour

Tourists often race through Porto Moniz on an organised tour or coach trip, and miss the real appeal of the town; it’s calm atmosphere and remote setting. This is a destination to allow the bracing winds to clear your mind and allow you to embrace the untamed natural beauty of one of the most isolated towns in Europe.

To get the most from Porto Moniz a car is needed, but with one there are empty hiking trails, remote headlands and unspoilt wild countryside to explore. Excursions from Porto Moniz could include; the pretty town of Seixal, the caves of São Vicente, the cable car of Achadas da Cruz, and the pebble beach of Ribeira da Janela.
Insight: The coach tours arrive between 11:00 and 15:00, and outside of this time, the town is calm and personable.

The fishing harbour of Porto Moniz

Madeira contains many designer hotels with beautiful swimming pool complexes, but nature has trumped all of these to create the finest location to swim on the island.

These black basalt pools, were created from the lava flow of the now extinct volcanoes, and today are pounded by huge Atlantic waves. These pools are rightly regarded as the best attraction of Porto Moniz and they are fascinating for visitors of all ages. The pools can be swum in, explored for aquatic life, clambered over, sunbathed on or simply admired.

The Piscinas Naturais do Porto Moniz swimming pool complex, fantastic for a summer day!

There are two sets of lava pools in Porto Moniz: the natural pools that overlook the Ilheu Mole island and the western pools, that have been converted into a Lido pool complex.

The Lido pools (Piscinas Naturais do Porto Moniz) are a much safer location for swimming, especially when visiting with children, as there are no sharp rocks and there is lifeguard supervision. The entrance fee to the Piscinas Naturais is €1.50, and they open every day from 9:00-19:00 (9:00-17:00 during winter). The facilities are modern and clean and the complex is well run.

The pools close to the Ilheu Mole are completely unaltered, which means they are naturally stunning but also dangerous. The black basalt rocks of the pools are sharp, slippery and unforgiving if you trip. The common injury is bashing toes while swimming or slipping while clambering out.
Our advice: Take a picture of the natural pools and then spend the day at the Piscinas Naturais do Porto Moniz.

The picturesque natural lava pools, but the rocks are jagged and sharp

The Achadas da Cruz cable car is certainly worth the 20min drive from Porto Moniz. This very steep cable car descends the massive cliffs (430m high) to the abandoned village of Fajã da Quebrada Nova, which sits on a spit of land enclosed by the cliffs and the ocean.

The ride down is scary, as even on the calmest of days the carriage is buffeted by strong winds. At the base of the cliffs are coastal walks, wild natural scenery and a feeling of complete isolation. The Achadas da Cruz cable car costs €3.
Advice: At low season the cable car stops running for 2 hours at lunch time, before heading down make sure you know the time of the return rides.

Riding the cable car down to the village

The Levada da Ribeira da Janela is one of the best long hiking trails on the northern side of Madeira. The path follows the Janela river valley as it climbs into the steep hills south of Porto Moniz and provides dense forests, waterfalls and lush scenery.

The route is 13km (each way) and starts from the small village Ribeira da Janela, just to the east of Porto Moniz. After the initial uphill climb to from the village, it is relatively flat, but there is a 1km long tunnel (and a torch is a must).

Porto Moniz is surrounded by massive hills and these offer wonderful viewpoints over the town and coastline. One of the best viewpoints is from the Miradouro da Santa, which is on the old road (ER101) south from Porto Moniz. The route follows the switch back roads, but the view is worth the effort.

The small Aquário da Madeira aquarium is housed within the Forte de São João Baptista de Porto Moniz, a fort constructed from the local basalt rocks. The entrance fee to the aquarium is €7.00/€4 .00 (adult/child) and is open from 10:00 to 18:00 every day. The aquarium’s highlight are the sharks but as it is relatively small it gets mixed reviews from visitors.

Public transport to Porto Moniz is very limited, and all bus services are provided by the Rodoeste bus company. There are two routes to Porto Moniz from Funchal, the number 80 service and the 139 service. The latest timetables can be seen on the Rodoeste website:
www.rodoeste.com.pt