The quick version
- Porto Moniz pairs a built pool complex with sea-filled volcanic rock basins; the swimming area is 3800 m2 and 2 metres deep.[1]
- The tour's headline stop is the Cabo Girão Skywalk, 580 metres above the sea and about 15 kilometers west of Funchal.[2][3]
- Fanal sits in Madeira's Laurissilva forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, and the tour stops at Fanal Pond.[4][5]
- The 4WD day runs 8 hours with 11 pickup location options, and free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.[5]
- The west coast 4WD day is from US$79; a west Madeira day trip limited to 8 participants is from US$37.[5][6]
- Top choice Skywalk, Seixal and Fanal from US$79 Duration8 hours[5]Rating4.87 from 9,297 reviews[5]Group sizePrivate or small groups[5]ReserveReserve now & pay later[5] Check availability
- Enchanted Terraces 4WD Tour from US$80 Duration8 hours[7]Rating4.78 from 5,647 reviews[7]Group sizePrivate or small groups[7]ReserveReserve now & pay later[7] See this tour
- West Madeira Waterfalls from US$40 Duration8 hours[8]Rating4.70 from 3,827 reviews[8]Group sizePrivate or small groups[8]ReserveReserve now & pay later[8] See this tour
The lounging area is approximately 3217 m2 while the swimming area is 3800 m2 and 2 metres deep, allowing around 7600 m3 of seawater into the pools.
Is the Porto Moniz and Seixal pool day worth it?
Plan your day
At the pools
- Water shoes or grippy sandals for the uneven volcanic rock shelf
- Sun cream, a hat and a shirt for the glare and the wind
- Keep young children in the built basins, within arm's reach
- Air temperature averages 20°C (67°F) across the year[9]
Porto Moniz's lava pools and built basins
Porto Moniz sits at the north-west corner of Madeira, where black lava reaches into the Atlantic and traps pockets of clear water behind it. The sea does most of the work. It washes over the rock, and what stays behind in the basins is still, deep and glassy, far easier to swim in than the open ocean running past the outer edge. The complex is larger than it looks from the road: the lounging area is approximately 3217 m2 and the swimming area is 3800 m2 and 2 metres deep, holding around 7600 m3 of seawater.[1]
Two different swims share the same name. One is the shaped side, where walkways, steps and handrails turn the lava into something calm enough for children and nervous swimmers. The other is the raw rock shelf, where the Atlantic fills natural basins and you step in wherever the stone allows. It is the view behind most Porto Moniz natural swimming pools photos: dark rock, white surf and bright turquoise water inside the pools. Porto Moniz beach here means stone and salt water rather than sand, and Madeira volcanic pools like these are the west coast's signature swim. Ask Porto Moniz what to do on a first visit and the answer is simple: swim, then walk the seafront.
Tides, swell and when swimming is off the cards
The Atlantic sets the terms at Porto Moniz. On a calm day the water inside the basins barely moves, and you can float and watch the swell break on the outer rocks. When a real swell arrives, waves push over the edge of the shelf and surge through the pools, and that is the moment to stay on the walkway. Nothing about that is obvious from a sunny sky, because the sea state out here has little to do with the weather in Funchal. Look at the water for a full minute before you change, and watch how far the white water reaches up the rock.
Seixal works the same way. The natural pool there is sheltered by rock, but the beach beside it takes the full run of the swell, and the black sand shelves steeply into the water. If you are out with a guide, ask what the sea is doing before you commit to a swim, then decide in the moment. Swimming is a bonus on this coast rather than the whole point: the cliffs, the laurel forest and the drive itself are worth the day even when the basins are too rough to enter. Come back at the end of the trip if the swell drops.
Turquoise water held in black lava at Porto Moniz
Water temperature through the year and what to expect
Madeira has a subtropical Mediterranean climate with even temperatures all year round, and an average annual temperature of 20°C (67°F).[9] The sea around the island is cool by southern European standards, warm enough for a long summer swim and bracing in winter. The built pools at Porto Moniz feel warmer than the open sea, while the outer basins stay colder and clearer, flushed constantly by fresh ocean water. Expect a short, refreshing swim rather than a long soak, and let the first cold seconds pass before you decide how long you are staying in.
Pack for a day that can feel like two seasons. On the north coast the wind picks up through the afternoon, and stepping out of the water into it feels far colder than the swim itself. A quick-dry towel, a rash vest for children and a light fleece for afterwards make the difference between a good swim and a very short one. Late morning and early afternoon give the most forgiving water and the most sun on the rocks, while the light at the end of the day turns the whole shelf gold and the water glassy.
Footwear on volcanic rock: what to wear in the pools
Lava is beautiful and unforgiving. The rock shelf at Porto Moniz is uneven, pitted and sharp in places, and bare feet suffer on the walk out to the outer basins. Water shoes or old trainers with grip are the simplest answer: they hold on wet stone, protect against cuts and let you cross the shelf without staring at your feet the whole way. Inside the built pools the floor is smooth and flat, so once you are in the water, footwear matters far less.
Bring swimwear you can move in, a towel that dries quickly and something to carry wet things in. Sun cream, a hat and a shirt for your shoulders matter more than you expect, because the light bouncing off the water is strong and there is very little shade on the rocks. A dry bag keeps phones and keys safe while you swim, and sandals are useful for the walk along the seafront afterwards, when the pavement and the black stone have been in the sun for hours.
from US$79
The west coast 4WD day runs 8 hours and stops at Cabo Girão Skywalk, Seixal, Porto Moniz and Fanal Forest.[5]
Water safety and swimming with children
The built basins are the place for young children. They are shallow at the edges, sheltered from the swell and easy to watch, and an adult can stand beside a child the whole time. Out on the rock shelf, keep hold of small hands, stay back from the lip where the waves run up, and never turn your back on the sea to take a photo. A wave that looks harmless from the walkway can be waist high against the shelf a second later.
Pick your pool to match the day. If the outer basins are surging, stay in the calm ones, and if the whole shelf is being washed over, swim somewhere else and come back later in the trip. Agree a meeting point on the seafront before anyone gets in, keep one adult watching the water rather than the bags, and give children a few minutes to get used to the cold before they go in properly. Confidence builds fast once they are in.
Seixal's black sand beach as an alternative to the pools
Seixal gives you the other half of a Madeira beach day. The sand is black and gritty, made from the same volcanic rock as everything around it, and it shelves into clear water below green cliffs with thin waterfalls running down the rock face. The tour stops at Seixal, so you can take in the beach and the pools on the same loop.[5] The village is small, the setting is dramatic, and the change from the pale, busy beaches of the south coast is exactly the point.
Black sand holds heat, so shoes are welcome between the towel and the water, and it sticks to everything, so keep a spare bag for sandy clothes and shoes. The sea here can be livelier than the pools, and there is no shelter from the swell on the open beach, so swim close to the shore and watch the sets before you go in. If you want a still, easy swim, take it earlier at Porto Moniz; if you want surf, a view and dark sand under your feet, Seixal is the better stop.
Where to eat during the lunch break at Porto Moniz
Porto Moniz is the natural lunch stop on a west coast day, and it is on the tour's list of stops.[5] The seafront above the pools has a row of simple restaurants looking straight out at the water, and the menu is what you would hope for on this coast: grilled limpets with garlic and butter, espada, espetada on a skewer, octopus, seafood rice and a small glass of poncha. Portions tend to be generous, the fish is usually the safest bet, and nobody minds wet hair at the table.
Go early or accept a short wait. The seafront fills quickly when several tours arrive at once, and the tables with the view go first. If you would rather swim than queue, eat after your swim, when the first rush has moved on, then walk the seafront and the small harbour before the drive up into the forest. A coffee and a pastry by the pools is a fine way to close the break, and it keeps you out of the sun while your clothes dry.
From prices on west Madeira pool and forest tours
What a west Madeira pool day costs
Adult from-prices in US dollars for these tour listings:[5][6][7][10]
When to book and when to swim
Plan the volcanic pool day
Book the west coast day
The 4WD west coast day is from US$79 and runs 8 hours, with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.[5]
Pick your pickup point
The tour lists 11 pickup location options and 11 drop-off locations, so check availability for your own start time.[5]
Pack for rock and water
Water shoes, a quick-dry towel, swimwear, sun cream and a warm layer for Fanal cover almost everything the day asks for.
Ride to the skywalk
Cabo Girão is 580 metres high, and entry costs €2, except for residents and children up to 12 years old.[2]
Swim, then walk the forest
Swim in 3800 m2 of water at Porto Moniz, then finish in the Laurissilva forest at Fanal.[1][4]
Ride the west coast and swim at Porto Moniz
from US$80Reserve now & pay later
