Northwestern Madeira Day Trip Itinerary

Known for its dramatic and rugged terrain, Northwestern Madeira is highly accessible from the capital city of Funchal. A scenic 50-minute drive from Funchal makes it a great day trip destination! We kicked off our first full day in Madeira here.

Miradouro do Véu da Noiva

The first stop of the day is Miradouro do Véu da Noiva, a beautiful roadside viewpoint that offers views of the famous Véu da Noiva Waterfall, which drops from a sheer cliff straight into the ocean below. This is a quick and easy stop, but note that parking is limited. Arriving around 9am allowed us to beat the crowds and have this spot to ourselves.

Seixal

Next, make your way to Seixal, a small village known for its black sand beach and natural volcanic pools. You’ll want to dedicate at least a full morning here. Follow the signs to parking and leave your car there while you’re in town. We arrived at 9:15 and were one of the first cars in the lot. Make sure to arrive by 10am – most of the parking lots were full by then. We paid €10 to park here for the day.

Praia do Porto do Seixal

From the parking lot, head straight to Praia do Porto do Seixal, one of Madeira’s only natural sand beaches. Unlike Madeira’s typical rocky shores, the sand is black and soft. The beach is on the smaller side and there were already quite a few people there when we arrived. There were also surf lessons underway, so there were quite a few surfers in the water.

Snack Bar Avista Navios

After some time on the beach, walk up to Snack Bar Avista Navios to get a late breakfast. This charming restaurant has a beautiful outdoor terrace that looks out over the village. It’s a perfect casual spot to enjoy a bite and soak in the views.

Espaço Infinito

Conclude your time in Seixal with a quick detour to Espaço Infinito. This Instagram-famous photo spot looks out over the ocean and was built by a Madeiran local using natural materials to create a “window” framing the ocean. This is a quick photo stop before departing Seixal. From here, it is a brief 10-minute walk back to the parking area followed by a 15-minute drive to the town of Porto Moniz.

Porto Moniz

Porto Moniz is more developed than Seixal. Finding a place to park is much easier here, thanks to several large parking lots. Following the local signage, we pulled into the main pool parking lot around 11:30am and found plenty of open spaces.

Piscinas Naturais do Porto Moniz

Porto Moniz is known for its volcanic pools that fill up with ocean water from the rising tides. There are two options for pools to swim in: a completely natural volcanic pool and a fully developed pool that is partially paved and has loungers and changing rooms. We opted for the developed pools and spent a relaxing afternoon there. The facility is very affordable, with a €3 entry fee, plus optional €3 rentals for lounge chairs and €3 for umbrellas.

A highlight of this complex is that portions of the pool bottoms are paved. This allowed us to wade and swim barefoot comfortably without scraping our feet on rugged rocks or needing water shoes. Having full access to changing rooms was convenient for a full day out, and there also is an on-site restaurant if you want to extend your stay for lunch.

Lunch at Conchinha

Once you get hungry, dry off and head across the street to the restaurant called Conchinha. This casual restaurant is a great spot for a delicious lunch. We both got the Prego no Bolo do Caco (Madeira’s iconic steak sandwich served on traditional flatbread) and it was one of my favorite meals of the trip!

Miradouro Ilhéus da Ribeira da Janela

On the drive back to Funchal, make sure to stop at Miradouro Ilhéus da Ribeira da Janela, a coastal viewpoint just outside of Porto Moniz. Massive basalt sea stacks jut out of the ocean and are quite beautiful. We learned that this beach was a major filming location for one of the recent live action Star Wars movies. It’s a great quick detour that is the perfect end to a day on the north coast.