Hello Haveyoubeenhere travel community!
Today, I publish the third article about the Portuguese island of Madeira located in the Atlantic Ocean. In the first two articles, I talked about the cliff of Cabo Girao, and about hiking on the São Lourenço Cape. All my travel articles can be found on Pinmapple, my favorite mapping service.
In this article, I will tell you about the tiny town of Porto Moniz located in the northwestern part of the island. The town is really tiny, but with a twist — only here you will find the unique natural pools where you can swim in real ocean water among huge pieces of frozen lava.
The volcanic origin of Madeira has left its traces all over the island, but it is most noticeable on its northern coast, where in many places the shore is frozen lava flows. In one of these places, the town of Porto Moniz was built.
The first mention of Porto Moniz — pronounced [ˈpoɾtu muˈniʃ] — dates back to the 15th century. According to Wikipedia, the town was named after Francisco Moniz, one of the first settlers. Francisco Moniz, a nobleman from continental Portugal, received land in this region and made a great contribution to the development of the settlement.
The first settlers were engaged in fishing, raising livestock, planting grain, and harvesting wood. During the 18th century, viticulture became the main occupation. In the 19th century, the main product of the Porto Moniz region was potatoes. Nowadays, thanks to the natural pools, the tourist sector has come out on top in the economy of the town.
You can swim in the ocean in two pools (portuguese: piscinas) — Piscinas Naturais do Porto Moniz and Piscinas Naturais do Aquário. The first ones are paid; the second ones are free. In both cases, you will be surrounded by frozen lava and magnificent landscapes.
▲ The photo above shows the eastern part of the town with Piscinas Naturais do Aquário (black rocks on the top left). The Cachalote restaurant is also located there. To the right of the restaurant is the Porto Moniz Aquarium and the helipad. Parking lots and hotel buildings can be seen in the center of the picture.
▼ The photo below shows the western part of the town with Piscinas Naturais do Porto Moniz. This is an artificially created swimming complex equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable rest. The entrance ticket costs only €1.5 with unlimited visiting time (children under three years old — free of charge). Sun beds and umbrellas are available for a fee. The pools are open year-round: in summer — from 09:00 to 19:00; in winter – from 10:00 to 17:30.
All the photos that you have already seen were taken on the observation deck on the way to Porto Moniz. I reached Porto Moniz on the ER101 highway which turns into a winding serpentine with several observation decks closer to town. The most famous and popular observation deck is called Miradouro da Santinha which offers panoramic views of Porto Moniz. There also, on the mountain, hangs a large sign with the coat of arms of the town.
I took a lot of photos there, then went to Porto Moniz.
You can't get lost in this town. I easily found an empty parking space and went to the pool. My main goal was a visit to Piscinas Naturais do Porto Moniz.
The swimming complex Piscinas Naturais do Porto Moniz is equipped with everything you need: changing rooms, showers, luggage storage, medical center, café. The descents to the pool are made by steps, the bottom is flat; there is a special children's area. For those who like to jump into the ocean, there are special jumps and ladders. There is also a rescue service.
It is worth considering the weather – the weather in Porto Moniz is quite capricious. The sun hides behind the high mountains early. If you are going to swim, then it is better to plan your trip for the first half of the day, after checking the weather forecast.
I was in Porto Moniz in October, and the weather was great. The ocean was rough, and access to the jumps was closed. But... rough ocean, guys, is what you need! Impressions of the rough ocean when visiting Piscinas Naturais do Porto Moniz are much, much more.
In October, there were few people in the pools. First, the high tourist season was coming to an end, and second, the water temperature in the ocean at this time of year is about +20 Celsius. This temperature is not very suitable for swimming (especially for those who, like my wife, are used to swimming in the warm Greek seas ☺).
I enjoyed a swim and took some pictures of the surrounding landscape.
Then I got close to the ocean to take pictures of the waves crashing on the rocks. There are several things in the world that you can look at endlessly, and one of them is the ocean waves.
On that day, this part of the pool was closed to visitors.
The time passed quickly. With some regret, I left the pools and went for a walk around the town.
Frozen lava.
In one place, especially for tourists, a narrow passage is made in the lava with access to a balcony to the raging waves.
Piscinas Naturais do Aquário are natural pools. In some places here, ocean flood the rocks and fill the pools with water. Only some of these pools are equipped for safe swimming. I read somewhere that the locals here catch fish.
There are no services here, the entrance is free; people are located wherever they like. Everywhere there are paths, bridges, stairs. In any case, even if you do not want to swim, it is just interesting to walk there.
Pay attention to the lone swimmer at the edge of the pool.
The ridges of frozen lava look like fossilized prehistoric animals.
View of the town from the east side.
In 2005, the Madeira Aquarium opened in Porto Moniz. A special feature of the Aquarium is that it is located in the fortress of San Juan Bautista destroyed during pirate raids in the 18th century and restored to its original appearance just a couple of decades ago. The cost of the entrance ticket to the Aquarium is 7 euros, as far as I remember.
The famous Cachalote restaurant is also located there. The restaurant building is built directly on the rocks, and in such a way that these rocks replace part of the walls in the main hall. The restaurant's windows are located quite close to the surface of the water, and wherever you look, you can enjoy a beautiful panorama of the ocean and the northern coast of Madeira. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures inside, but believe me, this is a very atmospheric and inexpensive restaurant.
There is a helipad behind the restaurant and fortress. This is the edge of the town, and this is where my story ends. I hope you enjoyed this story and the pictures, and forgive my poor English.
Thank you all so much for your attention and support!
