Porto Moniz natural pools: prices, hours and rough seas

Paid pools or Cachalote: which to choose

On 7 September 2021, at two in the afternoon, with the air above 25 °C, lifeguards ordered everyone out of the water at the Porto Moniz natural pools. Waves of about two metres were breaking over the rock. On 12 August 2023 the red flag went up again, at the height of summer. If you are making the trip from Funchal, take that on board before you look at prices: here the calendar tells you little, and what counts is the swell on the day.

Porto Moniz has two swimming areas, a few minutes apart on foot. The paid municipal complex sits at the end of the village. The Cachalote pools, also called the Aquarium pools, lie beside the restaurant of the same name and the fort that houses the Madeira Aquarium, and access is free.

With children, or if you are not a confident swimmer, pay the €3: what you are buying is the lifeguard. A strong adult swimmer on a calm day will be happy at Cachalote, as long as you bring water shoes, because the rock is slippery.

One detail many guides get wrong: the council’s price list says the €3 is per entry. Some blogs promise a ticket that lasts all day. If you want to leave for lunch and come back, ask at the ticket office.

Do the pools close in rough seas, and who decides?

They do close, and the decision can come from three directions, depending on how strong the sea is.

• Lifeguards. At the municipal complex they decide on the spot. In 2021 the order came at 2pm, mid-afternoon, with plenty of people in the water. A red flag means you may not enter the water; a yellow flag means you may not swim.
• Maritime Police. With a serious warning, the area can be put off limits. In March 2025, under a red warning for the north coast, the Maritime Police and the SANAS rescue service were watching the pools and the harbour, and had to move back onlookers who got too close to the waves.
• Civil Protection. In a storm, the access points close. During storm Therese in March 2026, the regional Civil Protection list included access to the Aquarium pools, the Calhau promenade and bathing areas in Seixal.

Some guides insist the free pools never close, and in March 2026 they did. With no gate and no lifeguard, Cachalote is also the place where the risk is entirely yours: if you see waves washing over the rock, stay out.

The flag is decided on site and can change during the day, so nobody can promise you anything the night before. Before you leave, check whether IPMA, the Portuguese weather service, has a sea warning for the north coast, and phone the pools on +351 291 850 190. In 2021 two-metre waves were enough for a red flag: if that is the forecast, pick another plan.

What to do if the sea is rough

• Madeira Aquarium. In the fort next to Cachalote, with more than 90 local species in 12 tanks. Open daily from 10am to 6pm, and the council lists adult tickets at €7 and €8.
• Santinha viewpoint. On the ER101 as it climbs to Santa, with a view down over the village, the pools and the Ilhéu Mole islet, well away from the waves.
• Achadas da Cruz cable car. If there is no wind, the ride down to the fajã is the best plan B in the area, about 15 minutes away.
• South coast. A northerly swell reaches the south far weaker. In one warning from the Funchal harbour master, the north coast had waves of 3 to 4 metres and the south 1 to 1.5. If the warning comes the day before, swap Porto Moniz for Cabo Girão and Câmara de Lobos.

When to go and how long to stay

The pools open all year, and the council gives an average annual water temperature of 20 to 21 °C. You can swim in winter if the sea allows, but there are more days of heavy swell. From June to September the sea is usually calmer, with no guarantees, as those August and September red flags show.

Closing moves from 5pm to 7pm in what the council calls summer time, with no dates published. In the weeks of the change, confirm by phone.

By car, arrive in the morning: there is more room to park and to spread a towel. To swim and have lunch, allow three hours. Without a swim, you can see the village in an hour.

Getting there by car and where to park

From Funchal it is 49.7 km, about an hour: the expressway to Ribeira Brava, the Encumeada tunnel to São Vicente, then the north coast through Seixal and Ribeira da Janela.

Parking is easier and cheaper than the blogs suggest. According to the council, about 70% of the spaces in the village are free. The 144 paid spaces, marked with blue lines, cost €0.80 an hour from Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm, and are free on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The catch is the 2-hour limit, which is not enough for a pool day, so look for a free space straight away. The meter takes coins only and gives no change. Some visitors report higher rates near the sea, so read what the machine says.

Getting there by bus: 340, 380 and the loop back along the south

Two routes link Funchal and Porto Moniz, each with one trip a day in each direction. A ticket costs €2.65 on board, cash only, or €2.00 with a GIRO card. The rest of the network is in our guide to Madeira without a car.

To go, take the 340: it arrives earlier, crosses the mountains at Encumeada and follows the north coast. It takes 3 h 30 because it waits 35 minutes in Ribeira Brava and 10 in São Vicente.

To come back, it depends what you want. The 381 at 16:00 closes the loop along the south, through Ponta do Pargo and Calheta: the whole west of the island for €5.30, with 3 h 30 in Porto Moniz. If you want more swimming, stay for the 341: on weekdays it leaves an hour after the 381 and still reaches Funchal 25 minutes earlier.

A winter trap: on weekdays the 341 leaves at the very moment the pools close. Get out of the water by 16:15 to allow time for a shower and the walk to the terminal, in the village.

One bus a day leaves no margin. Check the SIGA timetable for your date and keep the cash for the return. On public holidays Rodoeste runs the Sunday timetable, and on 25 December there are no services.

A day in Porto Moniz: the order that works

• By car. Leave Funchal at 08:30, arrive at 09:30 and do the pools in the morning. Have lunch in the village, drive up to the Santinha viewpoint and take your time back through Ribeira da Janela and Seixal.
• By bus. Take the 340 at 09:00. You reach the village at 12:30: eat first, get to the pools by 13:30 and keep an eye on your return, 16:00 via the south or 17:00 via the tunnel (17:30 at weekends and on holidays).
• What to bring. Water shoes, a towel, sun cream, coins for the meter and small notes for the bus.

What to combine on the same day

By car, Porto Moniz combines well with Seixal, Ribeira da Janela and the Achadas da Cruz cable car. Fanal is close too, but it has no bus, and this autumn there are closed roads in the mountains, so read the guide before you go.

By bus, pick one place. The 340 stops in Seixal at 12:10 and Ribeira da Janela at 12:20, and the 341 comes back through at 17:15 and 17:05 on weekdays, but there is no bus between them during the afternoon.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to enter the Porto Moniz natural pools?

The municipal complex costs €3 from age 4 and €1.50 with a student or over-65 card. Entry is free up to age 3 and with a disability of 60% or more. The Cachalote pools, next to the Aquarium, are free.

What are the opening hours of the Porto Moniz pools?

The municipal complex opens every day, 9am to 5pm in winter and 9am to 7pm in summer. The Cachalote pools are open access, with no set hours.

Are the Porto Moniz pools open in winter?

They are open all year, with an average annual water temperature of 20 to 21 °C. The problem is the sea: winter brings more days of heavy swell, and under a red flag nobody may enter the water. Phone first on +351 291 850 190.

Who decides to close the Porto Moniz pools in rough seas?

At the municipal complex, the lifeguards raise the flag and order people out of the water. With serious warnings the Maritime Police and SANAS watch the area, and in storms the access points close, including those to the free pools, as happened in March 2026.

How do I get from Funchal to Porto Moniz by bus?

Take route 340, every day at 09:00, arriving 12:30, or route 380 via Calheta at 10:00, arriving 13:05 on weekdays and 12:45 at weekends and on holidays. Buses back leave at 16:00 via Calheta or 17:00 via the tunnel, 17:30 at weekends and on holidays. A ticket costs €2.65 on board.

How long does it take from Funchal to Porto Moniz?

By car, about an hour for 49.7 km. By bus, 3 h 30 on the 340. On the 380 it is 3 h 05 on weekdays and 2 h 45 at weekends and on holidays.

Where can I park in Porto Moniz?

According to the council, about 70% of the spaces in the village are free. Blue-line spaces cost €0.80 an hour, Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm, with a 2-hour maximum and coins only. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are free.