Ribeira da Janela: the islet, beach and viewpoints

Why is it called Ribeira da Janela?

Before it was Ribeira da Janela, the parish was called Janela da Clara. The Porto Moniz council records the old name without saying who Clara was, and the only surviving witness is a rock: one of the islets off the river mouth has a natural crack at its very top that looks like a window, janela in Portuguese. From it came the name of the river and of the parish, home to just 228 people in the 2011 census.

The Ribeira da Janela is the largest watercourse on the island. It rises in the mountains, crosses the interior and ends here in the Atlantic, among the pebbles. The land around it is some of the most fertile in Madeira, watered by the Lombo Gordo and Cedros levadas.

A warning if you are coming for the window: it is only a crack, high up, and from many angles you will miss it. What impresses in person are the islets themselves, sea stacks rising from the water just off the shore. Come for those.

The pebble beach and the islets

The beach sits at the river mouth, at the bottom of the ER209, and it is all pebbles: large, rounded stones you walk on slowly. Bring shoes with grip and forget about laying out a towel. There is parking, toilets and showers, and a small freshwater lake beside the campsite. The beach is always open; the sun terrace and showers run from 09:00 to 19:00.

You can swim on calm days if you stay close to the edge. This is the same sea that, according to Visit Madeira, draws more and more surfers, which says plenty about its strength. For a gentler dip, the Porto Moniz pools are 3.5 km away.

Ribeira da Janela viewpoint: there are two, and they do different jobs

Look up the Ribeira da Janela viewpoint and you may end up in the wrong place, because there are two, 3.8 km apart by road.

If you only have time for one, choose the islets viewpoint: it shows you what you came to see. The upper one, opened in 2009 and the only one Visit Madeira calls the Ribeira da Janela viewpoint, is about the sweep of the coast, and it lies on the way up to Fanal Forest, so stopping costs almost no time.

How to get to Ribeira da Janela by car and by bus

By car it is 48 km and about 55 minutes: VR1 to Ribeira Brava, the VE4 through the tunnel to São Vicente, the VE2 west, then down the ER209 to the river mouth. You do not need to cross the mountains, so the ER105 closure this autumn makes no difference.

The fare is €2.65 on board, cash only, or €2.00 with a GIRO card. You get 4 h 45 on site, and the bus passes once a day in each direction. Watch out for one trap: route 380, via Calheta, goes to Porto Moniz but does not serve Ribeira da Janela. Our guide to Madeira without a car covers the rest of the network.

The SIGA timetable just says Ribeira da Janela, and the parish climbs the hillside. Maps show one stop by the bridge, near the river mouth, and another higher up on the ER209, close to the viewpoint. They are almost 4 km apart uphill, so tell the driver you want the beach.

How long you need, and what to do in rough seas or rain

Half an hour is enough for the beach and the tunnel, and an hour if you drive up to Eira da Achada. If you come by bus you will have time to spare: bring lunch, or plan a second half to the day.

• In rough seas, stay at the islets viewpoint. Waves against the rocks are the best show here, and you see them well from above. If the surf is heavy, keep off the pebbles.
• In rain, keep it short. See the islets and move on to Porto Moniz, where the Madeira Aquarium and the Ciência Viva centre offer shelter.
• Under clear skies, go up to Eira da Achada. These are the days when the coastal view repays the bends.

Walking at Ribeira da Janela: the PR15 and the levada people confuse it with

The classified trail here is the PR15 Vereda da Ribeira da Janela: 2.7 km between Curral Falso and the parish, from 848 m down to 451 m, in 1 h to 1 h 30. It costs €4.50 with an entry time booked on SIMplifica. Add the PR14, which links Fanal to Curral Falso in 7.2 km, and you can walk from the forest down to the parish: 9.9 km, on the €9 one-day fee. Both are one-way, so sort out your pick-up before you start.

Do not mix up the PR15 with the Levada da Ribeira da Janela, which starts at Lamaceiros on the other side of the valley and is not on the IFCN list of classified trails.

Ribeira da Janela, Fanal, Seixal and Porto Moniz: a day from the north

Look at the map and you see why this is the junction of the north-west: the ER209 reaches the sea here, and the VE2 runs off in both directions. The other three places are 11 km away or less.

If you are staying in Porto Moniz or Seixal you get the best version of the day, because you reach Fanal before the cars from Funchal. From Funchal, the two loops are in our Fanal and Seixal guides; this one is for the north.

• Early morning, Fanal. Leave at 08:00 and drive up the ER209. By 08:30 you are among the trees, with the best chance of fog and a place to park.
• Mid-morning, Ribeira da Janela. Head down at 10:00, stop at Eira da Achada and reach the river mouth by 10:30.
• Late morning, Seixal. Swim from the black sand or in the Clube Naval pools, open from 10:00, then have lunch.
• Afternoon, Porto Moniz. The pools cost €3 and stay open until 17:00 in winter and 19:00 in summer.

By bus, pick one stop. The 340 and 341 pass once, and Fanal has no service. The most you can manage is to get off here at 12:20, take a taxi to Porto Moniz, and return from there at 17:00 on the 341 or at 16:00 on the 381 along the south. Arrange the taxi in advance, because no cars wait at this end of the island.

Frequently asked questions

Why is it called Ribeira da Janela?

Because of one of the islets off the river mouth, which has a natural opening at the top that looks like a window, janela in Portuguese. The name passed to the river and the parish, formerly called Janela da Clara.

Where is the Ribeira da Janela viewpoint?

There are two. Eira da Achada is high in the parish, by the ER209, with toilets and parking. The islets viewpoint is next to the beach, reached by a staircase with a short tunnel through the rock.

Can you swim at Ribeira da Janela?

Yes, when the sea is calm. The beach is pebbles with open access, and the sun terrace, toilets and showers run from 09:00 to 19:00. If there is a swell, stay out: this sea is strong enough to draw surfers.

How do I get from Funchal to Ribeira da Janela by bus?

Take route 340, which leaves at 09:00 and arrives at 12:20. The return passes at 17:05 on weekdays and at 17:35 on weekends and holidays. The fare is €2.65 on board, cash only.

Is Ribeira da Janela the longest river in Madeira?

It is the largest watercourse on the island, and Visit Madeira describes it as the longest and most abundant of those formed inland. It rises in the mountains and reaches the sea here, beside the islets.

How long do you need at Ribeira da Janela?

Half an hour for the beach and tunnel, and an hour if you drive up to the Eira da Achada viewpoint. By bus you get 4 h 45, so add lunch or a trip to Porto Moniz.

How do I get from Ribeira da Janela to Fanal?

Take the ER209, which climbs 11 km from the river mouth to Fanal, 15 to 20 minutes by car. There is no bus, so without a car you need a taxi, with the return agreed in advance.