Northwest Madeira

Jagged, imposing seacliffs and the wild, restless Atlantic Ocean dominate the landscape of Northwest Madeira. 

From the terraced vineyards of the Sao Vicente river valley, via the photogenic Cascata Veu da Noiva waterfall, to the seawater swimming pools of Porto Moniz: Madeira’s remote north west has some of the islands most-remote and impressive natural landmarks. These monolithic rockfaces, precipices and promontories have been at the mercy of sea for five million years – the human population of the north for slightly less time, but they’re still a hardy bunch who always offer visitors a warm welcome.

Madeira’s most westerly point is marked by the lighthouse at Ponta do Pargo. Constructed in 1922, the lighthouse is Portugal’s highest – standing on the 300m high Ponta da Vigia cliffs, its elevated west-facing lamp is visible up to 50km away. The 140m high Cascata da Garganta Funda waterfall is nearby and is at its most impressive after a few days of winter rain – if you’re visiting in the dry summer, it’s still an impressing gorge.

The remote seafront village of Porto Moniz is as far north and west as you can go on Madeira. The Complexo Balnear de Porto Moniz is one of the most-popular swimming spots on the island, and the nearby coastline is dotted with natural rock pools and wild swimming spots. The north coast drive from Porto Moniz to Sao Vicent, via the Ribeira da Janela and the maritime village of Seixal is truly special.

The spectacular high pass which dissects the island in two – from Sao Vicente up to the summits of Pico do Cedro and Pico da Encumeada – brings you onto the high Paul de Serra plain. It’s quite a contrast to the rest of Madeira: a broad, flat expanse of scrubland sitting at 1500m, which is often mooted as a potential location for a new airport. However, it’s also can be quite a desolate part of the island, and when the cloud and mist drops you could be forgiven for mistaking the Serra for the highlands of Scotland.

It’s the start point for many of the more-popular walks on the island – the famous Levada das 25 Fontes walk leads you down from the Paul de Serra, via the 25 Fontes Levada to the beautiful green lagoon of the same name, where 25 streams fall from a 30m high cliff to form a natural pool.