Porto Moniz
The Porto Moniz sea pools, and the free ones next door
The short answer
The Piscinas Naturais do Porto Moniz are a managed bathing complex built into volcanic rock on the north-west tip of Madeira, where seawater flows continuously through the pools. Entry is charged all year by the municipality, with reduced rates for students, over-65s and residents holding a municipal card.
Cartão de Munícipe, series SX, RJ, RB, PM and AC
€0.50
Município do Porto Moniz, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Swimming area
3,800 m²
About two metres deep.
Município do Porto Moniz, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 20261 more sourced figure on this page
The facts
| Where | Porto Moniz |
|---|---|
| Type | Sea pools, beaches and the water |
| How long | Half a day |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Cost | €3.00 over three years old |
| Best season | June to September for water temperature; the complex is open year round |
| Permit | No permit recorded |
The complex
The municipality gives roughly 3,800 m², source: Município do Porto Moniz, 2026, read August 26, 2026 of swimming area at about two metres deep, plus a solarium of 3,217 m², source: Município do Porto Moniz, 2026, read August 26, 2026. There is a children’s pool, changing rooms, a bar, a first-aid post and disabled access.
It is open all year: 09:00 to 17:00, source: Município do Porto Moniz, 2026, read August 26, 2026 in winter and 09:00 to 19:00, source: Município do Porto Moniz, 2026, read August 26, 2026 in summer.
Prices, including the ones people miss
Entry is €3.00, source: Município do Porto Moniz, 2026, read August 26, 2026 for anyone over three years old. Holders of a student card or a 65-plus card pay €1.50, source: Município do Porto Moniz, 2026, read August 26, 2026. Holders of the municipal Cartão de Munícipe in the SX, RJ, RB, PM and AC series pay €0.50, source: Município do Porto Moniz, 2026, read August 26, 2026.
Immediately alongside, the Piscinas Naturais do Cachalote are free to enter. Whether that matters depends on whether the lifeguard, the changing room and the bar are worth the difference.
The sea decides
The pools are open to the Atlantic on the most exposed corner of the island. Swell closes them, and that is a normal condition rather than an unlucky one.
Checking the sea state before driving to Porto Moniz is the difference between a swim and a long look at white water.
What is not perfect about it
This is the ticketed, lifeguarded complex with changing rooms, a bar and a first-aid post, not a wild swim. The nearby Cachalote pools beside the restaurant of the same name are free, which the ticketed complex does not advertise. Both are exposed to Atlantic swell and the sea closes them on rough days.
Questions people actually ask
How much are the Porto Moniz natural pools?
€3.00, source: Município do Porto Moniz, 2026, read August 26, 2026 for anyone over three. Student and over-65 card holders pay €1.50, source: Município do Porto Moniz, 2026, read August 26, 2026, and municipal card holders in the listed series pay €0.50, source: Município do Porto Moniz, 2026, read August 26, 2026.
Are there free natural pools at Porto Moniz?
Yes. The Piscinas Naturais do Cachalote, beside the Cachalote restaurant, are free. They are not lifeguarded in the way the ticketed complex is.
Are the pools open in winter?
The complex is open all year, 09:00 to 17:00, source: Município do Porto Moniz, 2026, read August 26, 2026 in winter and 09:00 to 19:00, source: Município do Porto Moniz, 2026, read August 26, 2026 in summer, subject to sea conditions.
Where this came from
- Município do Porto Moniz: Praias e piscinas naturais. portomoniz.pt/pt/residentes/lazer/praias Read August 26, 2026.
- Visit Madeira: Natural Pools of Porto Moniz. visitmadeira.com/en/where-to-go/madeira/north-coast/porto- Read August 26, 2026.