Porto Moniz
Poças das Lesmas at Seixal, and the warning on the official page
The short answer
Poças das Lesmas are volcanic rock pools near Laje beach at Seixal, where dark basalt holds clear Atlantic water. Entry is charged, a fee the tourism board says was introduced after lifeguard supervision began in 2024. Toilets, showers and a bar are on site.
Entry
€2.50
Introduced after lifeguard supervision began in 2024.
Visit Madeira · check it · read August 26, 2026The facts
| Where | Porto Moniz |
|---|---|
| Type | Sea pools, beaches and the water |
| How long | Half a day |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Cost | €2.50 |
| Best season | Late spring to early autumn |
| Permit | No permit recorded |
The pools
The pools sit in black basalt near Laje beach in the parish of Seixal. Entry is €2.50, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026, a fee the tourism board says followed the start of lifeguard supervision in 2024. Toilets, showers and a bar are on site.
The colour that appears in every photograph is real, and it depends on the sea being calm enough for the water in the pools to settle.
The warning worth reading
The tourism board's own page for these pools carries a risk warning, and it is specific rather than boilerplate: large waves can arrive suddenly and unpredictably, and the advice is to stay away from the exposed edges and watch the sea state.
Seixal faces open Atlantic with nothing between it and the weather. Swell that looks manageable from the car park does not always look that way from the rock.
What is not perfect about it
The official tourism board page carries an unusually direct warning: large waves arrive suddenly and unpredictably here. That is not boilerplate, and the exposed edges of the rock platform are where it applies.
Questions people actually ask
How much are the Seixal natural pools?
€2.50, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026. The tourism board says the charge was introduced after lifeguard supervision began in 2024.
Are there facilities at Poças das Lesmas?
Toilets, showers and a bar are on site, and the pools are lifeguarded.
Is it safe to swim there?
The official page warns that large waves arrive suddenly and unpredictably, and to keep away from the exposed edges. That warning is the strongest thing on the page.
Where this came from
- Visit Madeira: Poças das Lesmas. visitmadeira.com/en/where-to-go/madeira/north-coast/porto- Read August 26, 2026.