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What’s on MadeiraWHAT’S ON MADEIRAIndependent planning notes for Madeira
Category · 18 articles

Coast & Ocean

The lava pools at Porto Moniz under an overcast skyCoast & OceanSurf lessons on MadeiraNine courses from around €65, mostly two to four hours. A small category with uniformly good ratings — Madeira is known as a surf destination, but mainly for experienced surfers. There is exactly a handful of beaches suitable for beginners, and the lessons concentrate there.24. August 2026The view from Cabo Girão along the south coast, 580 metres above the AtlanticCoast & OceanSnorkelling and kayaking on Madeira56 options from around €19 — the cheapest serious water activity on Madeira, and for a lot of people the best one. The standard tour combines both: paddle out, anchor off a headland, get in.24. August 2026The view from Cabo Girão along the south coast, 580 metres above the AtlanticCoast & OceanDiving on Madeira45 diving options from around €19. Madeira is not a reef destination — it is a wall destination. The rock drops away underwater exactly as it does above, and the water rarely falls below 18 °C even in winter. Visibility of 20 to 30 metres is normal.24. August 2026The view from Cabo Girão along the south coast, 580 metres above the AtlanticCoast & OceanCatamaran and boat trips on Madeira122 boat trips from around €35. A good share of them are whale and dolphin tours — the rest go out for the coastline, the sunset, or a swim stop under Cabo Girão.24. August 2026The view from Cabo Girão along the south coast, 580 metres above the AtlanticCoast & OceanWhale and dolphin watching on MadeiraThis is the one activity where booking never needs justifying: no boat, no whale. The seabed drops away steeply just off Madeira's coast — deep water starts a few kilometres out of Funchal. Animals that take half a day to reach elsewhere are a 20-minute run from the marina here.24. August 2026The nine-kilometre sand beach on Porto SantoCoast & OceanPorto Santo9 kilometres of sand, 2.5 hours by ferry from Funchal: the second island is flat, dry and runs by different rules.12. August 2026The view from Cabo Girão along the south coast, 580 metres above the AtlanticCoast & OceanThe south: Câmara de Lobos to Ribeira BravaCâmara de Lobos, Cabo Girão, Ribeira Brava: the most liveable strip of the island — with a 580-metre cliff and a glass skywalk.12. August 2026The west coast at Jardim do Mar below a sheer rock faceCoast & OceanThe west: Ponta do Sol, Calheta, Paul do MarPonta do Sol, Calheta, Jardim do Mar: the driest stretch of the island, 35 to 60 minutes from Funchal, with an imported sand beach.12. August 2026