The northwest coast of Madeira describes destinations in Madeira in the "upper left" area of the island. The coast here often falls steeply and ruggedly down to the sea and offers fewer bathing opportunities than the south. But it can come up with a special feature: the erosion here has created natural swimming pools made of lava rock, which in themselves represent a sight.
Exploring the entire island is also easily possible from here, even if a rental car would be the best option.
Regions
The northwest is administratively comprised of the administrative districts of Porto Moniz and Sao Vicente. Levada hikes that are easy to reach can also be undertaken in coastal areas, and the parts of the former coastal road that are still passable also offer their own scenic adventure.
places
- Porto Moniz with its landscape of lava pools certainly offers the best tourist infrastructure in the north-west. There are also the aquarium and the science museum as attractions.
- Seixal is a still tranquil village, whose swimming pools are quite adventurous compared to Porto Moniz.
- Sao Vicente with its caves is as the end point of the central north-south passage under the Encumeada Pass also a traffic junction on the north coast.
Other goals
From the north-western coastal area you can reach the plateau via the ER-205 or ER-208 Paúl da Serra can be achieved. Even if these places belong to the administrative area of the municipalities described, they are listed in this wiki under the region Central highlands and mountains described.
getting there
Most vacationers are on Madeira's only one Santa Cruz Airport arrive. From there, package tour operators offer direct transfers to your place of residence. Individual tourists pick up their rental car here or use the airport buses to Funchal. Particularly in the northwest, individual accommodations can also be located in the foothills or the beginning of the high mountains, for which good local knowledge and significantly more travel time must be planned. The fastest connection along the south-east coast is still provided by the Funchal - Ribeira Brava - São Vicente line, which is why the north-west is still the most remote point on the island in terms of traffic. After the final ring closure of the coastal motorway between Santa Cruz, Santana and São Vicente in the northeast area, this disadvantage should have been eliminated.
mobility
As a rule, your own rental car is the best alternative in this area.
The public bus transport is run by the operator Rodoeste and offers frequent and fast connections to the capital Funchal along the Porto Moniz - Ribeira Brava axis. Apart from that, and also towards the south to Calheta, the offer is mostly limited to 2-3 connections per day, the timing of which is also geared to the needs of working people and schoolchildren. For hikers there are individual taxi companies who specialize in a drop-off service specialized in this clientele.
kitchen
nightlife
Real night life takes place in the capital, Funchal. Locally, most likely in smaller pubs in Porto Moniz or São Vicente.
security
The single emergency number 112 also applies in Madeira
climate
The average maximum daily temperature fluctuates between 19 degrees in December and January and 25 degrees in July and August. Usually it rains more often in the northern part of the island than in the south. This fact has led to the construction of the typical levadas, which are supposed to direct the water from the rainy northern regions to the south. Ultimately, however, there are many typical microclimates on Madeira. This means that the current weather situation at any point on the island can be completely different from what the viewer's current position would suggest. In Madeira, you are never safe from surprises, both positive and negative.
literature
Web links
- Official Madeira Tourism Website
- Travel and hiking reports of the first author
