Porto Moniz
Praia do Seixal, black sand under a wall of green
The short answer
Praia do Seixal is a black volcanic sand beach on the north coast of Madeira, enclosed by cliffs and green mountains in a natural amphitheatre. It is free, has showers, a bar and kayak hire, and the Clube Naval do Seixal pools nearby are also free to enter.
Clube Naval do Seixal pools, opening
10:00 to 19:00
Free to enter.
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 | Free |
| Best season | Summer |
| Permit | No permit recorded |
The beach
The sand is black volcanic grit rather than golden, and the setting is a bowl of cliff and green mountain that closes around the bay. Showers, a bar and kayak hire are on site, and there is no charge to use the beach.
Nearby, the Clube Naval do Seixal pools are also free and open 10:00 to 19:00, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026.
What the surfers tell you
Seixal is used year round for bodyboarding, canoeing and stand-up paddle. Those are not activities that thrive in flat water.
The north coast takes Atlantic swell directly, and the same conditions that make the beach photogenic make it unsuitable for an unthinking swim on a big day.
What is not perfect about it
It is popular year round for bodyboarding, canoeing and stand-up paddle, which is a polite way of saying the swell here is substantial. A beach that surfers like is not automatically a beach for a casual swim.
Questions people actually ask
Is Praia do Seixal free?
Yes, and so are the Clube Naval do Seixal pools nearby, open 10:00 to 19:00, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026.
Can you swim at Seixal?
People do, and people also bodyboard and paddle there year round. The swell on the north coast is the thing that decides it on any given day.
Where this came from
- Visit Madeira: Seixal Beach. visitmadeira.com/en/where-to-go/madeira/north-coast/porto- Read August 26, 2026.