Calheta sand beach
Calheta’s beach is one of the few sand beaches on Madeira’s main island. It was built in the 2000s beside the marina with sand brought in, mostly from Morocco, and two breakwaters keep the water calm, so it suits children and anyone who wants an easy swim.
Expect showers, changing rooms, beach bars and canoe and pedal-boat rental in season, with the promenade, restaurants and the marina a few steps away. The MUDAS museum looks down from the cliff above, and the Engenho is a short walk into town.
- sea temperature in September, the warmest month
- 24 °C
- the coolest, February to April
- 18 °C
- of sun a day in August
- 8 h
Every beach, east to west
| Beach | Where | Surface | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Praia da Calheta | Calheta town | Sand (imported) | Families, calm swimming |
| Praia do Calhau | Calheta | Pebbles | A quieter swim, beach bar |
| Praia do Portinho | Jardim do Mar | Boulders | Surf contests, watching waves |
| Praia da Enseada | Jardim do Mar | Boulders | Surf |
| Praia do Porto | Paul do Mar | Pebbles, harbour | A dip on calm days |
| Praia da Ribeira das Galinhas | Paul do Mar | Boulders | Surfers |
West of Calheta town the beaches are open to the Atlantic swell. On a calm summer day the water is clear and lovely; on a winter swell day the same coves are for surfers only. Read about the villages in Jardim do Mar and Paul do Mar.
Swimming on an Atlantic coast
- Read the sea, not the skyBig swell can arrive on a sunny day, especially from October to March. If waves are breaking over the rocks, stay out.
- Use the calm beach with childrenThe breakwaters at Calheta make it the safest swim on the coast. Elsewhere there is rarely shallow water.
- Wear water shoesPebble and boulder beaches are hard on bare feet, and the rocks are slippery.
- Mind the sunThis is the sunny side of the island, and the sun is strong even when the air feels mild. Shade is scarce on the boulder beaches.
- Check the flagsWhere beaches are supervised in the bathing season, follow the lifeguards’ flags.
Pair the beach with a morning walk at Rabaçal (walks and levadas) and finish with the sunset at Ponta do Pargo (sunset spots). Sea temperatures for every month are in the weather guide.