[Achadas da Cruz / Porto Moniz / Seixal, Maderia, May 13, 2025]

After yesterday’s car fiasco, it was time to attempt the west side of Maderia again. We had three main stops in mind, and added 2 more quick stops for a viewpoint and a waterfall.

Achadas da Cruz

Out of all 4 cable cars in Madeira, Teleferico de Achadas da Cruz is the best. Nestled in the north-western corner of Madeira, this cable car takes you down to the village of Faja de Quebrada Nova. This traditional village was once home to hundreds of people. Nowadays, few of the houses are inhabited and the only way to reach the village is by the cable car. Arrive early at because there are only 2 cars running, meaning only one is going down and one going up at any given time. This can easily lead to a long wait when it’s busy.

The cable ride is quite scenic, taking you 500 m (almost 2,000 ft) down to the village.

Once at the bottom, we followed the path along the coast. It was a gorgeous morning and the sun was still hiding behind the cliff.

At the end of the trail, we enjoyed views of a waterfall in the distance. We walked by a few houses, many of which seemed abandoned but some showed signs of habitation. We also noticed a separate set of cables, which we thought serve the people who live in the village. It might be how the trash and other heavier/bulkier items are transported up and down.

On the return, we noticed signs that lead us through the village rather than along the coast back to the cable car. We got to see Madeira’s famous levadas for the first time. These irrigation channels and aqueducts are unique to the island. They make sure the water from the rainy parts of the island reach drier parts. Many of Madeira’s best hiking trails are along these levadas, and they are known as levada walks.

Back at the top, we stopped at the snack bar for some coffee, some really good pastries and the great view. We got to talking with the people at the table next to use. They were Polish and were tour guides on Madeira. They pointed out the tented domes next to the snack bar – we almost missed them! They looked great and would be fun to stay in next time.

Miradouro da Fajã do Barro

A sign next to the cable car had a great map and some viewpoints marked on it. We ended up at Miradouro da Fajã do Barro. A narrow road led us down to the viewpoint, which had nice views of Porto Moniz on one side and along the northern coast of Madeira on the other.

Porto Moniz

Back on the main road, we headed to Porto Moniz. It is best known for its magnificent natural pools surrounded by lava rocks. A viewpoint right off the road gave us a great bird’s eye view of the town and its natural pools.

There are two sets of natural pools here. The Porto Moniz Natural Pools are surrounded by a complex that has a restaurant, changing rooms and lockers, and bathrooms. You can rent a lounger chair. There is an entrance fee of a couple of euros. We didn’t go in but we enjoyed the view from the street.

A little bit to the east, you will find Piscinas Naturais Velhas. This one is free and there is no infrastructure, but the pools are more natural. The rocks that surround the pools are much higher and the giant islet known as Ilheu Mole is in the background. Since these pools were free, we spent a half hour walking around and dipping our toes in the water.

Seixal

Continuing on along the northern coast, we reached the small town of Seixal. Since a lot of people choose the pools in Porto Moniz, the natural pools in Seixal were much less crowded. We parked at the top of the hill and walked down the road. You can also drive your car down but the road was narrow and steep.

There is a small fee here as well. There is a small snack bar that served a good selection of lunch items and drinks, a bathroom and several different pools to explore. We frolicked in one of the pools for a bit, then had lunch at the snack bar. Teddy finally tried the traditional Madeira drink, poncha. It’s made with Madeira rum, honey and citrus juice.

Miradouro Veu da Noiva

Located on an old road connecting Seixal to Sao Vicente, the Veu da Noiva waterfall is one of the most iconic on the island. When the old road was still functional, you could walk up all the way to the waterfall. However, a landslide in 2008 closed the road. The slide was visible from the viewing platform by the parking lot. There is a small coffee shop and souvenir shop by the parking lot.

From here, it was about a 40-minute drive back to Funchal on one of the main highways that goes through the middle of the island. We passed through the town of Sao Vicente, then continued onto VE4 through the mountains towards Funchal. It was a beautiful drive and a fantastic way to end this excellent day road-tripping through the west and north side of the island.