Hi everyone 🧡
Last week I told you about one of my favorite hikes of all times at Madeira, the Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike, which you can still read all about HERE.
However, amazing hikes with breathtaking views is not the only thing that Madeira can boast of (far from really). There are lots of other things to see and do on the beautiful island of Madeira, and one of them is definitely the natural (infinity) pools in Porto Moniz, a small, charming coastal town on the north coast of the island. 🌊
We hadn't initially planned on visiting Porto Moniz, but I'm soo so happy that someone recommended we go see it.
If (when 😉) you visit Madeira, this is definitely a must-see, if you ask me. Even if you go during winter season (like we did), there will be days where it's warm enough for sunbathing - and perhaps also swimming, if you don't mind slightly chilled water temperatures that is. 😉 To me, it was a liitle too cold this time of the year though...
The climate is another thing I really like about Madeira; it is subtropical, which basically implies warm summers and mild winters - rarely too hot or too cold. You can, however, experience differing temperatures on the same day, depending where on the island you are - especially north and south weather may vary, where you will generally will have warmer temperatures on the south side compared to the north side.
We were there late november/early december, and the weather was much like a 'normal' Scandinavian summer. Even in Porto Moniz, which is on the north side of the island, we almost had a full day with sun and around 24 degrees - so we sure managed to enjoy the beautiful natural pools to their fullest. ☀
The natural swimming pools in Porto Moniz are formed by volcanic lava and are naturally filled with crystal-clear sea water, as the waves occasionally come in over the far edge of the pool.
Like I mentioned, the water was a liiitle too cold for me that day, so I didn't go for a swim, but for what I could see was quite a magical experience swimming in the pool, whilst the waves (which get pretty big at times, especially when it gets windier in the late afternoon) break on the rocks outside the walls and occasionally crash over.
If you love the sea but at the same time like the idea of swimming in a closed area, you will love this place, as it is in fact a perfect combination of the two.
It was sunny most of the day we spent by the natural pools, however, in the late afternoon it started got a little more windy and thus also colder (clearly 😄) - so make sure you bring some warmer clothes for the chilly afternoons if you go.
// Natural infinity pool. This view. 🙏
I mean, how beautiful is this? 😍
When traveling, we (almost) always make sure to pack our own lunch, as we like to decide what we get for ourselves and also to make sure to get what we need - especially on active vacations like this one in Madeira with lots of hikes and daily excursions. It's not that we don't like eating out (we sure do 😍), but to be honest, we didn't really find that many good restaurants on the island - for our taste at least - except for one, which I'll tell you about later. That one was actually really good.
Well, at least one of us had the courage to go for a quick dip before heading back to our place... 😍 (it clearly wasn't me though... 😏)
If you decide on Madeira for your next travel adventure, make sure you swing by Porto Moniz and spend a day in the beautiful natural pools.
Safe travels. ✈
xx, K