By Madeira Tourist · Published
Seixal, Madeira: black-sand beach, natural pools and where to stay
Choose between Seixal Beach, paid Poças das Lesmas and the Clube Naval pools, then plan a north-coast day visit or an overnight with workable transport.
Which Seixal swimming spot do you want?
Seixal in Madeira is a north-coast village in Porto Moniz municipality. Come for the black-sand beach if you want sand rather than a rock-pool setting. Choose Poças das Lesmas for the volcanic pools near Laje Beach. The Clube Naval pools beside the harbour are a third place, not another name for Poças das Lesmas. A day visit suits a first trip based in Funchal; an overnight makes more sense if you want several days on the north coast. Neither choice guarantees swimming. Visit Madeira specifically warns that large waves can arrive suddenly at Poças das Lesmas, so a pool enclosed by rocks is not a promise of calm water.
Visit Madeira: Poças das Lesmas locations, facilities and sea warningBeach, paid pools or harbour-side pools?
Scroll sideways to compare every column.
| Compare | What you are choosing | Practical difference |
|---|---|---|
| Seixal Beach / Porto de Abrigo | Natural black sand beside the harbour and Clube Naval. | Choose it for time on sand; Visit Madeira lists showers and a bar. |
| Poças das Lesmas | Volcanic pools near Laje Beach, also called Jamaica Beach. | Visit Madeira publishes €2.50 entry, with lifeguard supervision, toilets, showers and a bar; do not assume year-round staffing. |
| Clube Naval do Seixal pools | A separate bathing complex by the harbour. | The tourism board lists free access, showers, toilets and a terrace bar; equipment and loungers are not described as free. |
Seixal Beach: use the harbour as your map pin
Search for Porto de Abrigo do Seixal or Seixal Beach when you want the black sand. The beach sits beside the harbour and Clube Naval, whereas the rock-arch photographs associated with Poças das Lesmas refer to the separate pools near Laje Beach. Save both pins if you want to visit both rather than arriving at one and assuming the other is beside your towel. Visit Madeira lists showers, a bar and kayak rental around the beach. Those facilities make it a more practical stop than an isolated stretch of coast, but the listing does not establish equipment availability, a lifeguard rota or suitable sea conditions on your date. Plan a beach visit that still works without entering the water.
Visit Madeira: Seixal Beach and its harbour-side locationPoças das Lesmas: budget for paid entry
The official tourism page publishes a €2.50 entry fee for Poças das Lesmas and says lifeguard supervision began in 2024. This is not the same free-access listing as the Clube Naval pools. Treat €2.50 as the published admission, checked on 24 October 2026, rather than a guaranteed future tariff or proof the gate will be staffed whenever you arrive. Use the signed bathing access and follow local restrictions. The same official page warns of sudden large waves and advises avoiding the exposed areas. Do not enter closed areas or use the arch as a reason to approach wave-washed rocks. If conditions rule out bathing, keep the visit short and continue with your land-based plans.
Visit Madeira: published €2.50 admission and wave-risk warningClube Naval: a separate option beside the beach
The Clube Naval do Seixal swimming-pool listing describes free access and support facilities including toilets, showers, a bar with a terrace and a sunbathing area. Its position beside the harbour makes it the more natural place to compare with Seixal Beach during one stop. Free access does not mean every service, piece of equipment or lounger is free. Nor does a bathing-complex description certify safe entry that day. Use the actual complex name when arranging a pickup so the driver does not take you to Poças das Lesmas instead.
Visit Madeira: Clube Naval do Seixal poolsA realistic north-coast day visit
For a day trip, make Seixal Beach your main stop, add lunch, and decide whether Poças das Lesmas merits a separate visit. If you also want Porto Moniz, choose one main bathing stop rather than promising yourself long swims at every beach and pool. These are suggested priorities, not a timed tour itinerary. Seixal and Porto Moniz work as a northwestern coastal pairing. Santana belongs to a different, northeastern outing; adding it to the same day reduces time at the places you came to see. A Fanal or levada detour adds a separate weather, access and transport decision, not an automatic extension of a beach visit.
Compare Porto Moniz’s serviced pools and overnight optionsGetting to Seixal without a car
SIGA’s former line 139 page maps Funchal–Porto Moniz via São Vicente to outward route 340 and return route 341. Its linked timetable includes Seixal. Select the Seixal stop, direction and day category rather than assuming every service with Porto Moniz in its name follows the same route. Other numbers on that page serve different Santa/Porto Moniz journeys. A public-bus day gives you less freedom to switch between the beach, separate pools and Porto Moniz than a car or a driver arranged for the day. Establish the return journey before setting out; do not turn a passing bus time into a guaranteed pickup at your accommodation. For a tour, choose an itinerary that names the swimming stop you actually want, not just “north coast”.
SIGA: former 139 page, current route numbers and downloadable timetableStay overnight only if the north coast is part of the trip
Choose Seixal for a stay built around the village and north-coast outings, rather than for a single photograph of the beach. Compare the property’s actual pin with the harbour, food options and your transport stop. “Porto Moniz” in an address can mean the municipality, not the town and its serviced pools. For a no-car first trip with several organised outings, Funchal is the simpler comparison point. A rural or hillside Seixal address can require additional transfers even when the accommodation is advertised as near the sea. Resolve those journeys before choosing a split stay; there is no reason to move hotels just to visit the beach once.
Compare Seixal with other Madeira bases