Beaches by bus
Madeira beaches you can reach by bus
Madeira has few sandy beaches, but pebble coves, lava pools and lido complexes sit on bus routes all around the coast. Every row below restates a destination page on this site.
Which beaches are easy without a car?
Inside Funchal, Praia Formosa and the Lido complex are on urban routes and on the Aerobus poster.
East, route 555 reaches Ponta da Oliveira, with Garajau served by its marked variants, and route 702 serves Machico before continuing to Ponta de São Lourenço. West, route 380 strings together Ponta do Sol and Madalena do Mar, and routes 340 and 380 reach the Porto Moniz lava pools; route 340 also stops at Seixal’s black-sand beach.
Beaches and the routes that reach them
| Beach | Type | Routes | Aerobus stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Praia Formosa Funchal’s largest public beach: four linked pebble and black-sand beaches at the western end of the city, with Aerobus stop 26 at its end. | Pebble beach | 001 | 26 |
| Lido Funchal’s salt-water pool complex with direct sea access, on the Estrada Monumental promenade in the hotel zone. | Pool complex | 001002 | 15 |
| Praia dos Reis Magos Reis Magos has route 556 via Garajau: one trip each way on Sundays and holidays only, excluding 25 December. Route 555 names Ponta da Oliveira, not Reis Magos; plan the final beach approach separately. | Pebble beach | 556 | — |
| Garajau A small pebble beach and diving centre below the Cristo Rei cliffs; the destination page describes a steep descent of about 150 metres. | Pebble beach | 555 | — |
| Machico Madeira’s golden-sand town beach in a sheltered bay; the destination page links route 702, which continues to Ponta de São Lourenço. | Sand beach | 702 | — |
| Praia das Palmeiras, Santa Cruz A maintained pebble beach with a public pool complex next to the airport town; the destination page names no single route, so start from it. | Pebble beach | No single route named; start from the destination page | — |
| Calheta SIGA names timing points in Calheta village, not a verified beach stop. Plan the final approach on foot; use the Calheta destination guide to choose the bus and village stop. | Sand beach | No single route named; start from the destination page | — |
| Ponta do Sol A sheltered pebble beach below a colourful historic centre, on the west-coast route 380 corridor. | Pebble beach | 380 | — |
| Madalena do Mar A quiet pebble beach with a seafront promenade and cafés, between Ponta do Sol and Calheta on route 380. | Pebble beach | 380 | — |
| Praia do Porto do Seixal A natural black-sand beach with natural pools on the north coast, reached by route 340. | Sand beach | 340 | — |
| Porto Moniz Natural swimming pools carved from lava and filled by the Atlantic; the destination page explains that rough seas can close them and that entry is paid. | Natural pools | 340380 | — |
| Porto da Cruz A volcanic-sand surf beach and a salt-water pool by the ocean on the north-east coast; the destination page names no single route. | Natural pools | No single route named; start from the destination page | — |
How to read the table
Routes are the ones each destination page links; where a page names no single route, the row says so and the destination page is the place to start. The Aerobus stop number is printed on SIGA’s route poster, useful if you are staying along the Estrada Monumental.
Funchal: Praia Formosa and the Lido
Both are inside the city and need no intermunicipal fare. Praia Formosa is four linked pebble and black-sand beaches at the western end of the city; the Lido is a salt-water pool complex with sea access in the hotel zone. Routes 001, 002, 003 and 004 appear on their destination pages.
East: Caniço de Baixo, Machico, Santa Cruz
Route 555 links Funchal and Ponta da Oliveira, with variants via Garajau or Figueirinhas; its sheet does not name Reis Magos. Route 556 links Reis Magos and Funchal via Garajau with one trip each way on Sundays and holidays only (no service on 25 December). Plan the final approach to your beach or hotel separately. Machico has the island’s golden-sand town beach in a sheltered bay; its page links route 702. Santa Cruz’s Palmeiras beach has a public pool complex next to the airport town.
West and north: pebbles, lava pools, black sand
Route 380 along the south-west coast passes Ponta do Sol and Madalena do Mar; Calheta’s golden-sand beach is on the same coast. On the north coast, route 340 reaches Seixal’s natural black-sand beach and, with route 380, the Porto Moniz lava pools, which the destination page notes are paid and can close in rough seas.
Before you go
Plan the return before leaving Funchal, especially for the west and north coasts where a day has fewer buses. Sea conditions, pool opening and lifeguard cover are not something SIGA or this site publishes; the municipality or the pool operator is. Sundays and holidays run on a different sheet.
Checked against
Beach descriptions and routes restate this site’s destination pages; the Aerobus stop numbers come from SIGA’s route poster. Checked 15 October 2026.