Beaches
Prainha
Madeira's only natural black-sand beach, in a cove near São Lourenço.
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The place
Every other sand beach on Madeira is imported or artificial; Prainha, at the arid eastern tip near Caniçal, is the one natural exception, its coppery-black sand born from local volcanic rock. It sits in a sheltered cove below the fossil-bearing Dunas da Piedade, a minor geological attraction in its own right.
When to come
Summer for swimming; the sheltered cove stays calmer than the open north coast.
Worth knowing
- Reached by a staircase down into the cove
- Restaurant, changing rooms and sun loungers on site
- Facilities and supervision vary by season - check before swimming