Madeira - Discoveries in Câmara de Lobos, Ponta de São Lourenço and Porto Moniz

Hello friends, I’m continuing to share my journey through Madeira and after Funchal, our next stop was the charming fishing village of Câmara de Lobos. It’s surrounded by a beautiful bay. This place is sometimes called Churchill Bay or Churchill Cove because the UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill once stayed here for health reasons. As a result the area became quite popular among British retirees, many of whom bought property here. It’s really a lovely village and when I visited, there was also a festival happening, called Rotori, with the streets decorated for the occasion, which added an extra liveliness to the village.

Since Churchill’s visit, Madeira became much more well-known. Churchill painted many watercolors here, drawing inspiration from the stunning views and his statue is located right by the bay. When I was there, a celebration was taking place, with a big fireworks show at 12 o’clock and it continued in the neighboring village. I’d say there’s a celebration almost every day here.

Madeira is a very hilly island, with roads constantly going either up or down. The streets are narrow and winding and it can be tricky to pass other cars because of the parked vehicles. But there’s also a cable car, kind of like an open-air elevator, that goes down at a steep incline, offering a fantastic view.

Another scenic spot here is Ponta de São Lourenço. The cable car was working a little while ago, but it can get crowded due to the festival. Here on one of the highest points of the cliffs, there’s an observation platform that offers a 360-degree panoramic view. This was the first paid observation point I’ve seen in Madeira. There’s also a glass floor at the platform, which gives the feeling of being at the same level as the clouds, making the experience even more impressive.

For lovers of modern art and architecture, there’s also a museum here. Located in the village of Calheta, this modern museum is a four-story building directly constructed on the cliffs. The architect is Paola David and the structure is quite interesting. It’s made up of several volumes covered in volcanic rock, with a fascinating window design. The interior is also quite complex, with windows placed in unique ways and various transitions between levels. These windows integrate the surrounding landscape into the exhibition, making the views part of the art experience.

In the basement of the museum, there’s a private collection from the Garcia family of Lisbon. This family, passionate about art, gathered an impressive collection to decorate their home and later donated it to the modern art museum. The collection includes works from famous artists such as Vasarely, along with pieces from his students. There are also many works by Portuguese artists, although I wasn’t familiar with most of the names. The exhibition spans various art forms, including painting, graphics, prints, photography, sculpture and installations, all presented in a very striking way. The volumes inside the building are also quite decorative and visually impressive. Personally, I really enjoyed it.

If you’re in Madeira, don’t miss visiting this museum. There’s a beach below, so after touring the exhibition, you can take a dip in the sea.

For our next stop, we headed to the other side of Madeira. The drive was a bit more challenging as we passed through some very steep roads, with inclines reaching up to 20%. The roads wind through the mountains and tunnels come one after another. An interesting feature here is that overtaking is allowed inside the tunnels, something I’ve never seen elsewhere. However, you need to be cautious when entering tunnels, as traffic can be heavy at the exits. Therefore, I’d recommend getting full insurance when renting a car.

Our final stop in Madeira was the village of Porto Moniz, famous for its volcanic pools. Lava once flowed into the ocean here, creating natural pools. The ocean water flows in and out of these pools, continuously renewing, offering a beautiful sight.

Thanks for the reading my friends. I’ll continue sharing my discoveries of Madeira in my future posts.