Machico: where I take every friend first
Machico is the town beside Madeira Airport, on the bay where the first navigators came ashore in 1419. It has one of the island’s few sand beaches, a viewpoint where the planes fly past, and the old-style poncha I order for every friend on their first day.
My quick take
Most visitors drive straight past Machico on the way from the airport to Funchal. I do the opposite: land, pick up the car, and start the trip here and in Caniçal before heading west.
- Best for
- The first or last few hours of the trip
- Do not miss
- A poncha at Bar da Chupa
- Swim
- The sand beach, or the quieter pebbles beside it
- Pair it with
- Caniçal and Pico do Facho
The town on the other side of the runway
Madeira Airport is officially in Santa Cruz, but its runway runs along the coast of Água de Pena, a parish of Machico. That is why you will hear locals say the airport is split between the two. Either way, Machico is a few minutes’ drive from arrivals, which makes it the easiest first stop on the island.
There is a good chance you will end up here anyway. Most local car hire companies are based in Machico or Santa Cruz because they are close to the airport. With most of them, a van collects you at arrivals and takes you to their office, where you do the paperwork and drive away in the car. Machico companies are the ones I have used most often. Before you book, read my guide to hiring a car in Madeira for the deposit, the excess and what full cover really costs.
Airport and parish boundary: Wikipedia: Água de Pena, checked 22 October 2026.
A sand beach next to a pebble one
Machico Bay has two beaches side by side: a pebble beach and a beach of golden sand. Everyone here calls the sandy one Machico beach, though its official name is Banda d’Além. The sand is not local: the official tourism board says the sand, by the mouth of the Machico stream, was brought in from Morocco. It is about 70 metres long, with changing rooms, showers and a lifeguard in the bathing season.
Sand beaches are rare in Madeira, so this one is always much busier than the pebbles: visitors, locals, families with children. If it is packed, the pebble beach right next to it is usually much calmer. The water and the view across the bay are the same.
For natural sand rather than imported, drive on to Prainha in Caniçal.
Beaches: Visit Madeira: Banda d’Além Beach (Machico Beach) and Visit Madeira: Machico Bay, checked 22 October 2026.
Bar da Chupa: the poncha I order on day one
Bar da Chupa is an old tasca with a small grocery shop attached, up the valley from the seafront. Nothing about it is designed for visitors, and the poncha is made the traditional way: what Madeirans mean by poncha, not the modern fruit versions served in the tourist bars.
It is very much a locals’ place, and it is the first place I take all my friends when we land in Madeira. Have one, maybe two, and make sure someone else is driving.
Bar da Chupa on Google Maps (listed as “The Chupa – Groceries”)
Between Machico and Caniçal
Pico do Facho: the bay below, the planes beside you
The Pico do Facho viewpoint sits 280 metres above Machico. From the top you see the whole bay and the town, the central peaks, the São Lourenço headland and, on a clear day, the Desertas Islands.
What I like most is the planes. The viewpoint is so close to the runway that you watch them pass almost at eye level as they come in to land or climb away. The name comes from the bonfires (fachos) that were once lit here to warn the town of approaching ships.
You can drive almost to the top and park beside the viewpoint, so it fits easily between Machico and Caniçal.
Viewpoint: Visit Madeira: Pico do Facho Viewpoint, checked 22 October 2026.
Levadas and trails around Machico
The hills above Machico are good walking country, and the east has some of the best-known walks on the island.
Vereda das Funduras
ModeratePortela → Maroços
From the Portela viewpoint through the hills of Machico to Maroços, with the Penha d'Águia rock in view.
- Distance
- 8.7 km
- Time
- 3 h
- Height
- 186–624 m
- Fee
- €4.50
Levada walk, no booking
Levada do Caniçal
A fairly gentle levada walk from Maroços, in the Machico valley, along the hillside towards Caniçal. Some stretches are narrow with a drop on one side, fenced where it matters. It is not one of the classified PR trails, so it is not booked on SIMplifica.
Booked on SIMplifica
PR8, Ponta de São Lourenço
The island’s most famous coastal walk starts just past Caniçal, a short drive from Machico. Details, and how to get there without a car, are on the Caniçal page.
All the trails in the east on the hiking map · How to book a trail on SIMplifica
Rather drive than walk? Most buggy tours run in these hills, around Portela and the Funduras forest.
Nearby
- Caniçal A short drive east: seafood by the sea, Prainha and the start of the PR8.
- Airport Beach, Santa Cruz A deep-water swim under the airport runway, on the other side of it.
- Caniço Reis Magos Beach and a quieter coastal base on the way back to Funchal.
Machico is part of the east-coast day in our Madeira itineraries.
Questions about Machico
Is Machico worth visiting?
Yes, especially at the start or end of a trip, because it is right next to the airport. It has one of the few sand beaches in Madeira, the bay where the first navigators came ashore in 1419, the Pico do Facho viewpoint and old-style poncha at Bar da Chupa. Pair it with Caniçal for an easy half day in the east.
Does Machico have a sand beach?
Yes. Everyone on the island calls it Machico beach; its official name is Banda d’Além. It is about 70 metres long and its golden sand was brought in from Morocco. There is a pebble beach right beside it. The sand side is always much busier, with visitors, locals and children, so go early in summer or settle for the pebbles.
Is Machico close to Madeira Airport?
Very close. The airport is officially in Santa Cruz, but its runway runs along the coast of Água de Pena, a parish of Machico, so locals often say it is split between the two. Machico is a few minutes’ drive from arrivals.
Is Machico a good place to hire a car?
It is where many of the local car hire companies are based, along with Santa Cruz, because both are close to the airport. With most of them, a van collects you at arrivals and drives you to their office to do the paperwork and pick up the car. I have used Machico companies myself. Check the deposit, the excess and the full-cover price before you book, as you would anywhere.
Where can I get a traditional poncha in Machico?
Bar da Chupa, an old tasca with a small grocery shop, up the valley from the seafront. The poncha is the traditional kind, not one of the modern fruit versions, and most of the people drinking it are locals.
Where can I eat espetada near Machico?
Portela à Vista, at the Portela viewpoint on the road from Machico to Porto da Cruz. The espetada is excellent, and the windows look down over the north-east coast. It is small and has little online, so ring ahead (291 963 189) if you are making a special trip.
Start your trip on the right side of the island
Tell us your dates, who is coming and whether you will have a car. We plan your days by hand and place Machico and Caniçal where they fit, usually on the first or last day. A personal plan from our family is €149 for up to 5 days (€199 for 6 to 8), ready in 48 hours.