Live webcam · Porto Moniz · North-West

Porto Moniz: Natural Lava Pools

Live view over Porto Moniz on the north-west tip of Madeira, looking across the volcanic natural swimming pools and the Atlantic swell that fills them. The most reliable way to judge whether the pools are calm enough to swim before making the drive north.

Live · checked 20 min agoChecked automatically · last check 20 min ago

Right nowat the camera

Porto Moniz: Natural Lava Pools is 24°C and overcast with a fresh breeze from the NE at 30 km/h as of 16:27 local time. Golden hour starts around 19:18, sunset at 19:51.

Temperature: 24°C
Wind: 30 km/h NE
Sky: Overcast
Golden hour: 19:18

Sunrise 08:05 · Sunset 19:51 (Madeira time). Weather from Open-Meteo, refreshed every 10 minutes; sun times calculated for these exact coordinates.

Region

Porto Moniz

Facing

Coordinates

32.867, -17.173

Updated

2026-08-05

What you’re looking at

The camera looks north across Porto Moniz at the island's north-western tip, taking in the volcanic natural swimming pools that made the village famous, the lava shelf they are cut into and the open Atlantic beyond. Around the pool complex you can see the promenade, the small harbour and the black cliffs of the north-west coast. Waves breaking over the outer rocks are what refill the pools with seawater, and they are exactly what determines whether swimming is possible.

Best time to check this camera

Check the feed the same morning you plan to drive up, not the day before. Porto Moniz is over an hour from Funchal and the north-west swell changes fast; the pools close whenever water is washing over the outer wall, which is unmistakable on camera. Calm water and visible sunbathers mean an open, swimmable complex. Summer mornings are the most reliable, and the light is best in the afternoon when the sun swings round onto the cliffs.

Are the lava pools calm and open today?

If the view is clear:: The bathing complex will be running; go before 11:00 to beat the coach tours.
If it’s grey or rough:: Waves over the walkway means closure, reroute to São Vicente caves.

Porto Moniz natural pools →Porto Moniz town →Live sea conditions →

Location

Porto Moniz · North-West, Madeira · OpenStreetMap · Google Maps

Questions about this camera

Are the Porto Moniz natural pools open today?

The camera is the fastest way to check. If the sea is calm and people are visibly in the water, the complex is open; if swell is breaking over the outer lava wall and washing across the shelf, the pools are shut on safety grounds. Conditions can change within a few hours, so look shortly before setting off.

How rough does the sea get at Porto Moniz?

The north-west coast takes the full force of Atlantic swell, and in winter storms waves break clear over the pool complex and the coast road. Even in summer a passing swell can close the pools for a day, which is why the live view is more reliable than a general forecast.