Watch live cameras from Machico, Madeira's first settlement featuring golden sand beach, sheltered bay, and dramatic mountain scenery.
View of Machico's famous golden sand beach, protected by breakwaters and surrounded by dramatic mountains.
View WebcamPanoramic perspective of Machico bay, showing the historic city, harbour and surrounding mountains.
View WebcamMachico is a historic town in eastern Madeira, known as the first landing place of Portuguese navigators João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira in 1419. The town offers one of Madeira's few natural sand beaches, complemented by golden sand imported from Western Sahara.
The sheltered bay of Machico, surrounded by green mountains, creates a unique microclimate that makes it a popular destination for both locals and tourists. The town perfectly combines historic charm with modern amenities, including a seafront promenade, traditional restaurants, and easy access to mountain hiking trails.
Machico has the historical privilege of being the first landing place of Portuguese discoverers in Madeira, in 1419. Under the command of João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, Madeiran colonisation began.
Machico's natural bay offered ideal shelter conditions for the ships of that era. This strategic location thus became the cradle of Madeiran colonisation.
During the first centuries of colonisation, Machico developed as one of Madeira's main administrative and economic centres. The town was headquarters of one of the two captaincies into which the island was divided.
Tristão Vaz Teixeira was the first captain-donor of this region. Machico's Main Church, built in the 15th century and rebuilt after the 1748 earthquake, preserves unique architectural elements.
Machico possesses one of Madeira's most distinctive beaches, characterised by its natural golden sand. This is a rarity on a predominantly volcanic island.
This natural beach is located at the mouth of the Machico stream. It benefits from the deposition of sediments transported by mountain waters, creating a unique bathing environment in the region.
Machico beach was enhanced with modern infrastructure that respects the natural environment. The sandy area was expanded with sand imported from the Sahara desert, similar to Calheta's.
Facilities include changing rooms, showers, beach bar and water equipment rental. During bathing season there is also a lifeguard service.
Machico, founded in 1419 by João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, was Madeira's first settlement. The name possibly derives from Machim, a legendary English navigator who allegedly shipwrecked here with his beloved Branca. The Mother Church, built in the 15th century, preserves unique Gothic elements. The Nossa Senhora do Amparo Fortress protected the port from pirate incursions. Quinta do Lorde Marina developed where the first settlers originally landed.
Local restaurants specializes in fresh seafood cataplana (preços variáveis) and regional espetada. local restaurants offers panoramic bay views with daily fish dishes (preços acessíveis). For a unique experience, restaurantes especializados serves 12 variations of Portuguese bacalhau with Madeira wines. pastelarias locais, a local institution since 1962, produces the best pastéis de nata on the east coast (preços tradicionais). Contact ahead during local festivals.
25 min from Funchal via tunnels. Free parking by the beach. Bus line 113 (€2.05, every 2h). Private marina with 200 berths.
Safe swimming (blue flag), SUP, kayak, fishing charter, diving center, tennis at quinta, wellness spa, whale watching (May-Oct).
Cod Festival (September), Festa da Senhora dos Milagres (August), sailing regattas (June), weekly market (Saturdays), fado nights (Fridays, Summer).
On the historic day of July 1, 1419, the ships commanded by João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira first sighted the coast of Madeira, anchoring precisely in the natural bay of Machico. This date marks not only the discovery of the island, but also the beginning of one of the most successful Portuguese colonizing enterprises of the 15th century. The choice of Machico as the first landing point was not accidental: the bay offered natural protection against the prevailing northeast winds, calm waters for safe anchoring, and a sandy beach that facilitated the disembarkation of men and provisions. The Portuguese explorers, sent by Prince D. Henrique within the framework of Portuguese discoveries, immediately recognized the strategic potential of this location, establishing here the first permanent settlement nucleus of the archipelago. Our current webcam continuously documents this historic bay, allowing observation of the same panorama that fascinated the first discoverers over 600 years ago, although today enriched with modern infrastructure that respects the site's historical heritage.
The initial colonization of Machico followed a carefully structured plan by Portuguese navigators, who divided Madeira into two hereditary captaincies. Tristão Vaz Teixeira became captain-donor of the Machico captaincy, which extended from Ponta de São Lourenço to Porto da Cruz, encompassing the entire eastern territory of the island. Under his leadership, specialized craftsmen, experienced farmers, and entire families from the Portuguese mainland were brought, creating a prosperous colonial society that quickly adapted to Madeira's subtropical climate. The introduction of sugar cane, brought from Sicily and the Canary Islands, transformed Machico into a sugar production center that rivaled the best mills of the time. The first sugar mills were built taking advantage of the Machico stream course, whose abundant waters provided the necessary energy for the operation of waterwheels and mills. Parallel to this, a prosperous ceramic industry developed, taking advantage of local clays of excellent quality, and a fishing activity that exploited the rich fish banks of the Madeiran eastern coast. This economic diversification allowed Machico to maintain itself as one of Madeira's most important urban centers for more than two centuries.
Machico beach represents an exceptional geological phenomenon in the context of Atlantic islands of volcanic origin, where rocky coasts and basaltic pebble beaches typically predominate. The natural formation of this beach results from a sedimentary process unique in Madeira: the erosion of Miocene clay formations that outcrop on the slopes of the Machico valley, combined with the alluvial transport of the stream that crosses the city. For thousands of years, intense rains characteristic of the Madeiran climate eroded the sedimentary rocks rich in ferruginous minerals, creating sand of naturally golden hue distinct from the basaltic material typical of the island. This geological particularity was recognized and preserved during the beach requalification intervention in 2004, when about 30,000m³ of golden sand from Western Sahara was added, specifically selected for presenting granulometric and chromatic characteristics compatible with the pre-existing natural sediment. Our webcam allows observation of this unique coastal engineering work that respects the natural system dynamics, showing how human intervention can harmonize with millennial geological processes to create a bathing space of exceptional quality.
Machico beach benefits from exceptional climatic conditions that result from its privileged geographical position on Madeira's eastern coast, protected from the dominant northwest winds by the mountainous elevations that surround the valley. This natural protection creates a microclimate that translates into average water temperatures 1-2°C higher than those recorded on the south coast, oscillating between 18°C in winter and 25°C in summer, ideal conditions for bathing activities practically year-round. The natural bay develops in an east-southeast orientation that maximizes solar exposure during morning hours, providing gradual and comfortable warming of both sand and seawater. Modern infrastructure includes a complex breakwater system that maintains water tranquility even during periods of greater maritime agitation, allowing safe practice of water activities such as swimming, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and small recreational vessels. Water quality is regularly monitored by environmental authorities, consistently maintaining the Blue Flag classification that attests to the highest European standards for bathing quality, safety, and sustainable environmental management.
5-star marina with 200 berths for boats up to 50m. Services: marine fuel, fresh water, electricity 220V/380V, Wi-Fi, laundry, naval workshop, 150-ton travel lift. Harbor master with 24h service. Permanent port security. Duty-free fuel station. Concierge for restaurant and activity reservations. Certified sailing school.
Strategic location: 15 minutes from airport, direct access to highway, private heliport. Integrated resort with spa, 27-hole golf course, 6 restaurants, conference center. Prices: €35-85/night depending on boat length. Online reservations: marina@quintadolorde.com
Luxury charter: catamarans, sailboats and motor yachts available. All with professional skipper, complete equipment and insurance. Sunset cruises with refreshments. Big-game sport fishing: blue marlin, tuna, swordfish. PADI certification available.
Whale watching: daily trips (May-October) various prices. Dolphins, pilot whales, sperm whales. Sighting rate: alta. Eco catamaran with electric motor. Marine biology guide. Hydrophone to listen to whale songs. Duration: 3h.
Forte de Nossa Senhora do Amparo (17th c.): defensive fortress with original cannons. Military museum open Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00. Entry €3. Main Church (1483): Manueline portal, golden altarpiece, tomb of Tristão Vaz Teixeira. Sunday mass 11:00. Capela do Senhor dos Milagres: annual pilgrimage (August 15).
Cod Gastronomic Festival (September): 3 days of showcooking, tastings, contests. Free entry. 25 participating restaurants. Festa da Senhora dos Milagres: historic maritime procession, fireworks, popular festival. International Sailing Regatta (June): 150 boats, 12 countries. Fado nights at Marina: Fridays 21:00 (Summer).