Penha de França

Getting there The decision is the water on the stones, not the colour of the roofs. White water means the terrace, not the steps. A still pool is not a still sea. If the wall is awash, the swim is off, and the picture will not sell you a ticket either way. Funchal can be an easy afternoon while this coast is not. That is normal. Look before the drive, especially if the road goes through the north-coast tunnels or down a steep lane. Black sand and pebbles lose the sun once the cliff takes it, often after the middle of the afternoon. You can see the shade from here. Do not block the lane. The frame is the shore. It is not the inside of a bar and not a promise that the complex is open. An hour is a long time on this coast. Blue water before you left can be white water when you arrive, especially if the swell is from the north and it is still building. Watch a few sets from the terrace before anyone uses the steps. The steps are slippery after rain and after any sea that has been over them. You enter off rock, not off a beach of sand. Keep a dry layer in the car. The wind here does not feel like the marina in Funchal. A full car park means the next village, not a car abandoned in the lane. If shade was the reason you looked, look again after lunch. The cliff decides when the sun goes. Look before you set off, and look again while you can still change the plan. Funchal's sky is a weak guide to the rest of the island. Keep a jacket in the car. Do not leave the car in a lane. When the picture and the town disagree, the picture wins. Ten minutes is a fair second look. An hour can be a different shore.