Praia de São Lourenço

Machico, Madeira

About this beach

Praia de São Lourenço, at the eastern tip of Caniçal, is one of the most remote and spectacular beaches in Madeira, set within the Ponta de São Lourenço Nature Reserve. With dark volcanic sand and an arid landscape of limestone and basalt cliffs in ochre and brown tones, it contrasts starkly with the lush vegetation found elsewhere on the island. Access is on foot, after hiking the Ponta de São Lourenço trail, one of Madeira's most popular walking routes. The beach has no facilities — its attraction is precisely the isolation and wild, unique beauty of this peninsula.