North Coast Road, Madeira

São Vicente - Seixal - Ribeira da Janela - Porto Moniz

The north coast road, along the north west tip of Madeira, is a dramatic drive with wonderful scenery and panoramic views.

The Antiga ER101, or old ER101 road, as it is known, is only some 16km in length but you should allow at least 2 hours to complete it. There are numerous stopping points with vantage viewing platforms and two delightful villages en route.

Today, the route is interspersed with short diversions onto the new fast road, mainly to pass through tunnels where the coastal terrain is particularly rugged.

You are not advised to try and walk the route as there is some danger of rock falls. In addition, some sections may be temporarily closed for safety reasons or maintenance. Always obey any warning signs you see.

Latest Information as at 13th January 2012

Currently, the Old North Coast Road is fully open between Porto Moniz and Sao Vicente.

It is still possible to drive from São Vicente to Porto Moniz along the new ER101. However, this route involves travelling through many tunnels and is less scenic than the Antiga ER101 with few stopping places. You can still stop at Seixal and Ribeira da Janela though.

North Coast Road, the Route

Start at São Vicente

The old north coast road is now a one-way road, so, you can only travel along it from east to west. Hence, you start the journey from São Vicente.

Driving into São Vicente on the ER104, the central valley main road that goes from the south to north coast of Madeira, you want to head for the seafront. You will see two tubular steel arch bridges on your left, continue heading for the coast until you reach these. Do not follow any signs to Porto Moniz before you pass the tubular steel bridges.

You will come to a junction. The right turn leads over one of the tubular steel bridges. Do not turn right, instead turn left; signposted to Seixal and Porto Moniz.

You have now reached the seafront at São Vicente.

If you want a break, you can park here and explore the town.

There are plenty of cafés offering various refreshments. There is also an attractive area of cobbled streets with shops and a 17th century church with ornate decorations.

Continue driving westward along the coastal road. This is a normal, two-way road and it has a pavement on the seaward, right-hand side. You are not yet on the old north coastal road that is our objective.

Joining the Antiga ER101

Soon you will approach the entrance to a tunnel. This tunnel is part of the new, fast, ER101 road that leads to Porto Moniz.

Just as you enter the tunnel, keep your speed low. After just a couple of metres, you will see a narrow exit road on your right. Turn here. A signpost for the Antiga ER101 points the way up the cliff-hugging roadway.

This is the start of the old north coast road and it is a suitable introduction. You will immediately be faced with a steep winding, narrow climb up a hill - with magnificent views out across the Atlantic Ocean. After just a hundred metres or so, the road widens and you can stop here to take your first photos.

The first tunnel

Not much further up is the first tunnel, which winds round to the right. Again, if you want, just before you enter the tunnel there is space enough to park and enjoy the view. Once inside the tunnel, the road begins to head downward.

One of our friends has described the journey as a bit of a roller-coaster ride and, even at this early stage, you soon understand why.

You exit the tunnel and, after winding around another bend and passing through one more tunnel, you come to a nice spot which I recommend you definitely park at. Here there is a sign that announces you are just about to enter the municipal district of Porto Moniz.

At this stop you can look back at part of the road you have just travelled along. The low roadside safety wall is turreted and beyond it you can see the shear sea cliff face.

Inland, just a short distance away you as you look up a ravine, you can see a bridge between two section of tunnel on the new ER101 road. You will be joining and leaving this newer road throughout your journey.

Rejoin the new ER101 road

As you continue the drive, in little more than a few minutes, you rejoin the new ER101, São Vicente to Porto Moniz road. After 100 metres or so, before you enter the tunnel, branch off to the right again to continue along the old route.

You then repeat the process, rejoining the new road, heading toward another tunnel. However, it is likely that the next section of the old north coastal road will be closed as there are frequent rock falls along this stretch. So, do not be surprised if you have to keep to the new road and pass through the tunnel.

As you exit into the daylight, maintain a low speed as there is another excellent lay-by nearby on your right.

If you park here you can get lovely views of the village of Seixal which is just along the coast in front of you.

From this vantage point, if you look back toward the way you have come, you will see one of the most famous sights of this part of the coastline.

Emerging from midway up the cliff face is a narrow waterfall. Long, flowing and often glistening with a shimmering whiteness in the bright sunshine, this waterfall is known to the locals as the bridal veil - for obvious reasons.

If you take a west of Madeira tour operators' excursion, this is one of the stops that is invariably made.

Seixal

The small village of Seixal is well worth a stop. There are ample parking spaces and, again, the views along the coast are stunning.

You can also get refreshments here and enjoy a walk along the seafront. There is also a seawater rock pool, less famous than those at nearby Porto Moniz, but nevertheless perfectly safe for swimming and, often, less crowded. Changing facilities are available.

From the front, look back inland and, on the steeply rising terrain, you will see vines planted on terraces protected from the sea breeze with brushwood fences. These grapes are used to produce the driest variety of Madeira wine.

Ribeira Funda

As you leave Seixal, you will join the new north coast road again. After a few minutes, just as you are entering yet another tunnel, you will see an exit road off to the right signposted to Ribeira Funda.

This is a dead-end road.

If you are feeling particularly adventurous, and don't want to miss out on any views, you can pass along this part of the old north coast road. However, eventually you will come to a yellow and black striped concrete barrier. At this point you can either about turn, or else venture up to the tiny village of Ribeira Funda.

The village itself is small and has nothing to offer the tourist - except a dead end road and possibly a few locals who pass the time of day idly watching hapless holidaymakers arriving and just as quickly leaving by the same, and only, route.

Ribeira da Janela and on to Porto Moniz

After Ribeira Funda there is just one main section remaining of the Antiga ER101 to travel along. Again, this part of the route has a convenient stopping point where you can park and look back and view the cliff hugging road that you have travelled along.

The next stop is Ribeira da Janela, which has a campsite and a small pebble beach. You can see all the details on our Ribeira da Janela tourist guide.

After Ribeira da Janela, Porto Moniz, our final destination, is only about 2km further on. Allow at least a couple of hours to explore this coastal village. You can see all the details on our Porto Moniz tourist guide.

Old North Coast Road Photos Gallery

Views just after leaving Sao Vicente

Looking across the sea toward Seixal

Views from the stop at Seixal

Approaching Ribeira da Janela

Directions

By Car:-

From Funchal, join the motorway (Via Rapida) heading toward Ribeira Brava. As you approach Ribeira Brava, do not leave the motorway, instead continue through the tunnel to join the ER104 signposted to São Vicente. The ER104 is the Madeira central valley road and you will pass through the Encumeada Tunnel. At São Vicente, join the Antiga ER101 as detailed in our route guide above.

By Taxi:-

You can hire a yellow taxi cab to take you on a half-day or full-day tour of western Madeira. Of course, you can request that the driver takes you along the old north coastal road.

This will cost you more than €100.00 for the day tour. This may sound expensive, but if three or more people share the taxi, this is a similar price to many of the official minibus tours.

If you prefer having your own private chauffeur, or a more structured guided tour, is up to you. However, the quality of the running commentary is more variable with a mini cab. Try talking to the driver first and get a sense of how informative he will be before you commit your cash.

If you book a minibus tour, decide if you want to include a timeshare presentation in the itinerary. Most so-called Information Centres are actually timeshare agents. Another sure sign is if the pricing is a special for couples. Timeshare agents always prefer to have couples at their presentations.

By Bus:-

Today, no public buses travel along the Antiga ER101. You could get a Rodoeste bus from Funchal to São Vicente, here are the bus details. However, you would then still need to pick up a taxi at São Vicente, which you will find a lot harder than hiring one in Funchal. You are not advised to attempt to walk along the route.