Bathing water quality in Madeira, Portugal
Madeira has 61 official bathing waters in the EEA dataset for the 2025 season — all coastal. 83.6% were classified Excellent — 1.6 points above the 82% across Portugal — and 2 were Poor. 26 sites have been Excellent in every season from 2015 to 2025.
Qualidade das águas balneares em Região Autónoma da Madeira
Das 61 zonas balneares oficiais da UE em Região Autónoma da Madeira, 83,6 % foram «excelente» em 2025; zonas classificadas como «má»: 2.
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official bathing waters
Excellent in 2025
Poor in 2025
Map of official bathing waters in Madeira
Most consistent Excellent sites
26 sites were Excellent in all eleven seasons. Ordered by the length of the unbroken Excellent run ending in 2025; the first 24 are shown and every site is in the full list below.
- AREEIRO 11 seasons
- CLUBE NAVAL DE SÃO VICENTE 11 seasons
- CLUBE NAVAL DO FUNCHAL 11 seasons
- COMPLEXO BALNEAR PONTA GORDA-POÇAS DO GOVERNADOR 11 seasons
- FORMOSA 11 seasons
- GARAJAU 11 seasons
- LAJE 11 seasons
- LIDO-COMPLEXO BALNEAR 11 seasons
- MADALENA DO MAR 11 seasons
- PALMEIRAS 11 seasons
- PONTA DELGADA 11 seasons
- PORTINHO 11 seasons
- PORTO 11 seasons
- PORTO MONIZ 11 seasons
- PORTO SANTO-CABEÇO DA PONTA 11 seasons
- PORTO SANTO-FONTINHA 11 seasons
- PORTO SANTO-LAGOA 11 seasons
- PORTO SANTO-PENEDO 11 seasons
- PORTO SANTO-RIBEIRO COCHINO 11 seasons
- PORTO SANTO-RIBEIRO SALGADO 11 seasons
- PRAINHA 11 seasons
- REIS MAGOS 11 seasons
- RIBEIRA DAS GALINHAS 11 seasons
- RIBEIRA DO FAIAL 11 seasons
Rated Poor in 2025
For a Poor site the Bathing Water Directive requires management measures, including a bathing prohibition or advice against bathing, so check the authority before visiting.
- POÇAS DO GOMES-DOCA DO CAVACAS Poor in 6 of 11 classified seasons
- QUINTA DO LORDE Poor in 1 of 5 classified seasons
Changes from 2024 to 2025
Improved (2)
- MAIATA Poor → Sufficient
- PORTO SANTO - PORTO DAS SALEMAS Good → Excellent
Declined (2)
- COMPLEXO BALNEAR DAS SALINAS Excellent → Good
- QUINTA DO LORDE Sufficient → Poor
How Madeira rated since 2015
Counts for the sites in today’s 2025 inventory; the Excellent share is calculated over classified sites only.
| Season | Classified | Excellent | Excellent share | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 60 | 51 | 85% | 2 |
| 2024 | 60 | 51 | 85% | 2 |
| 2023 | 57 | 51 | 89.5% | 2 |
| 2022 | 55 | 50 | 90.9% | 1 |
| 2021 | 54 | 48 | 88.9% | 0 |
| 2020 | 53 | 46 | 86.8% | 1 |
| 2019 | 52 | 44 | 84.6% | 0 |
| 2018 | 49 | 42 | 85.7% | 0 |
| 2017 | 49 | 37 | 75.5% | 1 |
| 2016 | 45 | 33 | 73.3% | 2 |
| 2015 | 45 | 33 | 73.3% | 2 |
Places with the most bathing waters in Madeira
Each site is matched to its nearest named place (GeoNames, within 8 km in a straight line), so beaches of one resort or lake shore can be compared together. Select a place to show only its sites in the full list.
| Place | Sites | Excellent | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| São Martinho | 10 | 8 (80%) | 1 |
| Vila Baleira | 8 | 8 (100%) | 0 |
| Santa Cruz | 4 | 4 (100%) | 0 |
| Caniço | 4 | 3 (75%) | 0 |
| São Vicente | 3 | 3 (100%) | 0 |
| Caniçal | 3 | 2 (66.7%) | 1 |
| Câmara de Lobos | 3 | 1 (33.3%) | 0 |
| Calheta | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| Campanário | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| Estreito de Câmara de Lobos | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| Fajã da Ovelha | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| Ponta do Sol | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| Porto Moniz | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| Santa Maria Maior | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| Machico | 2 | 1 (50%) | 0 |
All 61 official bathing waters in Madeira
Grouped by water type, alphabetical within each group. Open a site for its 2015–2025 history, nearby alternatives, weather forecast and the national profile link.
Download all 61 sites as CSV (classes 2015–2025, coordinates, nearest place; EEA data, CC BY 4.0)
Coastal 61 sites · 83.6% Excellent · 2 Poor
- ALAGOA · Porto da Cruz Good
- ANJOS - PONTA DO SOL · Canhas Excellent Excellent 9 seasons in a row
- AREEIRO · Câmara de Lobos Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- BANDA D'ALÉM · Machico Excellent Excellent 8 seasons in a row
- BARREIRINHA · Santa Maria Maior Excellent Excellent 8 seasons in a row
- BOAVENTURA · Santa Cruz Excellent Excellent 6 seasons in a row
- CALHAU DA LAPA · Campanário Excellent Excellent 7 seasons in a row
- CALHAU DAS GORDAS · Santa Cruz Excellent Excellent 5 seasons in a row
- CALHETA Excellent Excellent 8 seasons in a row
- CLUBE NAVAL DE SÃO VICENTE Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- CLUBE NAVAL DO FUNCHAL · São Martinho Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- CLUBE NAVAL DO SEIXAL · São Vicente Excellent Excellent 10 seasons in a row
- CLUBE TURISMO · São Martinho Excellent Excellent 2 seasons in a row
- COMPLEXO BALNEAR DAS SALINAS · Câmara de Lobos Good Excellent → Good since 2024
- COMPLEXO BALNEAR PONTA GORDA-POÇAS DO GOVERNADOR · São Martinho Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- ESPINHAÇO · São Martinho Excellent Excellent 2 seasons in a row
- FAJÃ DAS BEBRAS · Estreito de Câmara de Lobos Excellent Excellent 4 seasons in a row
- FAJÃ DOS ASNOS · Estreito de Câmara de Lobos Excellent Excellent 4 seasons in a row
- FAJÃ DOS PADRES · Campanário Excellent Excellent 7 seasons in a row
- FORMOSA · São Martinho Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- GALO MAR · Caniço Good
- GARAJAU · Caniço Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- GORGULHO · São Martinho Good
- LAJE · Porto Moniz Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- LIDO-COMPLEXO BALNEAR · São Martinho Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- LIDO-POENTE · São Martinho Excellent Excellent 3 seasons in a row
- LUGAR DE BAIXO · Ponta do Sol Excellent Excellent 9 seasons in a row
- MADALENA DO MAR · Arco da Calheta Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- MAIATA · Porto da Cruz Sufficient Poor → Sufficient since 2024
- PALMEIRAS · Santa Cruz Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- POÇAS DO GOMES-DOCA DO CAVACAS · São Martinho Poor Poor in 6 of 11 classified seasons
- PONTA DELGADA · Boaventura Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- PONTA DO SOL Excellent Excellent 5 seasons in a row
- PORTINHO · Estreito da Calheta Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- PORTO · Fajã da Ovelha Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- PORTO DO SEIXAL · São Vicente Excellent Excellent 9 seasons in a row
- PORTO MONIZ Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- PORTO SANTO - PORTO DAS SALEMAS · Camacha Excellent Good → Excellent since 2024
- PORTO SANTO-CABEÇO DA PONTA · Vila Baleira Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- PORTO SANTO-CALHETA · Vila Baleira Excellent Excellent 8 seasons in a row
- PORTO SANTO-FONTINHA · Vila Baleira Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- PORTO SANTO-LAGOA · Vila Baleira Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- PORTO SANTO-PEDRAS PRETAS · Vila Baleira Excellent Excellent 3 seasons in a row
- PORTO SANTO-PENEDO · Vila Baleira Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- PORTO SANTO-RIBEIRO COCHINO · Vila Baleira Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- PORTO SANTO-RIBEIRO SALGADO · Vila Baleira Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- PRAIA NOVA · São Martinho Excellent Excellent 6 seasons in a row
- PRAINHA · Caniçal Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- QUINTA DO LORDE · Caniçal Poor Poor in 1 of 5 classified seasons
- REIS MAGOS · Caniço Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- RIBEIRA BRAVA Excellent Excellent 9 seasons in a row
- RIBEIRA DAS GALINHAS · Fajã da Ovelha Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- RIBEIRA DO FAIAL Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- RIBEIRA DO NATAL · Caniçal Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- ROCA MAR · Caniço Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- S. ROQUE · Machico Good
- SANTIAGO · Santa Maria Maior Excellent Excellent 8 seasons in a row
- SÃO FERNANDO · Santa Cruz Excellent Excellent 9 seasons in a row
- SERRA DE ÁGUA · Calheta Excellent Excellent 10 seasons in a row
- TABUA · Ribeira Brava Not classified
- VIGÁRIO · Câmara de Lobos Sufficient
Compared with other regions in Portugal
| # | Region | Sites | Excellent | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Setúbal Peninsula | 31 | 96.8% | 0 |
| 2 | Azores | 88 | 96.6% | 0 |
| 3 | Oeste e Vale do Tejo | 59 | 93.2% | 0 |
| 4 | Algarve | 109 | 92.7% | 0 |
| 5 | Alentejo | 39 | 89.7% | 0 |
| 6 | Madeira | 61 | 83.6% | 2 |
| 7 | North (Norte) | 120 | 80% | 3 |
| 8 | Greater Lisbon | 33 | 66.7% | 0 |
| 9 | Centre (Centro) | 142 | 59.2% | 7 |
Regions with at least 15 official bathing waters. Size, water type and how densely sites are designated differ, so the table is context rather than a verdict.
Quick answers
- How many bathing waters in Madeira were rated Excellent in 2025?
- 51 of 61 (83.6%) in the official EEA 2025 classification; 5 were Good, 2 Sufficient and 2 Poor, and 1 had no class. That ranks Madeira 6 of 9 Portugal regions by Excellent share.
- Which beaches in Madeira have the best long-term record?
- 26 sites were Excellent in every season from 2015 to 2025, for example AREEIRO, CLUBE NAVAL DE SÃO VICENTE, CLUBE NAVAL DO FUNCHAL. See the ranking.
- Which places in Madeira have the most official bathing waters?
- São Martinho (10, 80% Excellent), Vila Baleira (8, 100% Excellent), Santa Cruz (4, 100% Excellent). See the place table; places are the nearest named settlement to each site.
- Were any bathing waters in Madeira rated Poor?
- Yes, 2: POÇAS DO GOMES-DOCA DO CAVACAS, QUINTA DO LORDE.
- Where do I check whether swimming is allowed today?
- On InfoÁgua (APA) (Portuguese Environment Agency (APA)). Temporary bans, pollution alerts and closures are published there and on signs at the water, not in the annual EEA class.
Portugal overview · All regions of Portugal · Bathing season dates
Sources and method
Bathing-water records: European Environment Agency (EEA), data and coordinates reported by Portugal, licensed CC BY 4.0. Region and area boundaries: Eurostat NUTS 2024 (© EuroGeographics for the administrative boundaries). Place names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). A site belongs to the area that contains its reported coordinates; a site up to 10 km off the generalised coastline is placed in the nearest area of Portugal. Counts, shares and rankings are calculated by BathingWaterFinder from the official records.