About Seixal Village, Madeira Island Porto Moniz

Seixal is a small village, but popular among the Madeiran population, special in the summer. Many important families in the island have their origin in this small village.

Eating

In the local restaurants, please try some delicious fish, like grilled bodião or the filled trout.

Shopping

You do not have any big super markets in the village, however, just up the road, going the way up to the church and the main road, you will find a bar and an attached mini market. They can help you with most necessities and some common food articles. Another and a little bigger market is on the left side of the road, just passed the church and before the "Aquario" restaurant. After this, on your right hand side of the road you will find a butcher.

Drinks

For the night life, "Kalhaus pub", under the "Brisa Mar" restaurant and near the harbor, is fun for a night drink. It gets very lively late at night, especially during weekends. You have people from all over the north coast and Funchal visiting. The Clube Naval, down at the harbor is another spot. There you will also find a WIFI zone. You will not be disturbed by noise of any of these places, even though they are only two minute walk from the house.

Swimming

Are you a swimmer, there are two good places to go. The first is the beach: Just leaving Seixal on the way to Porto Moniz, the road goes down to sea level. Here you can turn right, on a smaller road with planted palm trees. In the end of this you find a parking. Follow the small path, 50 meters, and you are on a nice sandy beach with black volcanic sand. If you want to get to the pools, go passed the church, the view point, the butcher until you find a sign to the right saying "Picinas". Go down the road to the sea, and you will surely like the pools. You can also swim below the house, opposite the harbor, on nice days, or use the natural seawater pool at Clube Naval.

Hiking

The walks are an enjoyment. Do not forget to take the paths and the small streets around Seixal village. The pretty houses are interesting, the friendly people who appreciate a good morning or a good afternoon. Do not give anything to any child who might be begging. It is not out of necessities that they might be begging, and we should not encourage bad habits.
Take the trip up to "Chão da Ribeira". You can walk up the valley, or you can drive up. There are two roads, one just entering the village from "São Vicente" side and the other just enter the village from "Porto Moniz" side.

Coming up into the valley, follow the road to the end. Pass two small bridges, and either follow the path to the right into the forest, or take the one to the left, pass the trout farm along the river and into the forest. This is the old, endemic laurel forest of the island, a UNESCO World Heritage.

Are you an early riser and manage to get to the forest before sunrise, you will get the fantastic show from the morning birds. Remember, you have a lot of wild canaries of origin to the island, and their natural song is something to be remembered. The must for a lunch and a visit is the "Floresta Natural" reserve, privately owned and well preserved. It is in the inner part of the valley, over the bridge and to your right side.

There is also a nice walk along a "levada", starting at the water dam at "Lamaceiros", into the valley. Here you first have to drive to "Porto Moniz", and then 3 km towards "Paúl da Serra". At "Lamaceiros" turn left at the sign "Ribeira da Janela". Keep ahead at the cross road, and park near the dam.

Follow the "levada", but observe that it can have some slippery parts.
Please leave a note in the house where you are going, just for safety. Read the enclosed safety instructions.
If you are driving further up to "Paúl da Serra", there is a sign going down to "Rabaçal". From here there are several interesting walks.