Praia do Garajau

Praia do Garajau lies at the base of a sheer cliff below the Cristo Rei statue on the Ponta do Garajau headland, about 9km east of Funchal. The beach itself is dark volcanic pebble rather than sand, but its real draw is the water: the whole stretch of coast sits inside the Garajau Marine Reserve, Portugal's first fully protected marine area, where fishing restrictions have allowed large groupers, barracuda and rays to become genuinely common close to shore. Snorkellers regularly see fish within a few metres of the pebbles, and the on-site diving centre runs guided dives out to the reserve's deeper reefs. Access is the other distinctive feature. A small two-cabin cable car, opened in 2007, drops from the clifftop car park beside the statue to the beach in a couple of minutes, running daily from 10AM to 8PM in summer and 10AM to 6PM in winter. There is also a steep zigzag footpath for those who prefer to walk down, though the climb back up is strenuous in summer heat. Facilities at beach level are compact but adequate, with a snack bar, showers, toilets and sunbed rental during the season. The beach is south-facing and holds sun through most of the day, and the cliffs shelter it from the northerly wind, making it usable on days when more exposed spots are uncomfortable. Because the cable car limits how many people arrive at once, it rarely feels as crowded as Praia Formosa even in August. Water shoes are worth carrying, as the pebbles are large and awkward underfoot at the waterline.