Tuesday 12 September and we walked along the seafront Promenade in Machico. This is one of the few sandy beaches on Madeira with the golden sand imported from North Africa. It is enclosed by Ribeira da Machico estuary and the Bridge at one end and the Harbour and it's wall and Cais de Machico (Fort) at the other. There are static umbrellas along the beach for rent. There is plenty of space along the beach for visitors to spread out their towels and beach mats on the sand. Of the two beaches in Machico this one is the largest but also the most popular due to it's appearance, the sand makes it more appealing. The other Beach comprises of stones and pebbles. Along the promenade there are a number of places to purchase food, snacks and drinks. From the it's vantage point on the clifftop, there is a wonderful view along the harbour, the Bridge and the two Beaches.

We went twice during our trip to madeira. It was clean, had toilets and changing rooms. Plenty of the restaurants around it. Water was warm, sand soft and we had a lot of fun chasing little fishes. The only issue was to find a spot for our car.

We chose to stay a few nights in Machico purely so we had easy access to a sandy beach for our beach loving children and it didn't disappoint. The sea was a nice temperature, the access to the water was shallow and remained shallow for a good distance. The beach itself was lovely and clean and there were toilets on the beach. In fact Machico itself had a really good amount of public toilets - when you have young children this is important! We will definitely return.

A very small stretch of sandy beach and busy since Madeira has no natural sandy beaches. Separated by a river, the next beach is a natural and pebbly one. However, there is a promenade that links the dilapidated fort to the pretty chapel and lighthouse at the end. Great views of Sao Lourenco and Deserta islands.