Sea stacks off a pebble beach on the north-west coast, five minutes from Porto Moniz and missed by most people who go there.
Where the river meets the sea, three tall rocks stand in the surf just off the beach. One of them has a hole through it, a window, and that is where the place gets its name: janela means window.
There is nothing to do here except stand on the pebbles and look, which is the point. Photographers come at dawn, when the sun rises behind the stacks. The sea on this coast is strong: it is a place to watch the water, not to get into it.
A tipStop here on the way to or from the lava pools at Porto Moniz. Ten minutes is enough, and you will probably have it to yourself.
- From Funchalabout 1 hour by car
- From Porto Monizabout 5 minutes by car
- Best lightsunrise
At the end of the route, in Funchal, four artists draw whatever you bring back from the island: a place, a flower, a word, a set of coordinates.
The outline of the island
Madeira in a single line.