Ponta Da Ladeira Sunset Viewpoint In Porto Moniz, Madeira

Ponta da Ladeira is one of the most incredible sunset viewpoints on Madeira. You can find this epic coastal spot just near Porto Moniz on the north coast of the island. It’s just a few rickety steps down a dirt path to a small plateau, but once the sun begins to set over the ocean you are in for a show of amazing colors if you are lucky!

HOW TO GET TO THE PONTA DA LADEIRA SUNSET VIEWPOINT

The Ponta da Ladeira viewpoint is on the northwestern tip of Madeira Island, which makes it a perfect spot for watching the sunset along the west coast. While many regions on Madeira are notoriously cloudy, the north coast is well-known for being clear more often than not. This makes it a perfect spot to enjoy some sunset colors in the sky.

To get to the Ponta Da Ladeira viewpoint, I have added the pin on Google Maps below. You can see the name for the viewpoint is labeled in Portuguese, which is. ‘Miradouro Ponta da Ladeira’. This will take you directly to the parking lot of the viewpoint. From the parking lot, you follow the small trail down the dirt path. Make sure to take care as this isn’t an official site and the hand-rail is a bit dodgy and there are no safety fences. If you aren’t sure, stay back from the cliff edges.

There is another viewpoint very close nearby, which is called ‘Miradouro dos Pombais’. This viewpoint is just a parking lot essentially but you can still see the sunset over the ocean. However, you can’t look down the coastline like Ponta da Ladeira. I think if you are willing to walk just 1-2 minutes down the dirt path you should definitely choose Ponta da Ladeira rather than Miradouro dos Pombais.

MY EXPERIENCE AT THE PONTA DA LADEIRA SUNSET VIEWPOINT

The plan for the day wasn’t actually centered around the Ponta da Ladeira viewpoint. The natural swimming pools at Porto Moniz were the main attraction for our afternoon. After spending a few hours lazing in the sun at the natural lava-rock pools we had a quick look to see if there were any good viewpoints nearby. It’s the island of Madeira after all, so we quickly found a spot on the maps to check out. Our spontaneous decision turned out to be a great one.

Driving from the town of Porto Moniz to the Ponta da Ladeira viewpoint took just 15 minutes and when we arrived, there were no other cars in the parking lot. There would be no one else but us at the viewpoint for the entire sunset.

With the light fading, we jumped out of the car and began to tentatively discover the narrow path that follows a steep incline along the sea cliffs. With a dodgy hand-rail and some uncertain footing, we slowly made our way to the plateau. We quickly realized this was going to be an epic way to end the day.

The beauty of this viewpoint is that you can see straight down the coastline. If you look down towards the shore and squint, you will be able to see the small coastal village called Fajã da Quebrada. It’s a small farming region with a few small huts. It’s not actually a village where anyone lives, but you can catch a cable car down from Achadas da Cruz for three euros. The huts belong to farmers who come down to the small region to tend to their plots of crops. From that viewpoint, it looks incredibly isolated and at first, I was wondering how anyone could live there.

As the sun began to get closer to the horizon, it fell behind a few clouds. For a moment, we thought the show might be over. However, the sun burst through the clouds for a few minutes before dropping below the horizon, which lit up all the sea cliffs and gave a golden glow to the entire coastline. It was an incredible spot to watch the last light of the day.

Once the sun dipped below the horizon the clouds began to glow. The edges of the clouds became lined with a fiery red and within a matter of minutes, the entire sky was glowing in fluorescent streams of vibrant pink, blue, and orange. We truly had it all on our evening at Ponta da Ladeira viewpoint and hope you get the same luck with the sunset as we had.

I hope you enjoyed this guide about the Ponta da Ladeira viewpoint and have a great trip to Madeira Island.

WONDERING ABOUT WHERE TO STAY ON MADEIRA?

Throughout my six months on Madeira Island, I stayed in multiple accommodations. My favorite regions to stay in were Funchal and Canico de Baixo. I’ve created several guides to help you find the right region for you and a great hotel or apartment.

• The ultimate guide: WHERE TO STAY ON MADEIRA: WHICH REGION IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
• If you want luxury: BEST 5-STAR LUXURY HOTELS ON MADEIRA ISLAND
• To feel at home: TOP 10 BOUTIQUE HOTELS ON MADEIRA ISLAND
• If you want to base in Funchal: WHERE TO STAY IN FUNCHAL: 15 TOP-RATED HOTELS

HAVE YOU READ MY OTHER MADEIRA BLOGS?

I spent six months exploring Madeira and the nearby island of Porto Santo. These are some of my most popular guides about the region that you may be interested in.

• My favorite hikes: 65 AWESOME HIKES ON MADEIRA
• My favorite levada walks: 25 BEAUTIFUL LEVADA WALKS ON MADEIRA
• The best waterfalls on the island: 25 EPIC WATERFALLS ON MADEIRA
• Guide to the best Accommodation: WHERE TO STAY ON MADEIRA
• Hardest hike: THE MADEIRA ISLAND ULTRA TRAIL IN 4 DAYS (115KM)
• Longest hike: CAMINHO REAL 23: MADEIRA’S ROYAL PATH (180KM)