Reis Magos, Madeira
The verdict
- Best for: Travellers who want clear, calm water for swimming and snorkelling away from the Funchal crowds, families who value the enclosed safe section, and anyone after a fresh fish lunch right on the sand.
- Best spot: The enclosed middle section for calm, safe swimming, the open end for deeper water, then a table at the beach restaurant for fish and poncha.
- Know this: This is basalt pebble, not sand, so bring water shoes, but the clarity of the water and the food on the sand more than repay the stones.
Published 3 April 2026. Last reviewed 18 April 2026
Reis Magos is the kind of small, honest beach that locals quietly love and visitors stumble upon with delight. It is a five hundred metre cove of dark basalt pebble below Caniço on the southeast coast, a little fishing beach with boats pulled up and a Blue Flag flying, and what it lacks in golden sand it more than makes up in clarity of water and a genuine sense of place. This is not a manicured resort beach, it is a real working cove with a restaurant on the sand and a clear, inviting sea, and for a traveller who likes a swim with character and a meal to match, it is one of the most rewarding stops near Funchal.
The honest read is straightforward. The pebble is coarse, so pack water shoes and do not expect to lounge on soft grit. But the trade is worth it, because the water here is some of the clearest on the coast, lovely for swimming and good for snorkelling, with the deeper open end and the protected waters off the nearby Garajau headland drawing divers. The cove is thoughtfully divided, and the enclosed middle section keeps the water calm and contained, which makes it a reassuring choice for families with young children, a rarity on an island where so much of the coast is open and lively. Read the flags, treat conditions as typical rather than guaranteed, and pick your section to suit your swim.
For the curious and the hungry, the real magic of Reis Magos is lunch. A restaurant sits just metres from the pebble, and this little fishing beach is made for the classic Madeiran ritual of fresh grilled fish and a poncha, the island drink of sugar cane spirit, honey and lemon, taken slowly with your feet near the water and the boats bobbing in front of you. Combine it with the clifftop Garajau viewpoint and its Christ statue just above, and a snorkel or dive in the marine reserve, and you have a full, flavourful southeast coast day. Few beaches this close to the capital give you clear water, a calm family corner and a fish lunch on the sand all in one small, characterful cove.
Beach restaurant and cove
Reis Magos is a fishing cove with a restaurant on the sand rather than a styled daybed scene. Compare the island's swimming in our Madeira beach clubs directory.
Reis Magos beach restaurant
A restaurant sits just metres from the pebble, the heart of the cove and the reason many come, set up for fresh grilled fish, limpets and a poncha with your feet near the water and the fishing boats in front. It is an independent beachside venue rather than a styled club, relaxed and well loved, and specific operators, hours and prices are to be confirmed, so check ahead and arrive early on summer weekends when tables fill.
Caniço de Baixo lidos
Just along the coast the Caniço de Baixo area carries hotel lidos and sea access platforms above the Garajau marine reserve, a calmer option for a pool and sea day and a base for snorkelling and diving the clear protected water. These are separate operators rather than part of the beach, and access, hours and any charge are to be confirmed, so check locally before you plan a day around them.
Reis Magos lies just below Caniço on the southeast coast, around fifteen to twenty minutes by car from Funchal, with parking near the beach and a short walk down to the cove in the Caniço de Baixo area. Buses serve Caniço from the city, and the clifftop Garajau headland with its Christ statue and the protected marine reserve sit close by, so it is easy to fold the beach into a wider southeast loop with a viewpoint and a dive.
Pack water shoes for the basalt pebble, a mask if you want to make the most of the clear water, and the usual sun cover, though the beach restaurant and facilities mean you can travel light. Use the enclosed middle section for calm family swimming and the open end for deeper water, read the flags and treat conditions as typical rather than guaranteed. The best plan is simple, swim and snorkel through the warm middle of the day, then give the beach restaurant the long, slow fish and poncha lunch it was made for.
Reserve a day at Reis Magos
Tell us the date and party and we will match you to a cove and fish lunch day at Reis Magos and pass on your request. No obligation, and we reply within 24 hours.
Common questions
What kind of beach is Reis Magos?
A pretty pebble cove rather than a sandy beach. Reis Magos is around five hundred metres of basalt pebble near Caniço on the southeast coast, a small fishing beach that holds a Blue Flag for quality. The stones can be coarse underfoot, so water shoes help, but the water in return is wonderfully clear, which is the real draw. It is a local favourite for an easy swim and a fresh fish lunch, away from the bigger crowds of Funchal.
Is the water at Reis Magos good for swimming and snorkelling?
It is one of the clearer, calmer swims on this coast. The cove is divided into sections, including an enclosed middle stretch that stays calm and safe and suits families with young children, while the open end gives deeper water for stronger swimmers. The clarity makes it good for snorkelling, and divers use the nearby waters. It holds a Blue Flag and is watched by lifeguards in season, but read the flags and treat conditions as typical rather than guaranteed.
Is Reis Magos good for families?
Yes, notably so. The beach is split into distinct sections, and the enclosed middle area is designed to keep the water calm and contained, which makes it one of the safer feeling spots on the southeast coast for children to paddle and swim. There is parking, accessible toilets, a sports area and restaurants close by. The pebble means water shoes are worth packing, but the calm enclosed water and the lifeguard cover in season make it a reassuring family choice.
How do you get to Reis Magos?
Reis Magos sits just below Caniço on the southeast coast, around fifteen to twenty minutes by car from Funchal, with parking near the beach. It lies in the Caniço de Baixo area, a short distance from the clifftop Garajau headland with its Christ statue and the protected waters of the Garajau marine reserve. That makes it easy to combine a swim with a clifftop viewpoint and a dive or snorkel for a full southeast coast day.
Where do you eat at Reis Magos?
This is one of the nicest places on the island to eat right by the water. A restaurant sits just metres from the sand, and the little fishing beach is known for fresh grilled fish eaten with poncha, the traditional Madeiran drink of sugar cane spirit, honey and lemon. Settling in for limpets, fish and a poncha with your feet near the pebble is the whole point of a Reis Magos afternoon. Specific venues, hours and prices are to be confirmed.
