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In today’s post, I decided to do throwback until a date that took place last year in the Summer. On that day, my family and I did, well, precisely a family outing. Such an occasion does not appear often, but when it occurs, we make sure to make the most of the day. With this in mind, how memorable was that day, that I am here, almost a year later, remembering those moments?
As my holidays and my sisters' vacations were coming to an end, at the beginning of September of 2017, the family decided to take a day to be all together, and have a ride to Porto Moniz. Notably, if you are not acquainted with Madeira’s map you probably don’t know that Porto Moniz is a municipality in the northwest corner of the island, being located quite far from my little city, on the east coast.
To begin with, Porto Moniz is one of the oldest parishes in the north of the island, constituting the royal charter of March 12, 1574, one of the most archaic diplomas in which it is mentioned. The name of the municipality suffered some alterations over time: at the beginning of the Discoveries was nominated by the place of Ponta do Tristão, being the riverside part of the settlement called Janela da Clara and the upper area, between Lamaceiros and the Achadas da Cruz, by Ponta do Tristão. The actual name is associated with one of the most ancient colonisers – Francisco Moniz – a nobleman from Algarve, Portugal. First, the people dedicated to livestock raising, grain planting and timber extraction. In a second phase, to the potato crop, which in the nineteenth century constituted the productive and food base. Today, Porto Moniz has a much more diversified economy, where, in addition to the activities of the primary sector, there is a strong increase in the tourism sector.
Namely, Porto Moniz is very known for his natural pools, and they were the first stop of that day. These natural wonderful pools are, without a doubt, a gift from nature: they are formed by volcanic rocks, allowing the sea to come naturally. I guarantee you that is such an amazing and unique experience to swim in these pools, a huge feeling of freedom. Furthermore, the sea was a little bit rough that day, however, I and my sisters felt safe and sound all the time.
Having said that, I and my sisters stayed in the pools all morning while my parents went for a romantic walk, and probably enjoy some time as well without their three girls talking all the time Ahah. Then it was time for lunch. Likewise, at this point, I can share with you two entertaining stories. First one: if you want to enter in the natural pools in Porto Moniz you have to pay one euro (which in my opinion is not expensive, principally if you are going to spend all day in there. By the way, you don’t have to get out to drink some coffee or have a snack, there is a snack bar inside the place), and after you pay, you receive a ticket that you have to use in a machine. Smartass as I am sometimes, I was making some jokes while I was approaching the machine, and the ticket never made the connection to the mechanism. My sisters rolled their eyes at me and said that I was putting the ticket in the wrong place. The worst part is that the right place was signalized with a giant red arrow! They laughed at my embarrassment, yet to my benefit, when Raquel was passing her ticket afterwards, she didn’t advance on time, so it was too late to pass it again. She had to walk anyway through a little space to pass. "Who laughs last laughs best", I thought. The second story took place at lunch when I was once again acting as an audacious fancy idiot. I decided to not ask the same old classic of steak and chips for lunch, demanding another plate, because "I am an adult, and I have to start varying my meals". Provided that, I did not like it, and spend the rest of the meal muttering and distributing the food for my family. It is obvious that everyone mocked me… "Why am I still here?", I thought while dreaming with my no existing chips. The dessert was good though…
Moving on… after lunch, we went to the Aquarium Of Madeira, in Porto Moniz. This one was installed in a replica of a fort invoking St. John the Baptist. Curiously, the original fort was built in 1730, in response to the attacks of pirates on the town. This marvellous Aquarium was inaugurated on the 4 of September in 2005, with the aim of preserving and making known to the visitor the marine biodiversity of the seas of the Madeira Archipelago. You can see more than 90 native species, distributed in 12 exhibition tanks. I liked going there and watch so many species of sea creatures. It's a lovely space. Nevertheless, let me warn you in advance: you have to pay seven euros to enter the Aquarium, and, although, yes, the visit is phenomenal, I personally think that the price is a little bit too much considering what we see. I mean, the place is not that big.
Furthermore, after the visit, we spent some time taking pictures (I took a lot of pictures thinking in advance that I could do an article about Porto Moniz, but I realised that none of them was decent, and that's why none of the pictures that I used here have my credit), and walking through the municipality. Without being aware of it, the day passed at a blink of an eye, and it was time to return home. It's always entertaining to spend the day with my family, we are always left with stories to tell later. Whether you are from Madeira or not, I advise you to visit Porto Moniz, and to spend some quality time - either alone or with those you love - strolling through the Municipality, swimming in the wonderful natural pools, drinking a refreshment on the seaside esplanades, admiring the aquarium with its diversity of marine species, experiencing the best of Madeira gastronomy in local restaurants, among others ... Anyway, in general, it is the ideal way to spend a tranquil and unforgettable day.
Nb: I do not own any of these pictures and video and I am not trying to infringe copyright here.
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In conclusion, here is a video of the Natural Swimming Pools of Porto Moniz, if you are interested in seeing the space in more detail.
Nb: I do not own any of these pictures and video and I am not trying to infringe copyright here.
I hope you have an amazing week!
Mariana Nunes
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