Complexo Balnear da Barreirinha
Funchal
- Outdoors
- From 6
- No price published
- Just turn up
The old town's sea-bathing terrace: no pool at all, but calm clear water off the rocks, a lifeguard, and a beach library for the hour nobody wants to swim.
There is no shallow water here of any kind, so the only question that matters is whether your child swims. If they do, the snorkelling straight off the terrace is the best in central Funchal and there are fish immediately below it. If they do not, this is the wrong complex - Ponta Gorda has the children's pool. It is the only supervised swimming within walking distance of the Zona Velha and the cable car, which is usually why a family ends up here.
Worth knowing: The terrace is small and fills at weekends, mostly with local teenagers. There is a table-tennis table and a beach library, which between them cover the hour after lunch.
Opening hours
- Mon
- 09:00-20:00
- Tue
- 09:00-20:00
- Wed
- 09:00-20:00
- Thu
- 09:00-20:00
- Fri
- 09:00-20:00
- Sat
- 09:00-20:00
- Sun
- 09:00-20:00
Prices
A Frente MarFunchal day pass, valid at the Lido, Ponta Gorda and Doca do Cavacas as well; parasols and loungers extra. No walk-up tariff is published at source - the figures in circulation for the group are adult 5 €, youth 1.80 €, children free - so treat the price as unconfirmed until the gate.
Season
The 09:00 to 20:00 day is the bathing season, 1 June to 30 September; the complex runs shorter hours outside it.
Getting there
Prices and opening times change without notice, and on this island they change often. Everything here carries the date it was checked in our research notes; if a place has moved or closed, tell us and we will fix it.