The Town of Seixal Created by Volcano

The beautiful town of Seixal is located on the northwest coast of Madeira Island, an autonomous region of Portugal. It’s a small town with just over 700 inhabitants and is a part of the municipality of Porto Moniz. The island is part of a massive underwater shield volcano in the Atlantic Ocean. Volcanic activities cut through the rugged cliffs on the coastline thousands of years ago, creating a deep valley and Seixal emerged on an ancient lava flow. The town itself emerged in the 16th century. The volcanic activities on the island are considered to be dormant today.

Because of the volcanic eruptions, Seixal has a unique landscape with green and fertile lands and beautiful beaches with black sand. There are also terraced vineyards for visitors to see and enjoy. The town offers amazing hiking trails as well. The area known as Chão da Ribeira is called ”The Sanctuary” by the locals due to its lush greenery. Moreover, The Laurisilva, an ancient laurel forest in Seixal, is a World Heritage Site and is under protection.

Although it is unclear, some suggest that the picturesque town of Seixal got its name from the pebbles on some of its beaches as ”seixos” means ”pebbles” in Portuguese. Others suggest that its name comes from small green-colored trees commonly found in the area.