Updated 2026·Checked on foot·Estrada Simão Gonçalves da Câmara 37, above Calheta
Madeira's contemporary art museum, and the most serious piece of architecture on this coast. Paulo David's building is cut into the headland above the town in local basalt, so it reads as an extension of the cliff rather than an object placed on it. Inside are around 400 works of Portuguese contemporary art from the 1960s onwards, plus temporary exhibitions, an auditorium, a shop and a café-restaurant with the view.
MUDAS, Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Madeira · Building opened 2004PESP/ Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Period
Building opened 2004
Location
About 1 km uphill from the beach
Entry
Admission charged, with a reduced rate for seniors. Confirm the current price with the museum
Hours
Tuesday–Saturday 09:30–13:00 and 14:00–17:30; closed Sunday, Monday and public holidays
Time Needed
1–2 hours
Hours and prices last checked 2026, they change, so confirm on the day.
History
How it came to be
The building opened in October 2004. It was nominated for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture (Mies van der Rohe Award) in 2005, and its architect Paulo David received the Alvar Aalto Medal in 2012. It houses MUDAS, the regional contemporary art museum.
What You'll See
On a visit
The architecture first, the basalt volumes, the cut ramps and the framed sightlines down to the sea. Then the collection and whatever temporary show is running; the programme changes several times a year.
How to Visit
By car up the hill from the beach, or a steep 15–20 minute walk. Parking on site.
Best Time
Morning, when the light comes across the terraces below
Getting There
Location
About 1 km uphill from the beach · Estrada Simão Gonçalves da Câmara 37, above Calheta
No. The museum opens Tuesday to Saturday and closes on Sundays, Mondays and public holidays.
The Madeiran architect Paulo David. The building opened in October 2004, was nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award in 2005, and David went on to receive the Alvar Aalto Medal in 2012.
