Paul do Mar is a civil parish in
the municipality of Calheta
with a population in 2011 was 871 in an area of 1.40 km2.
The origin of the toponymy paúl do mar is linked to its geographic position, since paúl refers to an elongated zone, which is justified by the parish's location along the southwest coast of Madeira.
Its exposure to the ocean, and historical periods when the sea bathed the area with seawater, once characterised the area as the Sitio da Lagoa or Alagoa (English: site of the lake or the lake). Historically, the area experienced flooding from the sea when the Atlantic submerged and inundated fields to a depth of one metre. As a result, a salt factory was established. But, this was closed long ago. Since the construction of a new higher sea wall and ocean front with road and parking the sea flooding has stopped.
