Porto Santo: Madeira's Golden Beach Island

Porto Santo is Madeira’s little sister island and its opposite: flat, dry and golden, with a 9km beach of soft sand and calm, clear water. It’s the beach that Madeira doesn’t have, and a quiet, relaxing escape. Here’s how to visit Porto Santo.

Quick answer: reach Porto Santo by ferry from Funchal (about two and a half hours) or a short flight. Spend your time on the 9km golden beach, explore the little capital Vila Baleira (and the house where Columbus is said to have lived), and visit the viewpoints at Pico do Castelo and Portela. It’s best from June to September.

Why go

Madeira is green, steep and rocky, with few sandy beaches. Porto Santo, about 45km to the northeast, is the opposite: a small, low island of about 42 square kilometres, with brown hills, windmills and a long south-facing beach. The pace is slow, the sea is calm and there’s little to do but swim, eat and relax. That’s exactly why Madeirans holiday here in summer.

The beach

Porto Santo’s long beach of fine golden sand runs along most of the south coast, from Vila Baleira to Ponta da Calheta at the western tip. The water is calm and clear, with a gentle slope, which makes it good for families. The sand is said to have therapeutic properties, and some people bury themselves in it. Beach bars and restaurants line the shore, and you’ll easily find a quiet stretch away from the town.

Things to do

• Vila Baleira: the small capital with a pretty square, a whitewashed church and a palm-lined seafront. Allow an hour or two.
• Casa Colombo: a museum in the house where Christopher Columbus is said to have lived. He married Filipa Moniz Perestrelo, daughter of Bartolomeu Perestrelo, the island’s first captain-donatary. Inside are maps, navigation instruments and finds from a 17th-century Dutch East India Company ship wrecked off the island. Allow about an hour.
• Viewpoints: Pico do Castelo and Portela for views over the island and the beach. The highest point is Pico do Facho, at 517m.
• Ponta da Calheta: the rocky western end of the beach, with views across to the islet of Baixo.
• Golf: a course designed by Seve Ballesteros.
• Diving and snorkelling: clear waters and a sunken ship, the former Portuguese Navy corvette Afonso Cerqueira, sunk on purpose in 2016 as an artificial reef.
• Cycling on the flat roads, or hire an e-bike or buggy to tour the island.

Getting there

• Ferry: the Lobo Marinho ferry from Funchal takes about two and a half hours, and the sea can be rough, so take seasickness tablets if you need them. It usually leaves Funchal in the morning and returns in the evening, with fewer sailings in winter. See Porto Santo trips.
• Flights: a hop of about 25 minutes from Madeira airport, plus some direct flights in summer.
• Day trip or stay? A day trip is possible on the ferry, giving you several hours on the island, but a few nights let you really relax.
• Getting around: the island is small. Taxis, bikes and hire cars cover it easily.

See also the Portugal ferries guide.

How long to spend

A day trip covers the beach and Vila Baleira. Two or three nights let you add the viewpoints, a snorkel or dive, and long lazy afternoons on the sand.

A one-day route

1. Arrive on the morning ferry and walk into Vila Baleira.
2. Visit Casa Colombo and the main square.
3. Lunch on grilled fish at a beach restaurant.
4. Spend the afternoon on the beach, then take a taxi to the Portela viewpoint before the evening ferry.

Food

Expect simple seafood: grilled fish, limpets and octopus, with bolo do caco (Madeiran garlic flatbread). Try a poncha, the local drink of rum, honey and lemon, at a beach bar.

When to go

June to September for beach weather. The Festival Colombo, which celebrates Columbus’s link to the island with a re-enactment of his arrival, is held in mid-September. Out of season it’s very quiet, and some places close.

Where to stay

Hotels and apartments are spread along the beach and around Vila Baleira. Book early for July and August, when Madeirans fill the island. See places to stay on Porto Santo.

More: the Madeira travel guide, where to stay in Madeira, getting around Madeira and the best beaches in Portugal.

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