Porto Santo

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Some 2.5 hours by ferry from Funchal, Porto Santo is the other inhabited island of the Madeira archipelago, and its exact opposite: where Madeira is green and steep, Porto Santo is dry and gentle, with a 9 km golden sand beach lapped by calm water. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1418, it was once home to Christopher Columbus, whose house in Vila Baleira is now a museum. A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2020, the island charms visitors with its eroded volcanic peaks, islets, diving and unhurried pace, far from the crowds.

Where is Porto Santo?

Porto Santo lies in the Atlantic about 43 km northeast of Madeira, with which it forms the Autonomous Region of Madeira, part of Portugal. It is the northernmost and easternmost island of the archipelago. It covers about 42 km² and has around 5,000 inhabitants, most of them in Vila Baleira, the main town, in the middle of the long southern bay. The airport sits just north of town, and the harbour, where the ferry from Funchal docks, lies to the east.

Older than Madeira, the island has two faces. In the northeast, a cluster of eroded volcanic peaks rises to Pico do Facho at 517 metres, surrounded by Pico do Castelo, Pico Branco and Pico da Juliana. In the southwest, gentler land leads to Pico Ana Ferreira and the headland of Calheta. The whole southern shore is taken up by a 9 km beach, while several islets, including Ilhéu de Baixo and Ilhéu de Cima, ring the island.

History and culture

In 1418, captains João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, sent by King John I, were blown off course by a storm and found shelter in a protected bay, which they named Porto Santo, the “holy harbour”. The first settlers arrived in the 1420s, and in 1445 Bartolomeu Perestrelo became the island’s first captain-donatary. The rabbits he released multiplied so fast that they stripped the vegetation, an episode often cited to explain the bare look of the hills.

Perestrelo’s daughter, Filipa Moniz, married Christopher Columbus, who lived on the island for a time before his great voyages. His presumed home now houses Casa Colombo, a museum devoted to the navigator and the Age of Discovery. Every September, the Columbus Festival re-enacts his landing with a replica caravel, a period market and street shows. The island is also the birthplace of bolo do caco, a round bread baked on a hot stone and now served across the archipelago with garlic butter.

What to see on Porto Santo

In Vila Baleira, the historic centre is easily explored on foot: the Pelourinho square, the town hall, the church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade and Casa Colombo, followed by a handmade ice cream at Lambecas, served since the middle of the last century. By car or on the sightseeing bus, head up to the Portela viewpoint, which takes in the whole bay, next to the old windmills that were once the island’s pride. Pine-covered Pico do Castelo offers another superb view over the beach.

In the southwest, Pico Ana Ferreira reveals a remarkable wall of basalt prisms, columns of cooled lava that look like organ pipes. Further on, Ponta da Calheta marks the end of the long beach opposite Ilhéu de Baixo, and its rocks are stunning at sunset. Hikers follow the waymarked trails of Pico Branco and Terra Chã or Pico do Castelo, which reveal the wild north coast with its cliffs and deserted coves.

Beaches, sea and nature

The great Porto Santo beach stretches for 9 km from Vila Baleira to Ponta da Calheta, with fine golden sand and shallow turquoise water that is pleasant for swimming from June to October. The sand is said to have therapeutic properties, and some hotels use it in treatments. The Cabeço da Ponta, Campo de Baixo and Calheta stretches are the quietest. On the windswept north coast, coves have to be reached on foot, while Zimbralinho, in the southwest, is more sheltered.

Since 2020 the island and its waters have been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with more than 27,000 hectares of protected areas and over 2,100 recorded species. Underwater, visibility often exceeds 30 metres: divers explore two wrecks scuttled as artificial reefs, the Madeirense in 2000 and the corvette General Pereira d’Eça in 2016, both home to groupers and amberjacks. Dolphins, turtles and seabirds can also be spotted on boat trips around the islets.

Getting there and getting around

Porto Santo is reached via Funchal on Madeira, which has direct flights from London, Paris and many other European cities, or via Lisbon. From Funchal there are two options: a Binter flight of 15 to 25 minutes, with several daily rotations, or the Lobo Marinho ferry run by Porto Santo Line, which takes about 2 hours 15 to 2 hours 30, usually with one return trip a day and a reduced timetable off-season. As a rough guide, ferry fares start at around €34 one way. Check times and fares before you travel.

Once there, the island is easy to explore: the round-island road is under 40 km long. Buses link the centre with the outlying districts and the harbour, a sightseeing bus circles the island in about two hours, and taxis wait in the centre of Vila Baleira. Hiring a car, scooter or bike lets you explore at your own pace, and a cycle path runs alongside the coast road for about 5 km. The ferry carries cars, but many Madeira rental firms forbid the crossing, so ask first.

Best time to go, budget and formalities

Porto Santo has a semi-arid climate, drier and sunnier than Madeira, with mild winters and warm summers. July and August are the driest months, November and December the wettest. The best beach season runs from June to October, when the sea is warmest, but the island is also pleasant in spring and autumn for hiking and diving. In July and August, Madeirans spend their holidays here, so book the ferry, car and accommodation well ahead.

The currency is the euro. French and other EU citizens travel with a valid identity card or passport; travellers of other nationalities should check the Portuguese entry rules for their passport. Since February 2025, a municipal tourist tax of €2 per night applies to guests aged 13 and over, up to seven nights. As a rough guide, costs are similar to Madeira: a fish meal on a terrace costs about €15 to €25, and car hire starts at around €30 a day off-season.

Essentials

Your questions answered

Nearby islands: Madeira, Azores, La Graciosa and Santo Antão.

Photo : Nuno Capelo Caldeira, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons