The best things to see and do in Porto Santo, hidden gem in Madeira

Have you heard about the island of a paradise island near Madeira call Porto Santo? If it weren't for a whim of fate, we certainly wouldn't, and we would have returned without knowing her.

In our recent trip to Madeira When we were about to land at the airport, they told us that due to the strong wind they had to divert the plane to the nearby Porto Santo island.

Due to its geographical location, Madeira It has strong winds that can complicate the landing, which we already knew, but what we did not know is what happens if said winds prevent it.

And we already have the answer, they divert you to the Porto Santo island until the wind dies down and you can land in Madeira again.

But this made us know that there is a hidden gem, a beautiful island which we had never heard of that they keep as one of their great secrets.

Obviously on that first flight we couldn't go out to visit the island, but the views from the plane of those long beaches that made us book have already remained in our retinas. one day to visit Porto Santo.

What the island of Porto Santo in Madeira is like

It is a small island very similar to a paradise in the Atlantic near Madeira and the African coast where some 5.000 people live during the year, and where 60 percent of the houses on the island are owned by inhabitants of Madeira.

With eleven kilometers in length, in Porto Santo They extend nine kilometers of a huge beach of fine sand and blue, crystalline waters typical of a tropical paradise.

Actually Porto Santo It is an island with six small islands that surround it, which some time ago became united, as reflected by recent geological studies, so that it was four times larger than today.

How the island of Porto Santo in Madeira was formed

The first thing that catches your attention about this island is its huge beaches, something very unusual in islands of volcanic origin. And this is because of a singularity of nature that occurred on the island over time.

30.000 years ago Porto Santo island It was already above sea level and was a tropical island with a warm and humid climate of hot waters, which was completely surrounded by coral reefs typical of today's Caribbean Sea.

After the ice ages, the waters receded and all these coral reefs were exposed to the strong polar winds that over time eroded and decomposed.

The remains ended up being carried by air towards the interior of the island until it covered a significant part of it. Thus Porto Santo has Sandy beaches that cannot be compared with almost any place in the world.

Due to its origin, this carbonated sand is composed of many substances that dissolve when in contact with the skin's sweat and favor its absorption by the skin.

As an anecdote, they told us that in the schools on the island they have an experiment that they are taught as children where they take sand from their island to compare it with other sand in Europe.

In two separate containers, place the different sands and mix them separately with lemon juice; Only the sand of Porto Santo undergoes effervescence with the acid contained in the lemon.

These arenas are in fact currently being investigated by many scientists from European universities.

Curiosities of the history of Porto Santo

El discovery of Porto Santo It was the beginning of history that would end with the discovery of America, and like many great discoveries, it was by chance.

Some Portuguese sailors were sailing along the African coast looking for new routes to the east, and during a storm the ship broke its moorings and they were sailing aimlessly out to sea.

At that time it was believed that the earth was flat, so they thought they were going to die, but they got a surprise when they ended up on this island. That is why the island has that name since they considered it a miracle to have survived.

Although accidental, it was the beginning of voyages in the Atlantic towards the sea, which would end with the discovery of the new world.

It is known that Christopher Columbus lived in Madeira two years before the discovery of America, and that he had some land in Porto Santo. And it is said that it was here where he began to study the tides that led him to set sail on the historic voyage to the new world.

How to get to Porto Santo

One reason why Porto Santo be an unknown island is that it can only be reached by ferry from Madeira o By plane.

El ferry It is the most common way to get to the island but the slowest. Its journey lasts just over two hours and leaves from Funchal port every day early in the morning, returning in the late afternoon.

The boat trip has an advantage in addition to the price, and that is that, if you are lucky, you can reach see whales or dolphins during the journey, since it is an area very frequented by cetaceans.

Tickets can be purchased there or in advance on the internet.

The other option is go to Porto Santo by plane in a journey of only 15 minutes, although there are only a few flights to this island out of season.

In summer, flights intensify and the available airports expand, so you can fly to Porto Santo from Lisbon and Porto, as well as from other parts of Europe, such as Denmark or London.

Our visit to Porto Santo We flew it from Madeira in a small plane with about 20 seats, which is the one that makes the route. We left in the morning and returned in the afternoon, so we saw the entire island in one day.

Perhaps if we had known before when we planned the trip to Madeira, we would have planned to spend the night in Porto Santo to spend a day relaxing on the beach.

The best things to see and do on the island of Porto Santo in one day

The first thing we are going to tell you is that the island is so small and unknown, that in Google Maps You barely find references to its main places.

Typical Porto Santo house in Madeira

Most people live near the beach and around the airport and very few houses are found in other areas. But to know what the settlements where the inhabitants of the island lived were like, you have to go to one of the ends of the island.

Very close to the port along narrow and dirt roads you will find Serra House.

It is a house that an inhabitant of the island has rebuilt without any profit, simply by not letting time make them disappear. It is the house of his ancestors and where he lived until he was 8 years old, and which he now keeps open to the public. A beautiful enclave between mountains.

In addition to learning about the history of how the inhabitants of the area lived, you can see the shelters in which the population hid when pirate attacks arrived that once devastated the island.

We warn you that this visit does not appear in almost any guide, but it is worth doing and it is free.

In addition, you can buy local products made as they were made years ago, and which you would not otherwise be able to find out about (the purchase of these sweets helps him maintain the house).

Windmills in Porto Santo in Madeira

To be able to supply themselves, the inhabitants of the island built some mills similar to those found in Castilla-La Mancha in Spain.

They are located at the top of the mountains, where there is one of the most beautiful viewpoints on the island from where you can see the large beach that surrounds the island and the port where the ferries arrive.

Paleo dunes in Porto Santo in Madeira

A great example of how covered the island was with sand formed by the remains of coral are the paleo dunes.

In the north of the island, we find a landscape more typical of the Star Wars or from Mars. They are some dunes which attract strong attention because they are not near the sea, but on top of the cliffs.

It is called paleo dune because all the vegetation and small animals like snails that were there were covered by the sand of the dunes and ended up fossilized.

I encourage you to pay attention to the sand when you walk through the dunes because you will find a multitude of remains at first glance.

Also notice the different stratifications the wind forms in the dunes.

Tropical Garden in Porto Santo in Madeira

Porto Santo It is an island with a dry climate and little rainfall, but this was not an impediment to launching a private project to build a tropical garden like those that existed thousands of years ago.

It is actually an eccentricity, since for many years the way to get water to the garden was almost manual. They had to go look for it several times by car to be able to maintain its irrigation.

Currently it is an enclosure that has been growing year after year in space, where you can find many animals in freedom, especially various types of birds.

Si vas a visit the Tropical Garden of Porto Santo, it is worth it to enjoy walking in silence while listening to the large number of bird sounds that transport you to many tropical forests.

Vineyards in Porto Santo in Madeira

Although there is not much space on the island, they do have some areas dedicated to growing vines to produce wine.

Production is very limited, between one thousand and two thousand liters per year, and it is not enough to export, so the Porto Santo wine It can only be tasted on the island, and is usually reserved for celebrations or religious events.

Due to the hot climate, its maturation is earlier and it has a high fermentation that results in wines with 22 degrees of alcohol.

During your visit, notice that the vineyard areas They are usually full of snails.

Despite being a dry climate, on this island there is a pink snail which is unique in the world, and which has been the subject of many studies on the evolution of an isolated species and how it adapted to changes in climate.

It has survived thanks to a local plant that holds water droplets and is also used in the island's cuisine. 

Seve Ballesteros Golf Course in Porto Santo in Madeira

As a curiosity, the Porto Santo golf course has the name of Seve ballesteros since the famous Spanish golfer was the one who designed it.

Outside of the summer season, the island's largest source of income today is what the golf course provides.

They have achieved this thanks to the fact that in Porto Santo A self-supply system has been created to recycle sea water and thus be able to have water on the island and to be able to irrigate the countryside.

And curiously, most of the visitors who come to play golf are tourists from Denmark.

Ponta Da Calheta in Porto Santo in Madeira

At the southwesternmost end, the area closest to the island of Madeira It is perhaps one of the most beautiful points that can be found.

We met him when we went to eat at the restaurant of the same name Ponta Da Calheta which is located in said enclave.

One of the essential points to know because it is where the most crystalline waters are found.

To get to this point you have to cross an area of ​​dunes where some of the island's hotels are located.

Das Flores Viewpoint in Porto Santo in Madeira

For us the most colorful viewpoint on the island of Porto Santo It is located in the aforementioned enclave of Ponta Da Calheta.

This is the Das Flores viewpoint, and to access it it is necessary to go up a dirt road, which can be done by car or by car. quad.

From this viewpoint you can see the entire beach along the island, and one of the small islands that was previously part of Porto Santo.

In addition, from above you can see the surroundings of the island very well with shallow waters that make it look a clearer blue color.

Right next to it there is a cove that is worth seeing with a volcanic beach like those of Madeira.

To get to the sea area there is a path that can only be accessed on foot; If you want to see it from above, be careful because it is a quite impressive cliff.

It is a very good cove to do snorkeling and sport fishing.

House of Christopher Columbus in Porto Santo on Madeira

As I mentioned before, it is said Christopher Columbus He lived in these lands and it was where he completed his journey to discover the new world.

Don't leave the island without visit the House-Museum of Christopher Columbus what's in the center of Porto Santo town, in which you can see some of the objects of the time, as well as maps and all kinds of information about the routes he followed.

Pianos in Porto Santo in Madeira

Another of the peculiarities of nature that can be seen on the island are the so-called pianos, One rare geological formations that occur in areas composed of lava.

In the depths of the Earth, under very strong pressures, vertical columns of lava with hexagonal shapes were created, which came to light after excavations that sought to extract earth for the construction of houses.

The entire mountain inside is made up of these hexagonal columns where the stratifications can be seen.

Transport: how to get around Porto Santo in Madeira

For move around the island of Porto Santo the best is rent a car o quad so you can explore it on your own, or hire the service of one of the companies that will show you around the island.

There is also the option of rent a bike, a service that several companies offer you in the old town area.

If you are going to rent a car, you can do it at the airport itself, but you have to keep some things in mind.

There are many parts of the island that do not have paved roads, but only dirt paths; even at some point not even that, so it is important rent a 4×4 or a quad.

I warn you that it is not easy to find maps and road information of Porto Santo, but since it is a very small island, even if you get lost you will find your way very quickly, so don't be afraid to venture out and explore it.

That's why people usually hire a guided tour that makes transportation easier and takes you to all the places without getting lost. This is what we did and a very nice girl named Sofia, Sermar agencyHe showed us the entire island.