Porto Santo

Beach

Porto Santo is the northernmost and easternmost island in Portugal's Madeira archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. The only significant settlement on the island is the town of "Vila Baleira". The island is about 9km long, and the main industry is tourism.

Porto Santo is an ultra-peripheral region of the European Union.

Understand

Porto Santo (POHR-too SUHN-too, /ˈpoɾ.tu ˈsɐ̃.tu/) has 5,483 residents (2011).

Get in

By plane

• 1 Porto Santo Airport (Aeroporto de Porto Santo PXO  ^IATA). A small airport with flights from Funchal about 15 min away via Binter Canarias. Lisbon is about 1.5 hrs away on TAP Air Portugal. Several airlines offer seasonal and charter flights from various European cities.  

It takes roughly one and a half hours to fly to Porto Santo from the airports at Lisbon and Porto.

Get around

By car

• Rent a Car - Porto Santo has a good road network, that links the main points of the island. Several companies rent cars in Porto Santo, such as:

Insularcar, Moinho Rent-a-Car, Auto Jardim, and Rodavante.

By bus

• By bus (Town center next to the petrol station), ☏ +351 291 982 780, +351 291 982 403. (updated Jul 2021)

By taxi

• By taxi, Avenida Dr. Manuel Gregório Pestana Júnior, ☏ +351 291 982123. (updated Jul 2021)

See

Christopher Columbus house

• 1 Christopher Columbus' house. Now a museum. Exhibits about the Portuguese discoveries, Columbus, and his stay on the island are featured. The collections in this museum include maps, navigation tools, portraits and other art displays. Columbus married on the island and lived there for some time. (updated Nov 2017)
• 2 Matriz Church, Largo do Pelourinho. Built in 1430 and pillaged in 1556 by French buccaneers. Situated in the heart of Vila Baleira, in this church beautiful paintings of Martin Conrad and Max Romer are displayed, which attract the attention of passing visitors. (updated Nov 2017)
• 3 Pico Castelo viewpoint. This 437 m (1,434 ft) high viewpoint has a magnificent view over Vila Baleira and the rest of the Island of Porto Santo, as well as some nearby small islands. (updated Nov 2017)
• 4 Paços do Concelho (Largo do Pelourinho). Also known as Town Hall, it is in the city centre. It was built in the sixteenth century, and ever since it has been used as a jail and as a palace. (updated Nov 2017)

Do

Porto Santo's beach in the afternoon

• Porto Santo's beaches - With 9 km of beach, these are the best beaches in the archipelago. They are also known for their alleged healing properties, relieving the pain of rheumatism and helping to accelerate the recovery of bone fractures.
• The "Nossa Senhora da Graça" Feast - The main feast of the island. The feast is composed by a mass, followed by a procession and an "arraial", a traditional party.
• 1 Porto Santo Golf Course. Has two 18-hole golf courses and one nine-hole course. It is promoted by Severiano Ballesteros, the Spanish golfing champion. 

Buy

• 1 Pingo Doce, Rua Dr. José Diamantino Lima, ☏ +351 291 980 080. 08:00–22:00 daily. Portuguese supermarket chain. (updated Sep 2021)

Eat

• 1 Restaurante Baiana (Rua Doutor Nunes Silvestre Vieira Teixeira), R. Dr. Nuno Silvestre Teixeira 9 162, ☏ +351 291 984 649. 9:00am-1:00am. 
• 2 Restaurante Gazela, ER 120, Pontinhas, ☏ +351 291 622 005. 

Sleep

• 1 Pestana Porto Santo, Estrada Regional 163, Sitio do Campo de Baixo, ☏ +351 291 144 000, fo.portosanto@pestana.com. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. 
• 2 Praia Dourada Hotel, Rua D. Estevão de Alencastre, ☏ +351 291 980 480, info@portosantohotels.com. 
• 3 Hotel Torre Praia, Rua Goulart Medeiros, ☏ +351 291 980 450. Right next to Porto Santo's beach. 
• 4 Hotel Vila Baleira, Sítio do Cabeço da Ponta, ☏ +351 291 980 800. The hotel has a spa, and the only thalassotherapy center of the island. The rooms have a beach-view. 
• 5 Hotel Porto Santo & Spa, Estrada Regional 120, Campo de Baixo, ☏ +351 291 980 140, info@hotelportosanto.com. 

Go next

Madeira - The larger island of Madeira is only 15 minutes away by flight. A visit to the beautiful city of Funchal and the Madeirense countryside would be a good idea. Boats can also be rented for the trip.