"Golden Island" of Madeira Archipelago
Fascinating Porto Santo Island
You may hear people referring to Madeira as an archipelago, the reason being, the main island is not alone. It has five uninhabited islands called Desertas and Selvagens Islands, but just 40km to the northeast of Madeira is the second largest Island of the archipelago “Porto Santo” Island. A picturesque and small island featuring beautiful 9km long beach with golden sand and incredibly turquoise waters…. Interesting fact, locals say its sand and seawater have therapeutic powers as they’re rich in iodine, calcium and magnesium, making it extremely beneficial for treating rheumatism and bone diseases. Apart from the blissful beach, the island’s capital “Vila Baleira” has its unique and historical attractions, like Christopher Columbus museum to beautiful tile panels in a 17th century church.
You can reach the Golden Island by plane it’s merely 20 minutes from Madeira, or enjoy a 2 hours and half on board of a ship busting with entertainment including lounges, bars, restaurants, game rooms and even event spaces. Upon arrival to the island, one of the best location to stay is Pestana Porto Santo, a stunning 5 star property with 215 rooms located on the pristine and longest beach in Porto Santo. Simply a minute walk to the beach, but those seeking to stay by the hotel there’s 2 large pools, 3 restaurants and 2 bars.
The islands has a range of restaurants serving specialties of the islands, being highly recommended as one of the most traditional restaurants in the island the “Calheta” Restaurant known for its daily freshest seafood and fish, but for a more sassy and modern vibe, “Pé na Água” Restaurant is your pick, featuring unique local dishes, and known for their happy hour sunset sessions.
To spice up your day, there are a series of aquatic and non-aquatic activities that can be done. Start your day relaxing on top of stand up paddle board, enjoying the sheltered crystal clear waters. For those seeking more activity, it’s also possible to jump on a kayak a do a small expedition around the island or towards the end of the day a windsurf session, to satisfy the adrenaline seekers … Porto Santo is a perfect location for diving, as it has mild water temperatures all year round, in between 17ºc and 22ºc. Not to mention, there are 23 different diving sites with abundant marine life allowing you to see rays, barracuda, seabass, giant groupers and other marine species.
Apart from the lovely beach, there are few trails to discover the inland of the island. For a harder hike walk the Pico do Castelo or around Pico do Facho. There’s also unique mountainside running path from Pico Branco to Terra Chã and intriguing volcanic structures to be found on top of Pico de Ana Ferreira…