Porto Santo hotels

Hotels in Porto Santo

The Portugese island of Porto Santo is just over 26 miles north of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean. It is the northernmost of the Madeira Archipelago and characterised by dramatic and sharply contrasting scenery.

Landscape and beaches

Exploring the island you will quickly discover that it is, roughly, a landscape of two halves. The north-east is very mountainous, with sheer cliffs and soaring peaks such as Pico do Facho, Pico da Gandala and Pico do Castelo. To the south-west you find less hilly terrain, although there are still beautiful smaller peaks, but essentially the island slopes gently towards the little town of Vila Baleira and the sandy beach. The beach in question is an uninterrupted single strip of bright soft sand that extends for an incredible five and a half miles! Quiet, peaceful and pristine, it's a relatively undiscovered paradise that stretches to Ponta de Calheta, one of the island's favourite swimming spots.

Vila Baleira

Mellow and welcoming, Vila Baleira lives at its own languid pace, hotting up a little on Friday and Saturday nights, when visitors come from nearby Madeira to enjoy the atmosphere. Here is the site of the very first settlement on the Island, founded in 1419 by Bartolomeu Perestrelo. The main hub of the town is centred on Largo do Pelourinho, with its sheltering date palms, cafés and the lovely white 17th-century church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade. This might be the town square, but it is, in fact, triangular!

Restaurants and cafés

From Porto Santo hotels you will find that most places to eat and drink are around Vila Baliera and the spectacular beach. Wonderful views are almost always on the menu, complemented by the freshest seafood of course, and various meat specialities too. For tables literally on the sand, a lively ambiance and fabulous seafood dinners, try Pé na Ågua at Porto Santo Beach. On Vila Baleira seafront you can savour great value lunchtime specials or glorious roast suckling pig and local seafood rice dishes in chic, glass-box surroundings. Solar do Infante is a favourite with discerning visitors from Funchal. Balana on the town square has long been a favourite with locals, and is ideal for full family dinners, light snacks or simply a good coffee.