Beach
Porto Santo beach
About 9 km of golden sand and calm water on Porto Santo's south coast. Fontinha, Cabeço da Ponta and Ribeiro Salgado have Blue Flags and designated lifeguarded seasons through 31 October 2026.
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Town · Madeira, Portugal, Europe
Porto Santo, Madeira
Madeira's second inhabited island, 50 km north-east: a 9 km golden-sand beach with three Blue Flag bathing waters, a small capital (Vila Baleira) and a quiet pace. Drier than Funchal but less sunny in winter. By ferry (2 h 15, currently 3 h 15) or a 15-minute flight. Research draft.
- Time zone
- Madeira time
When to go
Porto Santo through the year
- January: high 20 °C, low 14.3 °C, 6.2 rainy days, 5.6 hours of sun a day, sea 18.9 °C
- February: high 19.9 °C, low 13.9 °C, 5.5 rainy days, 6.2 hours of sun a day, sea 18.2 °C
- March: high 20.6 °C, low 14.3 °C, 5.8 rainy days, 6.8 hours of sun a day, sea 18 °C
- April: high 21 °C, low 14.9 °C, 4.7 rainy days, 6.9 hours of sun a day, sea 18.5 °C
- May: high 22 °C, low 16.2 °C, 3.3 rainy days, 7.1 hours of sun a day, sea 19.4 °C
- June: high 23.7 °C, low 18.2 °C, 1 rainy days, 6.4 hours of sun a day, sea 21 °C
- July: high 25.4 °C, low 19.7 °C, 0.3 rainy days, 7.5 hours of sun a day, sea 22.4 °C
- August: high 26.8 °C, low 20.7 °C, 0.4 rainy days, 8.2 hours of sun a day, sea 23.5 °C
- September: high 26.6 °C, low 20.4 °C, 3.1 rainy days, 6.9 hours of sun a day, sea 23.8 °C
- October: high 25.2 °C, low 19.2 °C, 7 rainy days, 6.4 hours of sun a day, sea 23 °C
- November: high 22.8 °C, low 17 °C, 7.3 rainy days, 5.8 hours of sun a day, sea 21.5 °C
- December: high 21 °C, low 15.5 °C, 8.6 rainy days, 5.1 hours of sun a day, sea 19.9 °C
Long-term averages, not a forecast. Source: IPMA: Normal Climatológica 1991–2020, Funchal/Observatório (station 522, 58 m), PDF v1.0 2024, read . Full month-by-month guide →
For families
Porto Santo with kids
Opening hours, prices and age limits for each day out, with the date we read them. Beaches have their own access notes further down.
9 km of golden sand along the south coast (Visit Madeira; council); Blue Flag 2026 at Cabeço da Ponta, Fontinha and Ribeiro Salgado (ABAE), lifeguarded into late October (JORAM 2026).
Bike path of almost 5 km along the ER 111 from Ribeiro Cochino to Praia da Calheta, with gentle slopes (Visit Madeira).
Casa Colombo museum
family ticket €10 (at least one adult and one minor), Mon–Fri 10:00–12:30 and 14:00–17:30, Sat 10:00–13:00 (regional culture office).
Places
Places in Porto Santo
Beaches, viewpoints and days out, each with the date it was last checked.
Schematic: positions from each place's coordinates, no roads or coastline. Not for navigation.
More places 4
Viewpoint€
PS PR2 Vereda do Pico do Castelo (Porto Santo)
Easy 3.2 or 4.6 km walk up Porto Santo's wooded central peak to the Canhão viewpoint; €4.50 over-12s via SIMplifica, under-13s free.
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Sight€
Casa Colombo, Porto Santo Museum (Vila Baleira)
Small regional museum in the house said to be Columbus's on Porto Santo; €6 adults, children 0 to 12 free, €10 family ticket; closed Sundays.
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For kids
Avenida Infante D. Henrique garden and playground (Vila Baleira)
Palm-lined seafront garden in Vila Baleira with a small playground on a synthetic floor and a walk out along the old pier.
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In detail
The notes behind this page
Porto Santo is the archipelago’s other inhabited island, about 50 km north-east of Madeira [3], and it is the opposite of Madeira in one way that matters: it has a long sandy beach, about 9 km of golden sand along almost the whole south coast [1][2][3]. The island is small (42 km², 11.4 km by 6 km) and quiet, with about 5,150 people [3][5]. It is drier than Funchal but cooler and less sunny in winter [13][14]. Getting there takes the ferry (normally about 2 h 15; the operator warned of 3 h 15 on 9 October 2026) or a short flight; see Madeira to Porto Santo.
The beach and swimming
Three stretches of the beach held a Blue Flag in 2026: Cabeço da Ponta, Fontinha and Ribeiro Salgado [7]. Their official bathing seasons run longer than on Madeira island, to 31 October 2026 [8]. Outside those dates there is no legal requirement for lifeguards. How the beach compares with Madeira’s few sandy ones: best beaches in Madeira.
Keep reading: 5 more sections
Getting there and around
- Ferry: the Lobo Marinho from Funchal, adult return €58.90 (October–March) or €72.02 (April–September) in 2026, plus a fuel surcharge [15]. There are no sailings from 15 to 22 October 2026 [16]. Full fares and timetable: Madeira to Porto Santo.
- Flight: Visit Madeira describes a 15-minute air shuttle from Madeira [17]; see the same guide. Flights to Porto Santo’s airport (PXO) from Funchal and Lisbon: flights to Madeira.
- On the island: buses run from the central station near the main service station, including to the port; a tourist bus tours the island in about two hours; a bike path runs almost 5 km along the south coast; and there are taxis [9].
Families
- The beach is the reason. Under-13s are exempt from the €2-a-night tourist tax [11].
- The Casa Colombo museum in Vila Baleira charges €6 for adults and has a €10 family ticket (at least one adult and one child); since 2026 children up to 12 enter free (details); open Monday to Friday 10:00–12:30 and 14:00–17:30, Saturday 10:00–13:00, closed Sundays and holidays [10].
- We found no official list of playgrounds; Visit Madeira describes a small one in the Avenida Infante D. Henrique garden on the seafront. Museum details: Casa Colombo. For a walk off the beach: PS PR2 to Pico do Castelo, rated easy.
Working from Porto Santo
The regional Digital Nomads Madeira Islands project has a Porto Santo community with a local community manager and a WhatsApp group for house rentals; it lists a hostel but no coworking space [12]. It describes the island as suited to “remote workers seeking balance, focus, and wellbeing” [19], which is the project’s pitch, not a measurement. Check internet speed with your host before booking a month.
Weather
IPMA’s 1991–2020 normal gives daytime highs from 18.2 °C in February to 25.7 °C in August, and 382 mm of rain a year [13], against Funchal’s 574 mm [18]. In winter it is less sunny than Funchal: 131–149 hours a month from November to February in 2012–2025, against 158–173 [14]. Month by month: Madeira weather by month.
Open questions
Guides
Porto Santo guides
Practical · 4 min read
Madeira to Porto Santo
the Lobo Marinho ferry (2026 fares, timetable, October stop) or the flight
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Porto Santo: quick answers
How do you get to Porto Santo from Madeira?
By the Lobo Marinho ferry from Funchal (adult return €58.90 October–March, €72.02 April–September in 2026, plus a fuel surcharge; normally about 2 h 15, currently announced at 3 h 15) or by a 15-minute flight. The ferry does not sail every day: there is no boat from 15 to 22 October 2026, and none on several days in November and December.
How long is the beach on Porto Santo?
About 9 km of golden sand along almost the whole south coast, according to Visit Madeira and the island's council. Three stretches held a Blue Flag in 2026: Cabeço da Ponta, Fontinha and Ribeiro Salgado.
Is Porto Santo good in winter?
Mild, with less winter sunshine than Funchal. IPMA's normals give daytime highs of 18–19 °C from December to March, and Porto Santo averaged 131–149 hours of sun a month from November to February in 2012–2025, less than Funchal's 158–173. It is drier than Funchal over the year (382 mm against 574 mm) but has more rainy days in winter.
Can you do Porto Santo as a day trip?
On many days: the ferry usually leaves Funchal at 08:00 and returns from Porto Santo at 18:00 or 19:00, which leaves at most six to seven hours on the island with the current longer crossings and check-in. Check the timetable for the date; some days have no sailing or only an evening one.