Porto Santo travel review - perfect spot for peace and quiet
Nature has been very kind to Porto Santo.
It has beautiful beaches like nowhere else in the world, perfect temperatures all year around and views to die for. Its sand has medicinal qualities that baffled the scientific community for decades, but has now been proven to help with rheumatism and to accelerate the recovery of broken bones.
And despite all of that, Porto Santo is still one of the world’s best kept secrets.
There are no crowds of people, little in the way of loud music and barely a wait at the island’s shops and restaurants. Wherever you are, you’re just a short 10-minute taxi ride away from incredible mountain ranges or paddling in the warm sea. Renting a car is by no means a must, but drivers will enjoy practically empty roads and ample parking.
For most people there are two major attractions: the beach, where sand feels like silk and never seems cold even at the height of November, and golf. The island got its golf course in 2004, designed by world number one Seve Ballesteros. The closest we came to crowds was the lines of people waiting in the hotel in the morning, armed with bags of golf clubs and ready for a shuttle to the course.
The 9km beach is the island’s other main attraction and there was no problem with people. We walked from one end to the other, and except for the occasional section claimed by hotels, had no problem finding somewhere to sit or paddle. The sand feels like silk, less coarse than most beaches, and warm enough all year around. Thanks to the mineral make-up, it also has healing properties, a fact confirmed by one of Portugal’s leading universities.
Our hotel for the trip, Vila Baleira, is offering treatments at its Thalasso Spa using sea water, and it’s a fantastic experience. Salt-rich water in the spa lets you float like you’re at the Dead Sea – utterly relaxing. There’s even a range of toiletries and cosmetics.
Like everything else at Vila Baleria, it is easy to recommend. The hotel is the diamond in Porto Santo’s crown, filled with excellent food and drink, staff who are only too happy to help with anything you need and facilities that really enhance your stay.
Our room was comfortable and big enough to comfortably house four people – the two of us felt completely spoiled. There were two balconies, both offering beautiful views out to sea. At night you fall asleep to the sound of crickets, and you wake up to the sound of the ocean.
Food is always available at the snack bar, although the set meals were more than enough. There was a focus on seafood – as might be expected from such a small island – but there were always some tasty alternatives. It was easy to overindulge. It was where we first met our tour guide for the island.
Sofia, of the Lazermar tour group, knew everything about Porto Santo. Its history, its politics – within our few hours together I felt I had a good grounding for our trip.
Packed into her 4x4, she took us around the island’s viewing points, all built from local stones so as to not to stick out among the beautiful landscapes.
You can still see marks in the rocks from volcanic eruptions in the area, and the unusual islands that surround Porto Santo all have their own names and histories.
Sofia has a real passion for Porto Santo. If we fell in love with the island when we landed, Sofia made us want to settle down there.
She took us around the island’s landmarks. We saw an oasis built in a desert complete with beautiful animals and lush overgrowth, and a native home spruced up for modern visitors. We got to see Christopher Columbus’s house. The explorer lived in Porto Santo for several years, and local legend has it that it was there that he began to think that there could be land westward.
It was an interesting enough museum, and very cheap to enter. Although it was small in scale, it was an easy way to spend an hour.
Porto Santo might not be hot as the nearby Madeira at its peak, and it might not have all the theme parks that some other places offer, but both of those things works to its advantage. It is a perfect island of peace and quiet, of fascinating people and places. There’s nowhere quite like it, and you’ll never want to leave.
For more information visit madeiraallyear.com/en/
