Porto Santo Island

Porto Santo

Geography
Location	Atlantic Ocean
Coordinates	33°3′43″N 16°21′23″W / 33.06194°N 16.35639°W / 33.06194; -16.35639Coordinates: 33°3′43″N 16°21′23″W / 33.06194°N 16.35639°W / 33.06194; -16.35639
Archipelago	Madeira Islands
Area	42.27 km²
Country
Portugal
Autonomous Region	Madeira Islands
Largest city	Porto Santo (town) (pop. 4,474)
Demographics
Population	4,474 (as of 2001)
Density	106 /km2 (270 /sq mi)

Porto Santo Island (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpoɾtu ˈsɐ̃tu]) is a Portuguese island 50 km northeast of Madeira Island in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is the northernmost and the easternmost island of the Madeira Archipelago. The municipality has no land boundaries and is encircled by the Atlantic Ocean. Administratively, it is part of the Autonomous Region of Madeira. The length of the island is about 9 km. The population in 2001 was 4,474 with a density of 106.1/km².

The main urban area - which is one of only five Portuguese municipalities that have only one parish - is the city of Vila Baleira ([ˈvilɐ bɐˈlɐiɾɐ]), also known as the city of Porto Santo. The island has an airport which serves flights to Funchal, which is only a 15-minute flight away. The nearest place is Machico on the island of Madeira to the southwest, which serves as its port to Funchal. The main industry of Porto Santo Island is tourism.

Geography

The island of Porto Santo as seen from the air

The house of Christopher Columbus in Porto Santo.

Basalt columns, a geological formation.

The island's geography includes farmlands in the southern and central parts and further to the south a long shoreline with a few beaches, forests and grasslands to the west, rocky ledges and cliffs with a longer coastline to its north, forests to the northeast, drylands with grasses to the northern part and mountains along the northeastern part with about five to six main mountaintops with a few grasslands.

Much of the coastline is to the west, the north and the east. There are islets to the north east and a small peninsula with a mountaintop in the eastern end of the main island. What makes Porto Santo distinct in the Madeira Archipelago is that it has about 9 km of sandy beaches, while nearby Madeira island has virtually none, with tiny exceptions such as Calheta.

• Location of Vila Baleira:
  • Latitude: 33.0667 (33°4') N
  • Longitude: 16.33 (16°20') W
• Altitude:
  • Lowest: Atlantic Ocean
  • HighestPoint: Pico Do Facho: 516m / 1703ft

History

The official discovery of Porto Santo occurred in 1418, with the trip of the knights of Prince Henry, João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, in accordance with the orders of king D. John I.

Its captain-donee was Bartolomeu Perestrelo, that received letter of donation in November of 1445. The name of Porto Santo (Holy Port) was given, originally to the bay that, in the south coast, served of shelter when the navigators had been gathered by a storm.

In the first centuries of settling, the development of this place knew some difficulties due to scarcity of water and to the assaults of Algerian and French pirates.

• The discoveries of Porto Santo and Madeira were first described by Gomes Eannes de Azurara in Chronica da Descoberta e Conquista da Guiné. (Eng. version by Edgar Prestage in 2 vols. issued by the Hakluyt Society, London, 1896-1899: The Chronicle of Discovery and Conquest of Guinea.)

• Arkan Simaan relates in French these discoveries in his novel: L’Écuyer d’Henri le Navigateur, published by Éditions l’Harmattan.

Tourism

The famous 9 km beach of Porto Santo

The 9 km long sandy beach is the main attraction for tourists.

Christopher Columbus married and lived there for some time. Columbus' house is now a museum that presents a permanent exhibition about his life and family ties with Porto Santo, as well as temporary art exhibitions.

The island has a golf course that was designed by Spanish golfing champion Severiano Ballesteros. Porto Santo Golfe will host the Madeira Islands Open from 2009 on the European Tour, and will be the largest course in the whole of the Madeira Archipelago once the planned second course is completed. There is currently one 18-hole golf course and one nine-hole course. Porto Santo golf complex, includes eight tennis courts and an equestrian center, circles Pico Ana Ferreira.

Many quality hotels and resorts were built in recent decades taking advantage of the sun and beach.

Although a small island, Porto Santo has today all the facilities such as schools, a lyceum, health center, police, a gymnasium, churches, a square (praça), a Congress Centre, a museum, shopping centres, bars, hotels and restaurants.

Another view of Porto Santo beach, looking Northeast

Porto Santo Airport

The Porto Santo Airport (PXO) has many connections with both domestic and occasional international flights.

The most frequent flights are to:
- Madeira Island / Funchal (FNC);
- Azores Islands / Ponta Delgada (PDL).
And Portugal mainland:
- Lisbon (LIS);
- Oporto (OPO);
- Faro (FAO).

There are also several charter services to the UK, Italy, Germany, France and Spain.

Settlements and geographic areas

City of Porto Santo Coat of Arms

v • d • e Municipalities of the Madeira Autonomous Region Madeira Island Calheta · Câmara de Lobos · Funchal · Machico · Ponta do Sol · Porto Moniz · Ribeira Brava · Santa Cruz · Santana · São Vicente Porto Santo Island Porto Santo