Vila Baleira, Porto Santo
Praia do Porto Santo, nine kilometres of sand and no shade
The short answer
Praia do Porto Santo is a single continuous golden sand beach running along the south side of Porto Santo, with calm clear water. It was voted best beach in Europe by European Best Destinations in 2022. Reaching it means a ferry crossing or a flight from Madeira.
Funchal, annual rainfall normal
574.3 mm
The IPMA station normal for 1991–2020 at Funchal, Observatório (522). The regional hydrological study quotes a different long-run average for the same place over an unstated period; the two series are not interchangeable.
IPMA, 1991–2020 · check it · read August 26, 2026The facts
| Where | Vila Baleira, Porto Santo |
|---|---|
| Type | Sea pools, beaches and the water |
| How long | A day at minimum, better overnight |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Cost | Free |
| Best season | June to September |
| Permit | No permit recorded |
The beach
The sand runs 9 km, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 in one continuous strip along the south side of the island, with named sections at Cabeço da Ponta, Calheta, Fontinha, Penedo and Ribeiro Salgado. European Best Destinations voted it the best beach in Europe in 2022.
The sand is credited locally with therapeutic properties. That is a local tradition rather than a claim with a source attached, and it is recorded here as one.
Getting there and staying long enough
Porto Santo is reached by ferry from Funchal or by a short flight. The ferry operator publishes departure times but no journey duration, so the crossing length is not stated here.
Porto Santo is drier and slightly cooler than Funchal: the IPMA normal gives an annual rainfall of 381.7 mm, source: IPMA, 1991–2020, read August 26, 2026 against 574.3 mm, source: IPMA, 1991–2020, read August 26, 2026 at the Funchal station. It is the closest thing in the archipelago to a conventional beach holiday.
What is not perfect about it
Porto Santo is a separate island, so this is a day trip at minimum and it works far better as an overnight. There is almost no natural shade along the whole strip, and a day cruise fixes how long you can stay by the time of the return sailing.
Questions people actually ask
How long is Porto Santo beach?
9 km, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 in a single continuous strip along the south side of the island.
Is there shade on Porto Santo beach?
Almost none naturally, along the entire length. Anything shaded is something somebody put there.
How do you get to Porto Santo?
By ferry from Funchal or by a short flight. Porto Santo Line publishes departure times only, with no arrival times, so no crossing duration is given here.
Where this came from
- Visit Madeira: Porto Santo Beach. visitmadeira.com/en/where-to-go/porto-santo/porto-santo-be Read August 26, 2026.
- IPMA: Normais climatológicas 1991–2020 — Porto Santo (estação 524). ipma.pt/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_91-20_POR Read August 26, 2026.
- Porto Santo Line: Porto Santo Line — cruises and fares. portosantoline.pt/en/ Read August 26, 2026.
- IPMA: Normais climatológicas 1991–2020 — Funchal, Observatório (estação 522). ipma.pt/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_91-20_FUN Read August 26, 2026.