Porto Santo is Madeira’s smaller sister island — a 45-minute ferry ride from Funchal — and the contrast with Madeira could not be more complete. Where Madeira is green, volcanic, and dramatic, Porto Santo is low-lying, sun-bleached, and bordered by nine kilometres of golden sand beach: the longest natural beach in Portugal. This day cruise takes you across the channel, gives you a full day on the island, and brings you back to Funchal in the evening.
Porto Santo’s beach is exceptional — fine pale gold sand, warm shallow water, and a consistently sunny microclimate that makes it one of the best beaches in the Atlantic islands. The island is also historically significant: Christopher Columbus lived on Porto Santo before his voyages of discovery, and his house is preserved as a museum in the island’s capital. A perfect contrast day trip from Madeira’s lush volcanic landscapes.
Read our complete Porto Santo day trip guide for everything you need to know before you go.
