The long white golden beach at Porto Santo is the best place on Madeira for some wicked shore dives.

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The best known place on Porto Santo (Holy Port) is its nine kilometer long sandy beach running across the complete length of the south eastern side of the island, from Vila Baleira to Ponta de Calheta. The Gulf Stream currents provide for relatively warm swimming waters and several tourist facilities making it a relaxed beach. Its interior is hilly with volcanic cones as well as Mediterranean forests and sandstone cliffs in the north. Its main village is Vila Baleira or Porto Santo Town with a nice little harbor, a beautiful main square called Largo do Pelourinho, the Christopher Columbus museum and its house built behind the town's church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade. Smaller inland villages include Camacha, Farrobo and Campo de Cima and some islets slightly offshore Porto Santo are Ilhéu de Ferro, Ilhéu de Cima and Ilhéu da Cal.

Although it is quite remote and not overrun by tourist development there are enough activities and sights to make it an attractive holiday destination. There is excellent fishing, scuba diving, hiking and beach horseback riding. You can hike up to Pico do Castelo and Pico do Facho or visit the winery at Adega das Levadas. You can explore Capela de São Pedro or the 17th century Capela do Espirito Santo near Cochino Beach. It can get crowded during holidays and weekend when locals from Funchal escape the 'crowds' and visit this secluded paradise. The most famous dive site is the wreck of the cargo ship Madeirense with its ancient cannons and anemones. Although dry and barren, Porto Santos is popular because of its pretty and quiet white-golden sandy beach and warm waters.

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