Ferry from Madeira Islands to Porto Santo Island

About Madeira Islands

Madeira is a small Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean comprising a namesake island, Porto Santo and a few unpopulated islets. Famed for its year-round mild climate and stunning scenery, Madeira has rightfully earned the nicknames ‘islands of eternal spring’ and ‘pearl of the Atlantic’. It’s also renowned for producing the popular Madeira wine and exquisite cuisine, helping it become one of Portugal’s most visited regions. The capital, Funchal is set before dramatic coastal mountains, boasting beautiful architecture, excellent snorkelling spots and a bustling ‘Old Zone’ with quirky streets and superb restaurants. While Madeira Island is the archipelago’s cultural hub, the idyllic Porto Santo offers nine kilometres of white sandy beach and a refreshingly laidback atmosphere. Ferries run frequently between the ports of Funchal and Porto Santo, operated by a popular local ferry company, making it even easier to explore the beautiful Madeira Islands.

About Porto Santo Island

Porto Santo is one of the four islands within the Portuguese region of Madeira, located to the northwest of Africa. Flung fifty kilometres northeast of the main island, Porto Santo has long been regarded as the little sister of the archipelago, dominated by its stunning nine-kilometre stretch of white sand on the south coast. With just a sprinkling of hotels and an unspoiled, hilly interior, it feels a million miles from the bustling tourist hubs found throughout Europe. The volcanic sand is believed to hold healing properties, providing the perfect environment after an energetic hike, horseback ride or deep-sea fishing day trip. By ferry, it’s easy to hop between Madeira and Porto Santo Island, with plenty of routes departing from the archipelago’s capital, Funchal, arriving in Porto Santo’s ferry terminal, to the east of Vila Baleira.