This small town on the northeast coast of Madeira doesn't appear in guidebooks very often, but in our opinion it's not right.
Porto da Cruz lies in a wildly undulating landscape, surrounded on three sides by massive cliffs and mountains and on the fourth by the stormy waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The beautifully landscaped town is really small, but offers all the necessary tourist services from accommodation to restaurants to a supermarket.
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Along the coast you can admire interesting rock overhangs and cliffs as well as the small ruins of a 16th century fortress.
Penha de Águia
The massive volcanic peak of the Penha de Águia (Eagle Rock), rising to 589 metres with a sharp cliff face directly into the ocean, is a prominent landmark.
The hill is largely covered in dense mixed forest, but there is a hiking trail of moderate to difficult difficulty along its inland slope that takes you after 3 km to the neighbouring village of Faial. It offers spectacular views of the central mountains and, at the end, the Atlantic Ocean.
Beaches and swimming
A pretty coastal promenade winds along the sea and the natural rocky beach, ending at the Piscina do Porto da Cruz swimming pool.
This beautiful man-made pool, over 60 metres long, is right by the sea, separated from it only by a safety concrete wall. There are full facilities in the form of a restaurant, showers, changing rooms and toilets. The complex is open daily from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm and entrance is charged at 1,50 eur.
Accommodation
Porto da Cruz is an ideal stopover for a 1 to 2 day stay during a road-trip around Madeira. You can choose from around 20 accommodations ranging from apartments to two small hotels (Vila Bela, Costa Linda). Prices are reasonable and range between 29 eur and 44 eur per night for 2.
How to get there
Porto da Cruz is about 33 km from Funchal and can be reached in about 40 minutes by circular road. Parking in town is free.
The bus service is provided by SAM. At least once an hour, buses 53 and 208 run from Porto da Cruz to Machico, Funchal and Fail. For current ticket prices, please follow this link.
What to see around
Discover all the places to see in Madeira.