The small town of Santana, located in an agricultural area with a beautiful lush green landscape, lies on a gently rolling plateau between the mountains and the ocean.
It is particularly famous for its typical Madeiran houses casas de colmoof which several dozen remain.
Where to find Casas de Colmo?
The houses are made of wooden beams with straw roofs and their main characteristic is the "A" shape and coloured doors or shutters. An interesting feature of these shepherd's huts is the fact that they did not have extra solid foundations and could be easily dismantled and moved to another location after the grass was grazed by cattle.
Right in the centre of the village there are three of these reconstructed houses where you can buy souvenirs. However, there are more scattered around the village in various places, set aside an hour and take a walk to find as many casas de colmo as you can .
The most Madeira houses, however, can be found at the local educational museum , Parque Temático Madeira.
In addition to the houses, you can observe hands-on demonstrations of traditional crafts or relax by the pretty lake.
To enter the park, pay 3 eur and for individual attractions or visits to each of the houses, pay another 3 eur.
You can also purchase a discounted ticket for 12 eur, which includes entry to the site and all attractions.
More on the web: parquetematicodamadeira.pt
On the northern edge of Santana, also visit the Rocha do Navio Nature Reserve , with a cable car leading from the cliff deep down to the ocean.
Accommodation
If you're travelling by car and like peaceful rural landscapes and divine tranquillity, this is the place to stay. The village enjoys a peaceful life after the tourists leave in the afternoon, yet it's on the main ring road, so travel is no problem.
- Accommodation Santana Madeira
- Our tips - Santana in Nature Bed & Breakfast, Hotel O Colmo, Casas de Campo do Pomar
Transport to Santana
You can park for free in the covered garage in the centre of the village directly below the municipal office, as well as to the Parque Temático open-air museum. Santana is easily accessible by a ring road and is 42 km from Funchal and 23 km from the airport.
However, Santana can also be easily reached by bus.
From Funchal, Horários buses 56, 103 and 138 run to Santana.
Tickets cost 2,20 eur and information can be found on the horariosdofunchal.pt website.
What to see around
Discover all the places to see in Madeira.