Hotels near Porto Santo Island

Madeira's sister island Porto Santo sits 43 km northeast and is the polar opposite of the main island - flat, sandy, and famously dry. The headline is a single, uninterrupted 9 km golden-sand beach that runs almost the full length of the south coast, regularly ranked among the best beaches in Europe and reputed to have medicinal properties from its unusual mix of biogenic sand and seawater.

The daily ferry Lobo Marinho, operated by Porto Santo Line from Funchal harbour, departs at 8 am, takes 2h 15min each way, and returns at 7 pm - giving you about seven hours on the island. A bus or taxi covers the 4 km from Porto de Abrigo to Vila Baleira, Porto Santo's only town and the birthplace of Christopher Columbus's wife Filipa Moniz.

Pro Tip: If you suffer from seasickness, fly instead - the 15-minute Binter Canarias hop from FNC costs from 60 EUR one way and runs three to four times daily. Return ferry tickets cost about 60 EUR; book through portosantoline.pt at least a week ahead in July and August.