Porto Santo Island, Atlantic island in Madeira Archipelago, Portugal
Porto Santo is an Atlantic island in the Madeira Archipelago of Portugal with a nine-kilometer stretch of golden sand coast. The island measures roughly 11 kilometers in length and reaches about 6 kilometers at its widest point.
Portuguese navigators discovered the island in 1418 during their exploration of the African coast and named it for the safe harbor they found. Over the centuries it served as a waypoint for ships crossing the Atlantic and developed into a small residential settlement.
The house where Christopher Columbus lived stands in Vila Baleira and draws visitors curious about his time on the island. The local community keeps alive memories of when the navigator married the daughter of the island governor and prepared for his westward journey.
An airport about one kilometer from Vila Baleira offers regular connections to the main island of Madeira and mainland Portugal. Ferry services also run between the two islands and take around two and a half hours for the crossing.
The sand contains minerals that give it therapeutic properties, and some visitors come solely for warm sand baths. Local centers offer treatments where patients are buried in heated sand to ease joint discomfort.
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