Porto Santo Weekend trip from Madeira: Is It Worth it?
If you’ve been to Madeira or are planning a visit, chances are you’ve heard of Porto Santo — that tiny sister island sitting about 40 kilometres to the northeast. It’s famous for one thing above all else: its golden sandy beaches. And if you know Madeira at all, you know that’s something we’re seriously lacking over here.
I’d actually visited Porto Santo before, but only on a day trip — which is technically possible but let me be honest, it makes for a very long day. This time around, my partner and I committed to a proper weekend trip, and I’m so glad we did. Here’s everything you need to know if you’re thinking about making the crossing.
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How to Get to Porto Santo
Most people take the ferry, and that’s exactly what we did. The Lobo Marinho departs from Funchal daily and takes about 2.5 hours to reach Porto Santo — no stops, straight there. I actually really enjoy the ferry ride. One of the big bonuses is that you can bring your car with you, or in our case, our bikes, which turned out to be the best decision of the trip (more on that below).
There are also flights available, but they’re more expensive, so unless you’re in a hurry or prone to seasickness, the ferry is the way to go. On board you’ll find a cafeteria, different seating areas, and enough space to spread out and enjoy the crossing.
We took the 8am Saturday morning ferry, which was pretty busy, so I’d recommend arriving early to get a good seat. One thing I will say — maybe don’t go out with the girls the night before. The crossing was quite bumpy and I was not in the best shape to handle it. Lesson learned. Absolutely not recommended.
Where to Stay in Porto Santo
Porto Santo is a small island, so honestly, location doesn’t matter as much as it might elsewhere. Since we were there mainly to enjoy the beach, we went for a beachfront option: Hotel Torre Praia. Pool, direct beach access, breakfast included — everything you need for a relaxed weekend. And because we visited in the off season, the price was genuinely great. If you want simple, comfortable and right on the beach, this place ticks all the boxes.
When to Visit Porto Santo
High season runs roughly from May to August. The island gets very busy during these months — and I mean busy. Even the locals from Madeira flock over for their summer escape. Prices go up, and you’ll often need to book the ferry well in advance. The weather is brilliant though, usually a bit warmer and sunnier than Madeira, perfect for spending long days on those endless beaches.
We visited in the off season, and honestly? I loved it. Temperatures were around 15 to 20 degrees, which isn’t exactly beach weather, though we did brave the water once when the sun was properly out. The real highlight was having the beach almost entirely to ourselves on our morning walks. No crowds, no noise, just us and the ocean. There’s something really special about that.
How to Get Around Porto Santo
You’ll definitely need some form of transport — the island is small but not small enough to do everything on foot. Taxis are available and can get you from the port to the beach easily enough. You can also bring your car over on the ferry for an additional fee.
But our choice? E-bikes. And I cannot recommend this highly enough. We brought our own bikes on the ferry for free, which meant we could start exploring the moment we disembarked — no waiting around for rentals. If you don’t have your own, you can rent e-bikes on the island for around 20 euros a day. I’d say regular bikes work too if you’re comfortable cycling, but there are some hills involved if you want to do a full lap of the island, and having turbo mode at my disposal was an absolute lifesaver. You can easily cycle around the whole island in a day, or even less.
What to Do in Porto Santo
The beach is the obvious answer, and in summer it’s basically the whole reason people visit. And rightly so — endless stretches of white sand that you simply won’t find on Madeira. It’s genuinely beautiful.
Being me though, I also had to get some hiking in. Porto Santo only has three PR trails, one of which is currently closed, so we tackled both of the open ones. PR1 — Vereda do Pico Branco — is a 5km out and back coastal trail along rocky cliffs with seriously impressive views. PR2 — Vereda do Pico do Castelo — was my favourite: an 8km loop that takes you on a mini tour of the island, with views to both sides and a great variety of terrain. Really enjoyable.
To round off the trip we headed to Calheta at the southern tip of the island for lunch with ocean views, and on a clear day you can actually see Madeira in the distance. A perfect ending.
So, Is Porto Santo Worth It?
It depends — and I say that as someone who genuinely loved the trip.
If you’re visiting Madeira and considering a side trip to Porto Santo, here’s my honest take: in the summer months, if you like beaches and you have at least a week on Madeira, go for it. The beach experience is something Madeira simply can’t offer, and it makes for a great contrast. That said, it’s better suited to longer trips of 10 to 14 days, because the journey there and back does take up a significant chunk of time.
If you only have a few days on Madeira and you’re primarily here for hiking and nature — stay on Madeira. The island has so much to offer that you could easily fill two weeks without needing to add a long ferry crossing to your itinerary.
But if you can manage a weekend? Do it. You won’t regret it.
Thinking about exploring more of Madeira while you’re here? Check out my Ultimate Madeira Travel Guide for everything you need to plan your trip, or head over to my PR Trails Guide if you’re looking to make the most of the island’s incredible hiking routes.
