Top Things to do in Santana
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The 10 Best Things to Do in Santana, Portugal
Discover the best top things to do in Santana, Portugal including Levada Caldeirao Verde, Levada do Rei, Madeira Calhau Surf School, Quinta do Riacho, Monte Cable Car, Eira do Serrado, Church of the Good Lord Jesus, Reserva Natural da Rocha do Navio, Sao Jorge Watermill, Engenho do Norte.
Restaurants in Santana
1. Levada Caldeirao Verde
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 539 reviews
Reviewed By MichaelGorm - Denmark
Not for people with vertigo, as the trail takes you on a narrow levada walk. At the end, continue the 100 meters up to the green lagoon with a stunning waterfall. 100s of photo opportunities on this walk!
2. Levada do Rei
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 57 reviews
Reviewed By Ida A - London, United Kingdom
Gorgeous day out! It takes a good1:30 - 2 hours each way for this walk. The scenery is breath taking and the path is quite safe, my 13 year old did the walk no problems. Highly recommended!
3. Madeira Calhau Surf School
Overall Ratings
5 based on 88 reviews
Madeira Calhau Surf School has its own facilities with changing room and lockers, located on Alagoa black sandy beach in Porto da Cruz and you can take a fresh water shower in the end of the session. The classes last 2 hours and includes all the technical material (board and wetsuit) transfer from/to Funchal (requires a minimum number of students ), insurance and in the end we make a photo analysis of the surf section, allowing us to register the student’s progress in each class and we specify what you have learned , done well and whats needs to be improved. Each instructor will have only 6 students maximum in order to better support them. We provides several packages to its customers from a one time lesson, to short courses. We have available packs combining accommodation in Hotel Vila Bela and surf lessons.
Reviewed By MSTraveller1984 - Paris, France
In general good experience. Beautifully located between picturesque Mountains.
Good for hiking too. Location very isolated though and without good public transport (1h to Funchal, last bus early in the evening). Definitely recommend a car, otherwise not much to do in the evening. Personally would recommend to stay in Funchal and do day trips to Porto da Cruz (shuttles exist/check with hotels) for Surfing or hiking. Surfable Beaches are not too many but with a nice constant swell. Surf school has really good surf teachers, but owner can be a bit particular.
4. Quinta do Riacho
Overall Ratings
5 based on 466 reviews
Enjoy Madeira Island wonderful weather, breathtaking views and great trails on horseback. At Quinta do Riacho there's an equestrian activity for everyone. From calm trail riding to galloping through the Mountains.
Reviewed By rmdubois - Taunton, United Kingdom
A horse ride out from Quinta do Riacho in the Laurissilva, Madeira’s ancient forest hills, was one of the best experiences of our first visit to the island. We spent two weeks over Christmas/New Year 2017/18. My partner is a very experienced rider and in trying to find a ride for her we discovered there are relatively few horses on the island. Local stables seemed to have stopped offering rides over the holiday season but Paula and Paulo were keen and helpful. We found Quinta do Riacho easily, though they would have arranged pick-up from Funchal. There had been plenty of December rain up in the hills so the going was soft, making it dangerous to canter. But the ride was a very pleasant two hour walk, including some stunning woodland scenery alongside the levadas and tremendous vistas looking towards the coast. Paula runs a small operation with about 6 horses. She is an experienced horsewoman and they clearly care deeply for their horses - and dogs - all apparently ‘rescued’. She was considerate with the other rider, a beginner, on the morning ride and was eager to pass on very informative background and explanation of the island and its customs. We’d forgotten our camera and the photos she kindly forwarded when we returned to UK are wonderful souvenirs of a memorable and enjoyable morning. Our thanks to Paula. Quinta do Riacho is on our list for our next trip to Madeira.
5. Monte Cable Car
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By Penny.M - England
We were staying in Madeira and purposely chose to do the cable car when there were no cruise ships in to avoid the queues. It is a good trip that provides great views over Funchal. It is probably one of the must dos in Madeira. No good if you are afraid of heights but we felt very safe. The cars run continuously and it is all very organised. We felt it was good value for money. You would not need to be on an organised trip to do this. Just walk to the entrance and pay, avoid paying the inflated cruise trip prices. It is a 10-15 minute walk on the flat Promenade from the cruise ship port in Funchal.
6. Eira do Serrado
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 293 reviews
Reviewed By louiseholistic - penarth
Worth stopping here on the way to the Valley of the Nuns to admire the views and take photos. Souvenir shop and toilets.
7. Church of the Good Lord Jesus
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 54 reviews
8. Reserva Natural da Rocha do Navio
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 77 reviews
Reviewed By VirginiaGuildford - Guildford
Easy access by car for a day trip out of Funchal, this scenic area is beautiful. Be prepared for lots of photo stops. We accessed this having driven across the island via the route passing Ribeiro Frio, so we drove Funchal, the peak at Pico do Ariero, Rib Frio (visiting the Trout Farm) then to the coast at Faial. Even before we hit the coast, we'd stopped a dozen time for pics, driving through loads of different terrains and tree lines. The coast road from Faial to the north central town of Sao Vincente takes you along very windy narrow roads, in and out of cliff top views and beautiful woodland, with views of the ocean and surf below. Well worth visiting and make sure you fill up with petrol as there aren't many petrol stations in between the towns. We left around 11am from Funchal and arrived back around 5:30, so very easy day for driving. Recommend that you choose a sunny day, as the views are stunning. There were a number of local buses, small tour groups and other tourists doing similar visits, but generally we found the roads to be fairly clear of traffic with very few other cars. Take your time!
9. Sao Jorge Watermill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 22 reviews
Reviewed By fjane84 - Island of Malta, Malta
This is an excellent place to visit for culture, history and general interest. The watermill is the last one fully working in Madeira and is a fascinating little place where you can visit for free! It is 300 years old!!
Inside you can see corn and wheat being ground by an automatic (traditional) mechanism driven by a water wheel. This is such a lovely quaint attraction that few people seem to know about!
The mill is run by a dear old couple in their 80's and you may find them nearby, they are very kind and welcoming. We bought some flour from the gentleman and he showed us the museum room with old photos of the mill and his family.
This is such a secret gem, you must visit it! From Sao Jorge there are signs up the hill for Achadinha and 'Moinho de Água' (watermill).
10. Engenho do Norte
Overall Ratings
4 based on 87 reviews
The Porto da Cruz `Engenho´ (mill) is a testimony to the importance sugarcane had and still has on an economic and cultural level in Madeira. A visit to our mill is like taking a journey through time, visitors can walk the original circuit that goes from the collection of sugar cane, through to the various stages of production and ending in a visit to the Rum House.
Reviewed By EnglishHugh - Swindon, United Kingdom
An interesting short stop where you can see some old rum making machinery (steam operated) which are still used each year. There is a shop where you can taste and buy a range of interesting rums.
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