Part of our complete guide: Car hire and getting there
The crossing
The ferry runs from Funchal and takes around two and a half hours for the 43 nautical miles. The route crosses open Atlantic; in wind the crossing is noticeable. If you are prone to seasickness, plan for it — the return leg on the same day is rarely better.
A car is not needed. Porto Santo is eleven kilometres long, and the beach lies along one stretch of it.
Day trip or overnight
As a day trip, the outward and return crossings leave about five to six hours on the island. That covers the beach and Vila Baleira, and not much more. To see the island itself — the viewpoint hills in the north, the Ilhéu offshore — stay overnight.
Why it looks different
Porto Santo is geologically older and far flatter than Madeira. There is no laurel forest, little water and no levadas. What there is, is one continuous pale sand beach along the entire south side — nothing on Madeira itself compares, where the beaches are shingle or built up artificially.
Anyone travelling to Madeira expecting a sandy beach either meant Porto Santo or has booked a disappointment.
