The island of Porto Santo is a lesser-known island of the archipelago of Madeira in the North Atlantic Ocean. The tiny island is a lot smaller than Madeira and remains largely unspoilt, having remained somewhat under the tourist radar. With temperatures peaking at 20C in November and 18C in December, Porto Santo Island might just be the perfect spot for a winter holiday .
The island's biggest selling point is its beaches , particularly Porto Santo Beach which stretches for an incredible nine kilometres. One Tripadvisor user claimed the "beach rivals the Caribbean" - and it's easy to see why. Golden sands, crystal-clear blue waters and warm temperatures make it the perfect spot to relax and unwind without travelling 12 hours to the Caribbean.
The beach has received more than 1,300 five-star reviews on Tripadvisor with the most recent reviews describing it as "beautiful", "quiet" and "very clean". One user, claireypurple, posted in October 2022: "Beautiful long sandy beach, sometimes with big waves. Calheta at the far end is stunning with a good restaurant too.
Beach is never crowded. A few nice beach bars and restaurants along the entire stretch." Along the north coast of the island, visitors will see the island's more rugged coastline with sharp cliffs and pebbled coves.
Meanwhile, the centre of the island boasts volcanic peaks with the most famous being Pico do Castelo which has a 437-metre high peak. The picturesque peak is a great spot for a picnic with panoramic views of .