Madeira - North Coast Attractions

Beyond Arco de Sao Jorge is a viewpoint with a famous prospect of the north coast.

7km/4.5mi beyond Santana, the road, now running close to the sea again and affording constantly changing views, reaches Faial (150m/490ft; pop. 1,500), a modest little village surrounded by sugar cane plantations and vegetable patches. There is a good view from the church terrace.

The coast road continues east from Sao Vicente along the steep rockface. The next place is Ponta Delgada (pop. 2,000), delightfully perched on a promontory amid orange groves and sugar cane plantations, with a simple little white church and a sea water swimming pool.

Ponta Delgada has a "Romaria" festival on the first Sunday in September.

Ponta do Pargo (473m/1,552ft), near the western tip of the island (lighthouse), is a little country town in an area that has preserved many old traditions and customs. The beautiful old local costumes are still worn on highdays and holidays. From the village a footpath leads down to the Praia do Pesqueiro (fisherman's beach), enclosed by cliffs.

The road drops down to the coast, with lots of hairpin bends, to Porto Moniz (pop. 2,500), a little fishing town at the northwest corner of the island. Protected by a rocky headland and the offshore islet of Ilhéu More with its fishermen's houses, this is the most sheltered harbor and the principal port on the north coast of Madeira. There are many natural swimming pools on the rugged coast about 2km/1.25mi southeast of the village.

The port of Porto da Cruz (pop. 4,000) at the foot of massive rockfaces, has a little volcanic beach.

Ribeira da Janela lies at the mouth of the river of the same name. Just off the rivermouth are three rock stacks, one of which, the Ilhéu da Ribeira da Janela, has the natural rock window (janela = window) from which the village gets its name.

About 2km/1.25mi beyond Seixal is a viewpoint with a famous view of the gorge at the mouth of the Ribeira do Inferno. The road then continues through tunnels and under waterfalls to Sao Vicente.

Sao Jorge (pop. 3,000) has a 17th century Baroque church (fine altarpieces). From the nearby Ponta de Sao Jorge there are extensive views of the north coast, extending to Porto Moniz in the west and Porto da Cruz in the east.

Once through the Boca da Encumeada, the road descends via Rosário to the coast and Sao Vicente (pop. 5,000). This is a straggling settlement in wild mountain scenery on the north coast of the island. It was partly buried by a landslide in 1928. Sao Vicente is a good site for climbing the Pico dos Tanquinhos (1,524m/5,000ft) and the Pico Ruivo do Paúl (1,642m/5,387ft), both offering magnificent views of mountain scenery, as well as opportunities for exploring the beautiful Paúl da Serra area. From Ribeira Brava to Sao Vicente via Calheta (92km/57mi)

The coast road passes Seixal (pop. 900) which is beautifully situated on the slopes of a projecting spur of hill. Beyond Seixal begins the most impressive section of the road along the north coast and one of the finest stretches of scenery in the whole of Madeira.

The magnificently engineered road, hewn out of the almost vertical cliffs, with numerous tunnels and projecting sections, runs high above the thundering sea and under the shadow of mighty rockfaces, as if suspended between sea and sky.