Only two hours away from Madeira Island is her sibling, Porto Santo.
Its discovery dates as far back as to 1418, although the term is maybe not fully appropriate: The Portuguese sailors João Gonçalves Zarco and Tr
Only two hours away from Madeira Island is her sibling, Porto Santo.
Its discovery dates as far back as to 1418, although the term is maybe not fully appropriate: The Portuguese sailors João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira were actually going southbound the African coast when their caravelles were struck by a violent storm and then drifted westward with wind and current. The weather still roaring, they found an island to seek shelter, which they called thankfully "Holy Harbor" - Porto Santo.
Early life on the small island (Porto Santo is 15 times smaller than Madeira) was harsh, as there was no real supply with drinkable water.
You may wonder why, knowing about the richness in water on the bigger sister and given the fact that both are of exactly the same volcanic origin.
Well, it's all about topography; Madeira's mountains rise up to about 2000 m and are thus an efficient obstacle for the high mists or low clouds that brush the Madeira landscape, forcing them to precipitate. These rainfalls, however, are the one and only source of water on Madeira, making it a Garden Eden. But if the same clouds travel across a rather low island like Porto Santo - nothing happens.
So the first impression here is rather barren, and one starts to wonder why so many people take the ride over from Madeira. (Even Christopher Columbus moved away in early years, as we are told in the museum house.) But once you start exploring the place you change your opinion fast. Porto Santo has its charms elsewher