All guides
Santa Cruz
Our own town: the airport, the sea pool, and the quietest good beach on the south coast.
Where our office is, and where a surprising number of guests end up staying after their first trip.
Santa Cruz is the practical base: five minutes from the airport, twenty from Funchal, and far enough from the cruise-ship crowd to still feel like a town people actually live in.
Close by:
- Praia das Palmeiras and the sea-water swimming complex
- The Aquaparque, if the forecast is good and there are children involved
- Machico, ten minutes east, for the island's largest sandy beach
- A working seafront of cafés where the coffee is still under €1
More island guides
45 min from our office
Pico do Arieiro
Sunrise above the clouds at 1,818 m — the drive most people remember longest.
25 min from our office
Ponta de São Lourenço
Red cliffs, no trees, and the driest corner of the island — 25 minutes from the office.
20 min from our office
Funchal
The capital, the old town and the market — 20 minutes down the coast.