Porto Santo: nine kilometres of sand, and what it costs to get there

Edited by Roman Antonov · prices and hours checked 23 September 2026

Madeira has cliffs and stones. Porto Santo, 25 minutes away by plane and a morning away by boat, has nine kilometres of sand and almost nothing else. That's the whole trade, and the only real question is whether you go for a day or stay the week.

The old pier at Porto Santo above the sand
Photo: Nuno Capelo Caldeira, CC BY-SA 4.0
The beach
9 km of sandone continuous beach down the south side of the island, and the reason people comeVisit Madeira, read 23 September 2026
Ferry crossing
3 h 15 minthe Funchal to Porto Santo run is timed at three hours and fifteen minutes at the momentPorto Santo Line, read 23 September 2026
Day trip by ferry
from €72.02same-day return, ferry only · €77.90 with transfers · €86.70 with a bicycle · €101.50 with an excursionPorto Santo Line, read 23 September 2026
By air
25 minutesBinter flies from Madeira every day, morning and afternoon, from €36.25 with cabin and checked bags includedBinter, read 23 September 2026
Coordinates
33.074029, -16.34868Decimal degrees, for a map app or a car
Right now in Porto Santo
23.2°Porto Santowind 20 km/h
25.6°Funchalsouth coast, for comparison

Porto Santo has an IPMA station of its own, so this is the weather here rather than a forecast for the island. Observed 13 October 2026 at 16:00, Madeira time. Every station.

Conditions on the island todayIPMA warnings issued 13 October 2026 at 11:35, Madeira time
Official warnings, Porto Santo
no warnings in force
Sea

waves 0.6 to 0.7 m from the north-east · water 23.3 to 23.4 °C

IPMA sea forecast for 13 October 2026, issued 13 October 2026 at 16:31, Madeira time

Warnings come from IPMA by zone, not by beach. A yellow sea warning is a reason to look at the water before you swim, and a closure of a bathing area is announced locally. Station readings.

What it is

A small, dry, low island north-east of Madeira, with one town, one long beach and a golf course. The sand runs nine kilometres down the south side.

People come for the beach and the water. If you want levadas and laurel forest, stay on the big island.

The ferry

The Lobo Marinho sails from Funchal, and the crossing is timed at 3 hours and 15 minutes at the moment.

A same-day return starts at €72.02 for the ferry alone. With transfers on the island it's €77.90, with a bicycle €86.70, and with an excursion €101.50.

Do the sums before you book. A same-day return is six and a half hours on the boat for a few hours on the sand.

Flying instead

Binter flies from Madeira every day, morning and afternoon, and the hop takes 25 minutes. Fares start at €36.25, with cabin and checked bags included.

For a day trip the plane wins by a distance: 50 minutes in the air against six and a half hours at sea. Add the airport journey and check-in at both ends before you compare.

The beach

Nine kilometres of it, on the sheltered south side of the island. The sand is the local golden kind, not the black grit of Seixal.

There's a promenade of sorts at the town end and empty sand at the far end, and the walk between them is the day.

A day or a week

A week is the honest answer. This is a beach island, and the things to do run out by the second afternoon unless the beach is the point.

For a day, take the first flight out and the last one back that the timetable gives you, and don't try to see the island as well. There's one packaged day trip on the marketplace we work with, and it sits below our bar for reviews, so it isn't on the site.

The island has its own weather station, and the reading at the top of this page comes from it, with Funchal's beside it for comparison. Check both before you book a crossing.

The sand at Porto Santo with Ilhéu da Cal in the distance
Nine kilometres of sand down the sheltered side, with Ilhéu da Cal at the far end.Photo: Asurnipal, CC BY-SA 4.0
The beach curving towards Vila Baleira
The beach curving towards Vila Baleira, the island's only town.Photo: PaterMcFly, CC BY 3.0
Porto Santo from above, looking towards Ilhéu de Cima
The middle of the island, looking east towards Ilhéu de Cima.Photo: Asurnipal, CC BY-SA 4.0

Questions before you go

How long does the ferry to Porto Santo take?

3 hours and 15 minutes each way at the moment, from Funchal harbour on the Lobo Marinho.

How much is a day trip to Porto Santo?

A same-day ferry return starts at €72.02. With transfers it's €77.90, with a bicycle €86.70, and with an excursion €101.50. Flights start lower, at €36.25 with Binter.

Is it quicker to fly to Porto Santo?

Much. The flight takes 25 minutes against 3 hours and 15 minutes on the ferry, and Binter runs morning and afternoon every day.

How long is the beach at Porto Santo?

Nine kilometres, running down the sheltered south side of the island.

Is Porto Santo worth a day trip?

Only by plane. Six and a half hours at sea for an afternoon on the sand is a hard swap. Check the flight times for your date first; if they don't leave a useful day, go for three days instead.

Is there anything to do besides the beach?

A golf course, some diving, a few walks over the hills, and the house where Christopher Columbus lived. It's a short list, and the beach is the reason to come.

Sources

Who checked this

Roman Antonov, editor. Prices and opening hours come from the municipality and the regional tourism board, the bus times from the operator's own timetable, each with the date I read it. The weather is live from the island's station. If something has changed on the ground, tell me and I will re-check it.

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