Towns & villages · 22 m above the sea
Porto da Cruz
Harbor village with black-sand surf beaches and a working 1927 steam rum mill.
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The place
Porto da Cruz sits where a green amphitheater of cliffs meets the Atlantic, its bay guarded by Penha d'Águia looming behind. It's Madeira's low-key surf town, with Maiata beach drawing a small local scene, and the last working sugarcane distillery on the island runs just a few hundred meters from the seafront.
When to come
Year-round; best surf swell in autumn/winter, calmer water for a look around in summer.
Worth knowing
- Parish population around 2,600
- Base for hiking Penha d'Águia and the Larano coastal trail
- Home to the Engenhos do Norte rum distillery