Towns & villages · 422 m above the sea
Casas de Santana
Triangular thatched palheiros, painted red-white-blue, free entry by the town hall.
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The place
Santana's palheiros are Madeira's signature vernacular houses, steep-pitched wood-and-thatch A-frames whose shape channels the north coast's heavy rain, a style settlers likely brought from Minho in the 16th century. The cluster by the town hall (Núcleo de Casas Típicas) is the easiest place to see several restored examples up close, furnished as they'd have looked a century ago.
When to come
Any time year-round; weekday mornings avoid the tour-bus groups.
Worth knowing
- Free entry, roughly 9:00-19:00 daily
- Located beside the Santana town hall
- Pair with Parque Temático da Madeira, a short walk away