Santana

Funchal to Santana-leaving the chaos of tourism and crossing the great divide to the quieter pace of the northern coastal town of Santana. A 90 minute bus ride ( 5 Euros) winding through misty mountiain passes and tiny villages brought us to the wetter side of Madeira. Santana is a rural town famous for its A frame thatched houses. I am not sure the locals love tourists. The soil here is deep and rich and crops include wheat, potatoes, flax, fruit, vegetables and corn. The farms are tiny and I saw little or no machinery. The coast is spectacular and I don’t think I could cope with the vertical descent. Got drenched on the way back to our gorgeous accom, wait for the pics.Read more