A quick guide to beautiful Porto da Cruz, Madeira

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The little seaside village of Porto Da Cruz, Madeira, is one of my favourite villages to visit when on the island. It’s on the north-eastern coast, tucked in a cove where rugged cliffs meet the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery is so dramatic, with lush green hillsides as a backdrop to quaint winding streets and cosy cafés. There’s a small black-sand beach where the local surf school is located, making it a perfect spot for people-watching as there’s always someone trying to learn to surf (featuring lots of falling off!). And although Porto da Cruz is slightly off the proverbial beaten path, it still has enough going on to keep you entertained for an afternoon.

After first visiting many years ago on a day trip from Funchal, I quickly fell in love with Porto da Cruz and often picture myself sitting there watching the waves crashing when I’m stuck in work. I thought I’d put together this little guide on how to visit it by bus, what restaurants to visit while there, and things to do and see. Pour yourself a drink and get reading…

Why visit Porto da Cruz, Madeira

While it’s only tiny, you can easily while away an afternoon relaxing/eating/drinking in Porto da Cruz surrounded by amazing scenery. Penha d’Águia, a massive and imposing rock, separates the village from its neighbour, Faial. This is what makes Porto da Cruz such a striking place. 

You can actually walk/crawl up the rock if you’re feeling energetic. Getting up there might be a challenge but you could do it for the views, if not the exercise. If you can’t psyche yourself up to that, it’s just as good viewing it from the village.

I’ll go into things to do in Porto da Cruz a little further down, but the scenery/setting is probably the main draw for visiting it.

It also has an interesting history. Porto da Cruz (Port of the Cross) is so named because the navigators who discovered it in the 15th century marked their arrival by putting up a cross on the shore. It’s no longer got a cross on the shore, though. These days, it has a very different sculpture instead (scroll down this guide to see it!). The town became a trading hub due to its sheltered harbour and it started exporting Madeiran booze. It still has its fair share of booze in the form of the local rum factory, which is a big draw for tourists.

How to get to Porto da Cruz, Madeira by bus

Buses you can get to Porto da Cruz from Funchal do vary, so check the SAM bus website like your life depends on it before you go. It’s usually the 53, 78 or 208. The expresso routes can be twice as quick but aren’t as pretty on the scenery front. You can also get any bus to Machico and change. This can mean fewer windy roads if you’re prone to feeling sick (especially with the speed Madeiran buses go!).

A return ticket will set you back around 8€ if you buy on board. It’s cheaper if you get a SAM card, but that’s only worth it if you’re going to use that particular bus company a lot. I only tend to use them for one trip to Porto da Cruz so it isn’t worth it for me. The journey takes about an hour and 15 minutes each way.

Remember that Madeiran bus drivers and bus routes are something else. Be prepared to hold on to your hat (although the journey is nothing compared with the one to Curral das Freiras).

Things to do in Porto da Cruz, Madeira

This is the best bit: there’s very little to do in Porto da Cruz. Regular readers might have seen my epic list of 45 things to do in Funchal. Well, I’m struggling to think of even 5 things to do here.

But that’s the beauty of it I suppose. You’re left to have a wander, eat, drink, soak up the view, dissect what other tourists are up to, and then get the bus back when you’ve had enough. You can easily do it in half a day, sandwiched between the usual copious amounts of eating and drinking that a trip to Funchal entails.

Of course, there are a few actual things to do in the village. They just won’t take very long. Here you go.

1. Watch the surfers

There’s a surf school, which is pretty entertaining to watch as people learn to surf. And by that I mean they spend a lot of time falling off. The best viewing area is where the below photo is taken, sat on the wall, which is just up by the rock. You’ll be able to work it out once you’re there.

2. Look out for people getting soaked in high winds

This is equally entertaining if it’s a windy day and the waves are really crashing.

So there’s a hill jutting out to sea that you can walk around to get from the bay to the rum factory and surf school. In this kind of weather, the waves can come up and crash right over the path.

If you’re lucky, you might see someone getting an unexpected soaking. If you’re less lucky, it might be you.

3. Visit the sugar cane factory

There’s the Engenho do Norte Sugar Cane and Rum Museum to visit, which is pretty interesting.

It’s open 9am (who does anything at 9am on holiday?) until 6pm every day apart from Sundays and it’s free.

After you’ve done the tour of all the steam-powered machinery, you can go and taste and/or buy some rum/poncha in the shop. If you go between March and May, when the harvest kicks off, you can see it all up and running. We’ve only been in January and February, but it’s still worth a visit.

4. Watch the waves

To the right of the bay, there’s a spectacular view of the cliffs meeting the sea.

The rocky beach means you get really good crashing waves and there are plenty of places to sit and watch them along the front.

5. Spot the er, ‘unique’ sculpture by the cafés

While you’re sitting on the seafront with a drink, cast your eyes to the left. Yes, they don’t deceive you. That is what you think it is. A very ‘unique’ art sculpture. No idea why.

If you enjoy this, you might also like the bum sculpture in Camara de Lobos.

6. Other stuff available to do that I’ve not done

I’ve not done these personally, but will update this if and when I do:

• Go and look round the Engenho Velho Museum – a small museum on the seafront full of antique tools and machinery. 
• Walk up Penha d’Águia – this is the imposing rock that separates Porto da Cruz and it’s neighbour Faial. Getting up there looks steep and horrific, but I imagine the view would be really good.

Where to eat in Porto da Cruz, Madeira

I always have lunch at one of two places in Porto da Cruz:

• Praça do Engenho (Google Maps link) – this is right on the seafront, so it’s good on a sunny day when you want to sit outside. The food is simple but reliable, in my experience.
• A Pipa (Google Maps link) – this is the nicer option and really popular with the locals. The food is exceptionally good and the only downside is that it’s all indoors! But the atmosphere is great. I recommend the limpets, which are a traditional Madeiran dish. They’re better here than anywhere I’ve had them in Funchal.

You can read more about where to eat around Madeira here.

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You might also like my other Madeira posts:

• 45 things to do in Funchal, Madeira
• Where to eat in Madeira – 14 of the best restaurants and cafés
• The best bars in Funchal, Madeira: in search of poncha and craft beer
• How to do a day trip to Camara de Lobos from Funchal
• How to visit the Valley of the Nuns, Madeira (Curral das Freiras)
• How to spend a week in Madeira: a 7-day itinerary without a car
• The best beaches in Madeira and how to reach them.

If you’ve used one of my travel guides and enjoyed it, you can also buy me a drink. Cheers. 

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