Where to stay in Santana
Base here for the big mountain days: Pico Ruivo via Achada do Teixeira starts nearby, and Queimadas forest park, the gateway to Caldeirão Verde, is up the hill. Rural hotels and quintas suit walkers.
Getting there and around
Funchal is 40 minutes through the tunnels. The famous A-frame houses are in the town centre; Queimadas needs a short drive up a narrow road or a taxi if rain has been heavy.
Common questions about Santana
Are the Santana houses real?
Yes: the thatched triangular palheiros are a genuine local building tradition. The showcase set in the town centre is maintained for visitors, and working examples still dot the surrounding farmland.
What is the Caldeirão Verde levada like?
A spectacular 6.5 km each way from Queimadas through tunnels and cliff ledges to a 100 metre waterfall. Flat but exposed in stretches: bring a headtorch, grippy shoes and a rain layer whatever the south-coast weather says.
How do you get to Pico Ruivo from Santana?
Drive or taxi to Achada do Teixeira, then it is a paved 2.8 km path to the summit of the island. It is the gentle route up; the ridge traverse from Pico do Arieiro is the hard, famous one.