The Home of the Palheiro and the Woolly Hat with Pom Pom's and Ear Flaps (Santana (Madeira Islands))

Member Name: Praskipark

Product:	Santana (Madeira Islands)
Date:	06/01/09 (156 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A quaint town where some of the most spectacular walks on the island start from

Disadvantages: Although only 30kilometres away from Funchal takes 3 hours to get there.

Most people who are familiar with Madeira will know that Santana, a town situated in the north eastern part of the island, is famous for its strange, little houses. They are white washed houses with straw roofs and brightly coloured windows painted in blue and white with jolly red front doors. They are the sort of house you would imagine Red Riding Hood living in. I first came across these delightful houses on my first trip to Madeira a few years ago so on this trip over New Year I just had to visit the town again to see if they still existed.

Now you can hire a car and drive to Santana from Funchal but I think it is great fun to go by bus. It is approximately about 30 kilometres from Funchal but the journey by bus generally takes 3 hours. The main reason for this is because the bus stops at every stop on the way and the bus driver is the delivery man for this part of the island. Consequently, he has to have a chat with every soul he meets. The bus was packed when we went on our journey, not only with locals but with goats, chickens, rabbits and possibly other species of livestock, hidden in cardboard boxes, or in grandma's shopping bag. As you can imagine this was a colourful scene before you even arrived at the town. The local Madeirans of this area are a strange looking people. They resemble Portuguese in height and character but because of the strange headgear, with coloured ear flaps and pom poms, they wear, they tend to look more like Tibetans. They also stand and stare and look pretty vacant most of the time.

The road leading to Santana is hilly with hairpin bends but then the road drops to sea level leaving the forest behind and you will find the temperature rises a little. Innumerable small terraces in luscious shades of green line the road: the crops here are much more diverse than those grown in the south, and you may spot sugar cane, papayas, mangoes, passion fruit and even kiwi fruit.

You'll also see small thatched cow sheds half-hidden by apple trees dotted across the hill sides, and farmers heading down the road balancing vast bundles of hay- cow fodder - unsteadily on their heads; such is the shortage of flat, safe grazing ground on this mountainous island that the animals are kept tucked away in these steep-roofed huts instead.

There are many pretty villages along the way but Santana is important as it is the starting point for some of the most spectacular hikes on the island, through the Pico das Pedras National Park and on to Pico Ruivo. The first time I came to Santana I didn't go on any of the hikes but this time I did which I will tell you more about later in the review.

Santana itself is a mix of old and new buildings, typified by the contrast between the modern parish hall in the centre of the town and the pair of traditional thatched cottages alongside. These brightly painted triangular or A shaped palheiros (huts) are unique to the area and are more spacious inside than they look. The two main photogenic palheiros were built to house the town's tourist office, but there are more authentic inhabited houses (some of stone, some with corrugated iron roofs) dotted around the lanes, some of them now used as hay stores or animal byres.

On the northern exit from the town you will pass the Parque Tematico do Madeira. This Madeira Theme Park must have been built recently as on my last visit to the island it didn't exist. The park wil keep children happy for an hour or two, with its playgrounds, trampolines, boating lake and rock climbing walls. It also has a range of excellent static displays and 3D audio-visual shows on the island's history and landscapes. There are cafes here as well, but if you prefer something more relaxing and grown-up, look for the Quinta do Furao hotel as you continue your journey westwards. Owned by the Madeira Wine Company this is a good place to stop for lunch. The food is decent, if unremarkable, and there are fine sea views from the restaurant. Even better ones can be had from the vineyard behind the quinta, where you can see the waterfalls that cascade down the cliffs straight into the waves.

Santana isn't a large town, more like a quaint village so there isn't a lot to do once you have had a look at the houses and a drink in the cafe or a meal at the hotel or your children have played in the Theme Park. So if you want a little more excitement and to see some spectacular scenery then it's time to put on your walking boots and woolly hat, preferably with ear flaps and pom poms, and start walking.

From Santana there are a choice of two circular walks - one is relatively easy, one less so - and they both go through the beautiful Pico das Pedras National Park. The route I chose was the Caldeirao do Inferno (Hell's Cauldron) which is the longer and the more strenuous of the two. First, I made my way to the southwestern outskirts of town where the walk begins with a 5 km climb up a signposted stony track into the park, and then along an even narrower lane leading to the tiny government holiday resort of Queimadas. Alternatively you could drive to this point. It is worth visiting Queimadas just for the idyllic park that surrounds the rest house.

From Queimadas the route took me downhill. The levada (waterway), meanwhile, keeps disappearing underground, forcing you to play hide and seek in order to keep to the path, until Pico das Pedras hamlet comes into view. There's not much to the place apart from a few Swiss-style bungalows built for walkers, a small riding school and a snack bar. I then followed the levada further west for about 6 kilometres across gorges and through one long and one shorter tunnel (a torch is useful) until I reached the green cauldron itself, a mossy pool fed by a 300 ( at a rough guess) metre high waterfall. For another 30 minutes or so I kept to the path which passes outstanding forest and mountain vews before climbing upon some steps to join the levada do Pico Ruivo. It's about another half hour hike (through several more tunnels) down to the bottom of the Caldeirao do Inferno, a dramatic ravine which in olden times so spooked local shepherds that they refused to enter it, claiming it was the haunt of evil spirits.

Now this hike there and back takes about 6 hours depending on the weather and obviously how quickly you walk. I suggest you plan ahead if you are going on a hike from Santana and don't just turn up and decide to do the walk. Mainly beause the weather in these parts changes and if you aren't dressed properly you will get damp and cold. Also take a rucksack filled with drinks and nibbles and as I have mentioned a small torch for the tunnels. On this particular trip we stayed overnight in Santana in a small hotel because by the time we had returned from the walk we were too tired to catch the bus and do the 3 hour return journey to Funchal. Even though the walk is challenging in places and tiring the scenery is something else. I was amazed by the density of the forest and how some of the huge laurel trees had twisted themselves into amazing
shapes, their vast, gnarled branches coiling on to the ground. With mist touching the tree tops and a thick bed of leaves underfoot, this is a wonderfully peaceful spot to linger for a while.

Levadas
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I thought I had better explain what a levada is. It is a network of aqueducts that run from north to south of the island. It is little more than a concrete lined ditch but very necessary not only for irrigation, but for the capital's (Funchal) water supply. Alongside the waterways are paths and walkers from all over the world come to enjoy the pleasures of a stroll while viewing the island's spectacular scenery. The word levada comes from the Portuguese word levar, meaning "to carry".

Buses
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Essentially there are two types of bus: those that operate within Funchal and those that provide long distance services (five different operators, all with different bus stops) Madeirans refer to long distance buses as No 12. All buses depart from stands strung out along Avenida do Mar, stretching from the Sao Lourenco palace at the eastern end to the Monte cable car station in the Zona Velha. This is the best place to catch the buses because there are ticket booths with helpful staff right next to the bus stops. You must buy a ticket in advance if you get on at the Avenida do Mar, but you can buy a ticket from the driver if you board elsewhere. Tickets bought on the bus are more expensive than tickets bought at the kiosk. Tickets are priced acording to how many zones you pass through.

Summary
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I think Santana is a place everone should visit if staying in Funchal if only to see the houses and the strange men who walk the roads wearing the hats with pom pom's and ear flaps. The scenery is spectacular but to see the views it is necessary to go on the walks which start from this quaint town. I have visited twice now and I think it is enough for me. Other parts of the island are beckoning.

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Summary: A quaint scenic town in the north eastern part of Madeira