Vila Baleira

Vila Baleira is the only town on Porto Santo, the small, dry island northeast of Madeira, and everything on the island seems to revolve around it. It sits on the south coast, behind the long golden beach, and it has the feel of a quiet seaside town with a distinct history rather than a resort. The island was one of the first places settled in the Madeiran archipelago, in the early 15th century, and Vila Baleira has been its administrative centre ever since.

The centre of the town is the Largo do Pelourinho, a small square with the town hall, a pillory column that gives the square its name, and a cluster of cafes and shops. Close by stands the parish church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, which dates from the earliest days of the settlement, though it has been rebuilt several times. The streets are low-rise and whitewashed, easy to walk, and there are gardens and palm-lined avenues running down toward the sea.

The best-known sight is the Columbus house, in a lane behind the church. Christopher Columbus is believed to have lived on the island for a time after his marriage to Filipa Moniz Perestrelo, whose father was the first captain of Porto Santo. The house, now a small museum, has displays about Columbus and the Age of Discovery, maps, navigational instruments and a model of a ship. The exhibits also include objects recovered from shipwrecks off the island, reportedly including finds from the Dutch East Indiaman Slotter Hooge, lost in 1724. The island celebrates its connection with the explorer each September in an event that revives the period, with costumes, markets and performances.

The main attraction for most visitors is the beach, a stretch of fine golden sand running for roughly nine kilometres from the edge of town. The sea is calm and clear, and the sand has a local reputation for being good for the joints. Along the promenade are restaurants where you can eat grilled fish, limpets and the island's own produce, and beach bars rent sunbeds. Away from the beach, a walk up the Pico do Castelo or other viewpoints rewards you with views over the island, which is surprisingly dry and rocky, with a few green spots.

Porto Santo is easy to reach, with short flights from Funchal and a ferry that takes a few hours. Once here, you can walk around Vila Baleira in a day, and taxis and rental cars reach the rest of the island. The town is best from late spring to early autumn, when the weather is warm and the sea is calm. It suits families, couples and those who prefer a slow pace, and it is a good contrast to the mountains and busy streets of Madeira itself.