After departing mainland Portugal we headed for the Madeira Islands on our way to the Caribbean...

•   Approaching the island of Porto Santo from the northeast one first views Ilhéu de Cima and the lighthouse.  Porto de Abrigo itself is a bit further on.  Here I am secured from later winds (they managed to keep us in port a few more days than planned) in the marina. Porto Santo lies approximately 23 miles to the northeast of the main island of Madeira.  It is a popular destination for the Madeirans because of its very beautiful 6 mile long beach.  As a result there are a few large hotels on the island as well as two new big resorts being constructed.

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•    Calheta was very beautiful.  The Sword Aloe was in full bloom and the beach was almost deserted...a great time to visit!

• The view from Cabeço do Zimbraniho looking westward toward Ilhéu de Ferro and another lighthouse. Also looking southeastward from Ponta you can view Calheta and Ilhéu de Baixo.  Looking Northeastward is the very brown and dry landscape of the south shore( and great beach area) of Porto Santo (the far end curve is where I am berthed).

The whole island was a very dry brown color - except for the golf course which stood out dramatically.  The winter rains create a green palette all over the island in which the locals told us it looks like Switzerland in the spring.  The Fonte da Areia was a rugged area made more so by its very porous rock cliffs.  Weather-beaten rocks were even more porous with many individuals carving their names out in the extremely soft and fragile sandstone. 

• The view from the opposite end of the island at Pico de Baixo looked out over towards Ilhéu de Cima to the northeast, once again the famous 6 mile beach over the town, and back towards Calheta (not a large island).  Here Bob and Tania could see me safely tucked in along with my new friends Vahana, Wayward Wind, and  Pouncer.

• The one real claim to fame the island has is that Christopher Columbus came here in 1478 (some speculate as a sugar merchant for Genoa) and visited with Bartolomeu Perestrelo, also from Genoa, and met Perestrelo's daughter, whom he married in 1479.  She died soon after giving birth to his son and he lived in this home next to the church in Vila Baleira.  A compass rose depicted with lava and marble stone in the courtyard outside of Columbus' home.  The soft sandstone of Fonte da Areia.

• Tania met with some other "cruising ladies" (Jane, Charlotte from "Pouncer" and Judith from "Vahana") and they decided to enjoy a "Spa Day" at a local hotel.  The Spa turned out to be very large and quite accommodating.  First they had to walk almost 6 kilometers along the beach to reach the hotel though.  Off to change.  Après Spa, the ladies enjoyed a cocktail and good conversation.

• Bob and Tania decided to go "tourist" and jumped on the local "convertible" bus.  They traveled throughout the island and saw some areas they had missed by car.  Calheta's surf turned out to be a bit rough that day.

• The bus took them up to Pico do Castelo and Portela.  Tania felt since she is always photographing flowers that the cactus should get their spot also (which was quite abundant on the island).  The windmills at Portela were a glimpse into the past.