Santa Cruz – Mediterranean Feeling

The History of Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, one of the oldest settlements in Madeira, was elevated to the status of a town in 1515. The name is derived from a wooden cross that Portuguese explorers erected on the beach. In the 16th century, Santa Cruz flourished as a center of sugar production, also known as “white gold”. The profitable industry attracted foreign investors, including Italian nobles, and strengthened Madeira’s trade links along the Portuguese sea routes. A customs office for the sugar trade underlined the importance of the town.
Wealthy residents built brick-roofed and two-storey houses. Today’s town hall was one of the first buildings in this late Gothic style.

After the decline of sugar production, the local economy shifted to agriculture, in particular the cultivation of wine and later bananas.

On your walk through the center of Santa Cruz, you can walk over the ornate cobblestones (Calçada Portuguesa). Look at these traditional patterns and feel the history of the place! Take a short break in the city garden and enjoy the variety of flowers and trees.

The Old Town of Santa Cruz

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The main church Igreja Matriz de Santa Cruz was built in the 16th century. It is an important landmark of the city. It combines Gothic and Manueline architecture and its ornate interior design is a highlight for lovers of sacred architecture.

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The Quinta do Revoredo was built in 1840 by the English Madeira wine merchant John Blandy as a summer residence by the sea. His grandson, the engineer Charles Frederick Raleigh Blandy, eventually settled here. He was a philanthropist and supported many families in the community. Together with his mother Mary Jane Wilson, he contributed to the restoration of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Santa Cruz hospital.

In the last ten years of his life in the end of the 19th century, he devoted himself to painting watercolor landscapes of Madeira. These paintings are currently housed in the Natural History Museum in Funchal.
His painting and photography studio was located in a room attached to the quinta, which is now the municipal library. At the western end of the garden is the old janitor’s house, which is now separated from the property.

Art House Quinta do Revoredo

The property was purchased by the city council in 1988, restored and converted to serve as a cultural center. It has large exhibition rooms, a kitchen, a documentation room, rooms for educational services and later a pleasant open-air auditorium was built right by the sea.
The beautiful garden is traditionally paved with pebbles and is home to centuries-old endemic trees such as dragon trees (Dracaena draco), in addition to countless native and exotic plants. In it we find two sculptures: the “Florista” by the Peruvian sculptor Mário Agostinelli, who lives in Brazil, made of bronze in 1972, which was once located in the demolished Atlantis Madeira hotel, and a sculpture in two shades of stone by the sculptor António Rodrigues from 1997.
In the garden we also find archaeological remains of the ruins of the Franciscan monastery of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, which were excavated before the construction of the airport began. The convent, which was located near what is now the western end of the airport runway, was founded in 1518 by the wealthy Italian sugar producer and merchant Urbano Lomelino, who settled in Santa Cruz at the end of the 15th century.

Market Hall Mercado Municipal

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The city is also known for the Mercado Municipal de Santa Cruz, where fresh local produce, artisan products and Madeira’s famous poncha are sold. The market hall was built in 1962 by the architect Luís Conceição Teixeira. He designed the building in a modernist architectural style that is considered unique in the district of Santa Cruz. There are also two ceramic plaques alluding to the typical activities of the region: Fishing and agriculture.

Festa Santo Amaro

Every year at the end of the Christmas season, the Santo Amaro festivities take place all over the island. Especially in Santa Cruz, where this festival is celebrated on a grand scale. Performances by well-known artists, food and drink stalls provide varied entertainment.

Traditionally, this day ends the Christmas season in Madeira with the “kitchen sweep”. This day is known as the day to clear out the cupboards and dispose of the remaining Christmas treats and drinks. Groups go from house to house singing, equipped with traditional heath brooms, to collect the remaining Christmas treats. In the evening, the town is full of people enjoying this first religious festival and ending the Christmas celebrations with the day of Santo Amaro on the 15th.
On the eve of Santo Amaro (January 12 in 2025) there are fireworks at midnight.

Water and water sports

Santa Cruz offers a pristine coastal landscape with the Piscinas Naturais de Santa Cruz and the Praia das Palmeiras beach. Both spots are easily accessible via the well-maintained promenade. Numerous benches invite you to sit and relax while watching the waves.

The south coast of Madeira has ideal sea conditions for water sports of all kinds, as the sea here is comparatively calm and the swell is low (in contrast to the north side). From the promenade, you can relax and watch the windsurfers using the constant south-westerly winds for their sport.

The International Airport

Santa Cruz is located right next to the international airport, which was opened in 1964. The area between Machico and Santa Cruz was suitable for the construction of this facility due to the topographical conditions, as there was flat terrain close to the coast. And since Funchal is only 16 kilometers away, the decision was easy.

The original runway was only 1,600 meters long and was considered one of the shortest in the world for commercial aircraft. This made take-offs and landings particularly difficult, especially in strong winds.

In the 2000s, the runway was extended to 2,781 meters. To achieve this, an innovative construction on stilts was implemented, in which a large part of the runway protrudes over the sea. This project has won several international awards.
The area under the airport has been used in different ways over the years and offers a marina, an area for skaters, parking spaces and climbing walls as well as a swimming pool area.
However, the maintenance of these facilities has been very neglected in recent years.

On March 29, 2017, Madeira’s international airport was officially renamed and is now called Aeroporto de Cristiano Ronaldo. Today, the airport is a symbol of Madeira’s connection with the world and a technical landmark of the island.

Conclusion

With its rich history, active city life and proximity to the international airport, Santa Cruz combines tradition and modernity. Thanks to its good infrastructure, the city is a lively meeting place for residents and visitors alike.