Renowned for its golden sands and tranquil beauty, Porto Santo will step back in time this September with the 16th edition of the Columbus Festival (18-21 September 2025) in the historic town of Vila Baleira. As a flagship cultural event in the Madeira archipelago, it attracts hundreds of visitors each year with its unique blend of pageantry, performance and tradition.

For four days, Vila Baleira becomes a living stage of the 15th century. Locals in costume fill the streets with theatre, acrobatics, juggling, live music and colourful processions, while a bustling 16th-century market invites visitors to browse crafts, sample traditional flavours and immerse themselves in the atmosphere of another era.

The festival also honours Columbus's historic ties to Porto Santo. After marrying Filipa de Moniz, daughter of the island's first Captain-Governor, he lived on the island and deepened his knowledge of Atlantic navigation, experience that proved vital to his later voyages. Today, that legacy is celebrated not only in the festival itself but also at the Casa Colombo Museum, believed to be his former home.

Part of the Madeira archipelago, Porto Santo is just 11 kilometres long and 6 kilometres wide, making it wonderfully easy to explore by bike, on foot or by car. The island is well connected, with regular flights from Madeira (25 minutes) or a scenic two-hour and a half ferry crossing from Funchal.

Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2020, Porto Santo is recognised for its rich biodiversity, volcanic landscapes and cultural heritage. Visitors can enjoy sweeping views from Pico do Castelo, crowned by the remains of a 15th-century fortress, wander past traditional windmills or follow trails that reveal the island's wild beauty.

At its heart is Vila Baleira, a laid-back capital where palm-lined streets lead to historic gems including the 17th-century Church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade. Nearby, visitors can also explore the Quinta das Palmeiras botanical garden, a lush oasis filled with exotic plants and colourful birdlife.

Porto Santo is not only a destination of heritage and culture but also one of relaxation, adventure and natural beauty, an island where history and discovery meet sun, sand and serenity.

For more information on the event, please visit: Columbus Festival - Events Madeira

For more information about Porto Santo, please visit: Porto Santo - Visit Madeira | Madeira Islands Tourism Board official website

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ENDS

About Madeira. Belongs to all

• Madeira. Belongs to all is the consumer-facing brand of the Madeira Promotion Bureau, which aims to promote Madeira as a tourist destination to consumers and the travel trade.
• Madeira, otherwise known as 'the islands of eternal spring', is just a short, three-and-a-half-hour flight from London. It covers 740km2 and has a population of only 260,000. On the same latitude as Morocco, the Atlantic archipelago has a sub-tropical climate, a rich volcanic soil and a unique eco-system. It is one of the only places in the planet where banana trees grow next to vineyards.
• Located approximately 1,000km from the European mainland – and just 500km from the African continent – Madeira enjoys an amazingly mild climate, ranging from 25°c in the summer to 17°c in the winter, with very mild average temperatures and moderate humidity.
• In 1999, Madeira's indigenous forest, the Laurissilva, was declared a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. The Madeira Natural Park is a protected area that covers around two-thirds of Madeira Island's territory, equivalent to 67% of its surface.

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