Porto Santo is one long beach with a bit of an island attached. Along its nine kilometres of soft white sands, making Porto Santo one of the last ‘undiscovered’ resorts in Europe. Part of the Portuguese archipelago that includes the island of Madeira – in the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Africa – Porto Santo offers a superb chance to get away from it all. Its volcanic sands have long been held to have curative powers for all manner of aches and ills (carbonate sand rich in magnesium and strontium). The island boasts a first-rate international golf course; the rugged interior is a fine setting for energetic walks, and there’s horse-riding, diving, game-fishing the diving, sailing, boating, jet skiing, windsurfing, kite surfing, tennis, hiking in the mountains, biking, jeep safaris, paragliding, SPA, thalassotherapy and all manner of other diversions to be found. There’s an intriguing touch of history, too, as Porto Santo's capital, Vila Baleira was once home to none other than Christopher Columbus. Porto Santo is the smallest habited island of the archipelago. It is a natural paradise evidenced by the extensive beach of golden and thin sand, with about 9 km traveled throughout the south coast, bathed by a sea of calm and crystalline waters with temperatures around 23 degrees in summer and 18 degrees in winter. The island's total area covers approximately 42.17 km2 and its population is estimated at 4,474 habitants. The climate of Porto Santo is dry and stable, with little variation in temperature between seasons, so it is normal to go to the beach throughout the year