Porto da cruz

Porto da Cruz

Origins
Porto da Cruz is one of the parishes of Machico. Its name came from the cross once placed in the bay that served as a port.

The village of Porto da Cruz, at the Northeast, belongs to the Municipality of Machico, the district of Madeira. Located 36 km from the capital of Madeira, already in full north coast, its inhabitants dispersed by 2512 hectares. The main sites are Maiata, Casas Próximas, Terra Baptista, Larano, Serrado, Cruz da Guarda, Massapez and Referta.

The beach of Porto da Cruz is also known as beach lagoon. Its characterized by an imposing mountain overlooking the sea. This black sand beach has a good access to the sea and has a solarium, cafeteria, showers and toilets. Along the beach is a bathing complex with two pools and support structures.

From the geological point of view, the Porto da Cruz is a true showcase of beautiful formations such as the successive layers of volcanic ash or basalt formations.
At sea, the Porto da Cruz belongs to the most extensive submarine plateau insular island that extends from Ponta de S. Lourenço to S. Jorge.
The Peak of the Suna (1,040 meters), Peak Larano (765 meters) and Maiata Peak (766 meters) are the highest points of the Parish. For its part, the Penha de Àguia is a looming rock, where the highest point is 580 meters. The top of the rock is flat and its name gives the impression that only the Eagles can land there. From the Portela viewpoint, the 660 meters of altitude, we managed to get a beautiful panoramic view of the Rock and Porto da Cruz.

The first settlers
The first occupied land on the northern coast was of Porto da Cruz. It can be assumed that some of the closest descendants of the first denature Tristan Vaz Teixeira had plots of uncultivated land in this parish and here to indulge in farms. Among the old settlers include Antonio de Abreu, Fernão Nunes, Simão Teixeira, Baltasar da Mata, Francisco Velosa, João Dias, Antonio Teixeira de Mendonça, Antonio Leal,