{"id":3443,"date":"2026-07-17T12:02:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T11:02:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/guiailhadamadeira.com\/santana-traditional-houses\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T12:02:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T11:02:10","slug":"casas-tradicionales-de-santana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/guiailhadamadeira.com\/es\/santana-traditional-houses\/","title":{"rendered":"Las casas tradicionales de Santana: las casas con techo a dos aguas de Madeira, como sacadas de un cuento de hadas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Santana’s traditional houses are Madeira’s most photographed symbol: a cluster of triangular, thatched-roof cottages painted white, red and blue, standing beside the town hall on the island’s green north coast.<\/strong> In this updated guide: what these “casas de colmo” actually were, where to find the best-preserved row for free, how the nearby Madeira Theme Park adds context, and how to fold Santana into a full day on the north coast.<\/p>\n

\"Hileras
The classic row of Casas de Santana, Madeira’s best-known architectural postcard. Image: frame from the video by Rutas del Mundo, embedded below<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 son exactamente las casas de Santana?<\/h2>\n

The typical houses of Santana in Madeira, often called thatched houses or “casas de colmo”, are traditional rural buildings whose origins go back to the early days of settlement on Madeira. They were modest family homes, designed to offer basic comfort and protection in a harsh, humid climate, especially for farming families in the north of the island. Locally people call them palheiros, and many original palheiros had just two rooms: one for living and another for storage or sleeping.<\/p>\n

These houses were built above all with materials taken straight from the surrounding fields and forests, with timber from local woods forming the structure and fa\u00e7ades, while the roof was made from heather, wicker and thatch. The steep angle isn’t decorative: despite the covering being made simply of straw, its sharp angle of inclination forces rain to drain, preventing it from soaking in, ensuring it is impermeable. Maintaining that thatch is real work \u2014 the thatch usually needs to be replaced every four to five years, depending on how exposed the house is to winter rain, wind and strong summer sun.<\/p>\n

La famosa calle junto al ayuntamiento<\/h2>\n

La imagen de postal que todo el mundo asocia con Madeira \u2014tres o cuatro casitas de colores vivos alineadas con cuidados jardines\u2014 se encuentra en el N\u00facleo de Casas T\u00edpicas. Situado junto al Ayuntamiento de Santana, este espacio se cre\u00f3 con el objetivo de preservar este emblem\u00e1tico legado hist\u00f3rico. Una visita a esta zona te permite conocer estas casas t\u00edpicas, que se han adaptado al contexto actual, y tambi\u00e9n adquirir en su interior una serie de productos locales, tradicionales y artesanales.<\/p>\n

Beyond the row itself, visitors can access a panoramic viewpoint over the green fields of Santana, dotted with the town’s houses, surrounded by a brightly coloured garden. Some travellers find the shopfront houses a little polished; for a rawer feel, wander a few streets further where there are other typical houses in Santana, less prestigious, as they are often not colourful, but worth seeing for their more authentic side. Genuinely lived-in examples are rare today \u2014 over recent decades, the classic thatched houses of Santana have almost disappeared from the northern Madeira landscape, and only a small number survive in something close to their original state.<\/p>\n

Parque tem\u00e1tico de Madeira: la historia completa, justo al lado<\/h2>\n

For visitors who want more than a photo stop, the Madeira Theme Park (Parque Tem\u00e1tico da Madeira) sits a short drive from the centre, in the Fonte da Pedra area. It is a recreational space that aims to promote Madeira’s culture and traditions through visitable attractions over a facility of 7 hectares, inaugurated in October 2004. Its cultural offer includes the Village of Traditional Houses of Santana, the Quintinha, the Fantastic Voyage in Madeira and the Pavillion for Children, with artisans working wool, linen, embroidery and wickerwork, a traditional grocery shop, a wood-fired bread oven, and a small farm where children can interact with animals.<\/p>\n

Opening hours vary slightly by source, but the park generally runs every day from 10:00 to 19:00 h (April \u2013 September) or from 10:00 to 18:00 h (October \u2013 March). Given the seasonal changes, it’s worth checking the official website before you set off. As for how much time to allow, a leisurely stroll through the park, including viewing the houses and exhibits, can take about an hour, though if you plan to participate in all the activities, allocate more time.<\/p>\n

C\u00f3mo llegar a Santana<\/h2>\n

Santana sits on Madeira’s north coast, roughly 45 minutes from Funchal by car via the ER101 or the t\u00faneles<\/a> through the central massif. If you’re relying on public transport, Rodoeste operates an express Route 801 (around 50 minutes) or a scenic Route 850 via Ribeiro Frio from Funchal, and from Santana itself there are also connections westwards to Arco de S\u00e3o Jorge, from where Rodoeste operates lines to S\u00e3o Vicente, Ribeira Brava and Porto Moniz \u2014 handy if you’re stitching together a full north-coast loop that also takes in the Porto Moniz natural pools or the S\u00e3o Vicente Caves.<\/p>\n

Cu\u00e1nto tiempo dedicarle y con qu\u00e9 combinarlo<\/h2>\n

The houses by the town hall themselves take thirty to forty-five minutes to see properly, including photos and a browse of the craft shops inside. Add the Theme Park and you’re looking at half a day. Because Santana sits at the crossroads of the north coast, it pairs naturally with Ribeiro Frio, the Queimadas forest park (gateway to the Levada do Caldeir\u00e3o Verde), or a longer loop towards Porto Moniz. Many visitors also use Santana as a base or midpoint before tackling Pico Ruivo from the eastern trailheads.<\/p>\n

\"Primer
El tejado de paja de gran pendiente no es solo bonito, sino que tambi\u00e9n es funcional: desv\u00eda las fuertes lluvias de la costa norte lejos de la estructura de madera. Imagen: fotograma del v\u00eddeo de Rutas del Mundo, que se incluye a continuaci\u00f3n.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Datos pr\u00e1cticos<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Ubicaci\u00f3n<\/strong><\/td>\nSantana, costa norte de Madeira, junto al ayuntamiento (N\u00facleo de Casas T\u00edpicas)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Entrada a las casas<\/strong><\/td>\nLa entrada es totalmente gratuita<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tiempo necesario<\/strong><\/td>\nEntre 30 y 45 minutos para las casas; suma entre 1 y 2 horas para el parque tem\u00e1tico<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Distancia desde Funchal<\/strong><\/td>\nUnos 45 minutos en coche<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
En autob\u00fas<\/strong><\/td>\nAutopista 801 (unos 50 minutos) o la carretera panor\u00e1mica 850 pasando por Ribeiro Frio<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Horario del parque tem\u00e1tico de Madeira<\/strong><\/td>\nDe 10:00 a 19:00 (de abril a septiembre) o de 10:00 a 18:00 (de octubre a marzo)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dificultad<\/strong><\/td>\nNinguna: calles y jardines del pueblo, llanos y pavimentados<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n
    \n
  • Ve a primera hora de la ma\u00f1ana o a \u00faltima hora de la tarde.<\/strong> La calle junto al ayuntamiento es estrecha, y los autocares tur\u00edsticos suelen llegar sobre el mediod\u00eda.<\/li>\n
  • No te fijes solo en los escaparates.<\/strong> A few streets away from the main cluster you’ll spot older, less-restored palheiros still used as sheds \u2014 a more authentic (if less colourful) sight.<\/li>\n
  • Trae dinero en efectivo para las tiendas de artesan\u00eda.<\/strong> En algunas de las casas se venden bordados locales, art\u00edculos de mimbre y pasteles de miel elaborados all\u00ed mismo.<\/li>\n
  • Consulta el horario del parque de atracciones antes de salir en coche.<\/strong> Seasonal opening times shift by an hour, and it’s a wasted trip if you arrive after closing.<\/li>\n
  • Comb\u00ednalo con una \u00abqueimada\u00bb o un Ribeiro Frio.<\/strong> Ambos puntos de partida de las rutas de senderismo se encuentran a poca distancia en coche, lo que convierte la visita a Santana en una jornada completa por la costa norte, en lugar de una simple parada para hacer fotos.<\/li>\n
  • Ll\u00e9vate una chaqueta impermeable ligera.<\/strong> The north coast’s humid climate is exactly why these roofs were built so steep in the first place.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Mira el v\u00eddeo de Santana<\/h2>\n

    Para ver las casas triangulares, la vegetaci\u00f3n que las rodea y c\u00f3mo encajan en un itinerario m\u00e1s amplio por la costa norte, no te pierdas el cap\u00edtulo dedicado a Santana de esta gu\u00eda completa de Madeira que encontrar\u00e1s a continuaci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n