{"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-tradicionais-de-santana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/guiailhadamadeira.com\/pt\/santana-traditional-houses\/","title":{"rendered":"Casas tradicionais de Santana: as casas em forma de A da Madeira, dignas de um conto de fadas"},"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

\"Fileira
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

O que s\u00e3o, exatamente, as casas 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

A famosa fila junto \u00e0 C\u00e2mara Municipal<\/h2>\n

A imagem de postal que todos associam \u00e0 Madeira \u2014 tr\u00eas ou quatro casinhas coloridas alinhadas com jardins bem cuidados \u2014 encontra-se no N\u00facleo de Casas T\u00edpicas. Situado junto \u00e0 C\u00e2mara Municipal de Santana, este espa\u00e7o foi criado com o objetivo de preservar este patrim\u00f3nio hist\u00f3rico ic\u00f3nico. Uma visita a esta zona permite-lhe conhecer estas casas t\u00edpicas, que foram adaptadas ao contexto atual, e tamb\u00e9m adquirir, no seu interior, uma s\u00e9rie de produtos locais, tradicionais e artesanais.<\/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 da Madeira: a hist\u00f3ria completa ao 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

Como chegar a Santana<\/h2>\n

Santana sits on Madeira’s north coast, roughly 45 minutes from Funchal by car via the ER101 or the t\u00faneis<\/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

Quanto tempo demorar e com que acompanhar<\/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

\"Grande
O telhado de colmo inclinado \u00e9 funcional, n\u00e3o \u00e9 apenas bonito \u2014 desvia a chuva intensa da costa norte da estrutura de madeira. Imagem: fotograma do v\u00eddeo da Rutas del Mundo, incorporado abaixo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Informa\u00e7\u00f5es pr\u00e1ticas<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Localiza\u00e7\u00e3o<\/strong><\/td>\nSantana, costa norte da Madeira, junto \u00e0 C\u00e2mara Municipal (N\u00facleo de Casas T\u00edpicas)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Entrada das casas<\/strong><\/td>\nA entrada \u00e9 totalmente gratuita<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tempo necess\u00e1rio<\/strong><\/td>\n30 a 45 minutos para as casas; acrescente 1 a 2 horas para o parque tem\u00e1tico<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dist\u00e2ncia do Funchal<\/strong><\/td>\nCerca de 45 minutos de carro<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
De autocarro<\/strong><\/td>\nAutoestrada 801 (cerca de 50 minutos) ou a estrada panor\u00e2mica 850, passando por Ribeiro Frio<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hor\u00e1rio do Parque Tem\u00e1tico da Madeira<\/strong><\/td>\n10:00\u201319:00 (abril\u2013setembro) ou 10:00\u201318:00 (outubro\u2013mar\u00e7o)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dificuldade<\/strong><\/td>\nNenhum \u2014 ruas planas e pavimentadas da aldeia e jardins<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n
    \n
  • V\u00e1 de manh\u00e3 cedo ou ao final da tarde.<\/strong> A rua junto \u00e0 C\u00e2mara Municipal \u00e9 estreita e os autocarros tur\u00edsticos costumam chegar por volta do meio-dia.<\/li>\n
  • Olha para al\u00e9m das montras.<\/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
  • N\u00e3o te esque\u00e7as de trazer dinheiro para as lojas de artesanato.<\/strong> Algumas das casas vendem bordados locais, artigos de vime e bolo de mel feito no local.<\/li>\n
  • Verifique o hor\u00e1rio de funcionamento do parque de divers\u00f5es antes de sair de carro.<\/strong> Seasonal opening times shift by an hour, and it’s a wasted trip if you arrive after closing.<\/li>\n
  • Acompanhe com Queimadas ou Ribeiro Frio.<\/strong> Ambos os pontos de partida dos trilhos ficam a uma curta dist\u00e2ncia de carro, o que transforma Santana num dia inteiro na costa norte, em vez de uma breve paragem para tirar fotografias.<\/li>\n
  • Leva uma capa de chuva leve.<\/strong> The north coast’s humid climate is exactly why these roofs were built so steep in the first place.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Veja o v\u00eddeo do Santana<\/h2>\n

    Para ver as casas triangulares, a vegeta\u00e7\u00e3o circundante e como estas se enquadram num itiner\u00e1rio mais abrangente pela costa norte, veja abaixo o cap\u00edtulo dedicado a Santana deste guia completo da Madeira.<\/p>\n