IT’S THE ISLAND’S ENTRY DOOR, FOR THOSE ARRIVING THROUGH MADEIRA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. FROM POISO TO GARAJAU, THIS IS A MUNICIPALITY WITH MUCH TO DISCOVER.
A dedicated host destination, there are plenty of hotels, restaurants and commerce in this Municipality, the second in terms of population, as well as in lodging capacity, in the entire Madeira island. The town’s status was defined a long time ago – in the year 1515, to be precise – when it obtained the charter from King Manuel I, becoming the first Municipality in all the Portuguese colonies. Even before, it was the island’s discoverer, João Gonçalves Zarco that, when entering this “vale of beautiful trees”, decided to have a cross made out of an old fallen cedar tree and named the site Santa Cruz (Holly Cross).
A BLESSED LAND
The building of the Town Hall was acquired by João de Freitas in 1516, with the purpose of installing there Santa Cruz Municipal Council, just after the elevation of the village to County. It is estimated that this building was built in the first decades of the sixteenth century, and later in the twentieth century, underwent an expansion and rehabilitation with the design of the architect Luís da Conceição Teixeira. This building is the only one with the status of a National Monument existing in the Municipality, because it is the only Chamber on Madeira Island that has maintained its headquarters since the 16th century, and also because it is one of the rare examples at the national level.
Nowadays, those who choose to visit Santa Cruz have an unusual variety of assets that are not limited to more city pleasures. Santa Cruz reveals landscapes of extraordinary beauty and a unique biodiversity. Among the more obvious is the ‘Ilhas Desertas’ (Deserted Islands) Natural Reserve, created for the protection of the monk-seals and other rare and endemic species residing there, and also the Garajau Natural Reserve, located between the Ponta da Oliveira and the Ponta do Lazareto, the first Marine Reserve in Portugal, established in 1986.
Garajau beach
Along with the natural beauties that have bestowed Santa Cruz with a surprising serenity, one discovers throughout the five county parishes – Camacha, Caniço, Gaula, Santa Cruz and Santo António da Serra – a rare and unique selection of cultural and historical heritage sites. But the more relevant sign of religious devotion in the Municipality can be found at Garajau, embodied in the large Christ-King Statue – Cristo Rei – a monument dated from 1927, before the construction of the famous Christ-King Statues in Rio de Janeiro and in Almada, near Lisbon.
The immense testimony of this Municipality’s human wealth can be further observed at locations like the Cultural Center | Quinta do Revoredo; at the Santa Cruz and Camacha Markets – dedicated to the sale and promotion of traditional regional products; the Largo da Achada – Camacha, often mentioned as the place where in 1875, the first soccer match in Portugal took place; and the Reis Magos Beach, with its crystal clear waters, calling for gatherings on hot sunny days.
A good selection of restaurants providing attentive service at a fair price, and a challenging cultural agenda, guarantee the entertainment of its people and of its visitors. Aside from that, this is a Municipality of peculiar customs and unique traditions, where, among other singularities, one can find the largest number of Folkloric and Ethnographic Groups in the entire region, representing an important contribution towards divulging and promoting Madeira’s Cultural and Immaterial Wealth heritage.
