Fishing Villages - Southwest Tour

Heading home, Our last stop is Ponta do sol. The sunniest spot on the island, and it gets its name from sunny point. A quiet and pretty little village shoe- horned into the folds of a steep valley overhung with dense banana plantation, with a relaxed and lively air.

After enjoying lunch, the tour carries on the journey to discover other beautiful fishing villages. Prazeres is a small agricultural settlement around a church, with its massive towers appearing far too large for the place. The region around Prazeres still has many old one room houses built from dark basalt with unplasted walls.

Ponta do Pargo is located on the western most tip of Madeira. Alongside the cliff-top is a lighthouse, 312mts (984 ft) above the sea. The village is named after dolphin fish, (no relation to dolphins) which is fished in that area. With its lighthouse in the far overturn extreme of the island, and a fabulous view overlooking the coast, and the narrow flat lands, it is an incredible place. The village is surrounded by fields of vines and vegetables.

After leaving Ponta do Pargo, you reach paul do mar. Its exposure to the ocean, and historical periods when the sea bathed the area with seawater, once characterised the area as the Sitio da Lagoa or Alagoa (English: site of the lake or the lake). Historically, the area experienced flooding from the sea when the Atlantic submerged and inundated fields to a depth of one metre. As a result a salt factory was established. But, this was closed long ago. Since the construction of a new higher sea wall and ocean front with road and parking the sea flooding has stopped.

An instantly likeable place, the traditional fishing village of Jardim do Mar has a marine promenade which is delightful to walk. It has a sheer cliff tower above the village. It is the surfing centre of Madeira. Believe it or not, there is a route up the steep cliff which was the only route to get in and out of the village

Calheta a pretty village set in a steep valley just above the coast. The main town of the south western coast of Madeira, a fertile sunbathed region .The town of Calheta was built in an inlet by the mouth of the stream due to the permanent sun, the recent artificial sand beach and marine make it a town for leisure.