Casas Típicas de Santana is a group of thatched A-frame houses in the town of Santana, on the north coast of Madeira. The steep straw roof and the whitewashed front picked out in red are the local building type, the palheiro, kept here as a visitor attraction. Three or four of the houses are open, most of them selling souvenirs and local products, and one shows traditional linen weaving. The houses stand on the street and can be seen at any hour, with car parks and a tourist office within 100 m.
Casas Típicas de Santana
The same steep thatched A-frame turns up all over the surrounding area, reused as garden sheds and animal pens.
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance, parking and toilet.
- Parking
- Two car parks across the road, within 100 m: a covered one that charges on departure and a free one just beyond it. Wheelchair-accessible spaces.
- Transport
- Bus stop Centro Saúde Santana, about 110 m away.
- Hours
- Open 24 hours.
What makes it special
The A-frame is the whole point. The palheiros of Santana are built as a steep triangle, thatched from the ridge almost to the ground, whitewashed and picked out in red and blue. Three or four stand open by the road, and the same shape turns up across the surrounding area, reused as garden sheds and animal pens.
Inside, most are souvenir shops with high prices. One or two are furnished with beds, though they read as displays rather than homes. One house has an artisan weaving traditional linen on the spot, which is the closest the site comes to showing the buildings in use. It is busy, and it is small: 20–30 minutes covers it.
Good to know
- Crowds: the houses draw a lot of people, and the car park across the road fills. Cars wait for spaces.
- What is inside: only three or four houses are open, and they are mainly souvenir shops with high prices.
- Time: 20–30 minutes covers the site. It works as a stop between other places, not as a day out.
- Toilets: public toilets stand within 100 m of the houses, and one of them charges.
- Money: the shops take credit and debit cards.
Getting there
Most people arrive by car. Two car parks sit within 100 m of the houses, on the other side of the road: the covered one charges on the way out, the other is free. From either, it is a level walk across to the houses, which stand right on the street. The nearest bus stop, Centro Saúde Santana, is about 110 m away. A tourist office (Posto de Turismo) stands next to the houses.
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Frequently asked questions
How long do you need at Casas Típicas de Santana?
Twenty to thirty minutes. Three or four houses are open, they stand on one street, and there is no route to follow.Is there parking?
Two car parks lie within 100 m, across the road. The covered one charges on the way out; the other is free. Spaces free up steadily, but cars queue when it is busy.What is inside the houses?
Mostly souvenir shops selling local products, at high prices. One or two are furnished with beds as displays, and one house has an artisan weaving traditional linen.Are there toilets?
Yes, within 100 m of the houses. One of them charges. There is a wheelchair-accessible toilet, and the entrance and parking are wheelchair accessible too.Can the same houses be seen elsewhere on Madeira?
A couple stand in gardens in Funchal, one of them in use as a café. The same A-frame also survives around Santana as sheds and animal pens.