Santa Cruz: Architectural History and Coastline

Discover Santa Cruz through its historic buildings and coastline, with Praia das Palmeiras. The town also has stories dating back to the 16th century and a market selling products from the Madeira region. This offers different focuses for planning your trip: architecture and local traditions on the one hand, and the beach and swimming pools on the other.

Architectural history and cultural use

The Manueline building of Paços do Concelho was acquired by João de Freitas in 1516 to house the administrative offices of the new town. It was classified as a National Monument in 1946. Its architectural features include a pointed-arch doorway with two small columns and two archivolts. Archivolts are mouldings that frame a pointed arch; together with the small columns, they give the entrance its distinctive structure.

Quinta do Revoredo tells a different story of architecture: John Blandy had the estate built in 1840 as a maritime summer residence. In 1988, it was converted into the Casa da Cultura. Santa Cruz thus brings together different historic uses: for Paços do Concelho, key milestones include its acquisition for administrative offices and its status as a National Monument; for the Quinta, they are its original use as a summer residence and its later conversion.

Churches, artwork and local tradition

Igreja de São Salvador is also known as Igreja Matriz de Santa Cruz. Built in the 16th century, it is in the Gothic-Manueline style. Its main chapel contains a polyptych of six oil paintings on wood, also dated to the 16th century. A polyptych is a multi-panel artwork; here, the term refers both to an art form and to a specific work comprising six paintings.

Capela de Santo Amaro combines two periods of construction: it was built in the first half of the 20th century over the remains of a hermitage dating to 1641. The year refers to the older hermitage, while the chapel was built in the first half of the 20th century. Festivities in honour of the patron saint are held there every year on January 15; the specific programme may vary. Check the event details for your travel year.

Cruzeiro de Santa Cruz stands in a central town square. Its column is made of white marble, and the crucifix dates to the 19th century. The monument is also linked to the local tradition about the town’s name: João Gonçalves Zarco had a wooden cross made there from old cedars; the settlement was then named Santa Cruz. Alongside the stories of its buildings and churches, the monument offers another way to explore local history.

Praia das Palmeiras and Mercado Municipal

Praia das Palmeiras is in Santa Cruz, next to Mercado Municipal de Santa Cruz. There are separate swimming pools for adults and children beside a pebble beach. As swimming regulations may change, check the latest information before your visit. The beach and pools offer a different focus from the town’s historic buildings and religious artworks.

Mercado Municipal also has its own architectural history: the modernist building was inaugurated in 1962. The market sells a range of products from the Madeira region. Architecture and regional produce come together here, while nearby Praia das Palmeiras adds a pebble beach and swimming pools to a market visit. When planning your stay, you can decide which of these different themes interests you most in Santa Cruz.

Discover more destinations: Santana, Santo António Da Serra, Ribeira Brava.

Go to the main travel overview: Arco De Sao Jorge.