Faial

The "eagle's rock", a rock mass of about 600 m (590 m) that separates the municipalities of Machico and Santana between Porto da Cruz and Faial: one of Madeira's great geological symbols, dominating every landscape of the north-east coast — from the Portela pass, PR 5 Vereda das Funduras, PR 10 Levada do Furado, the Guindaste viewpoint or the Fortim do Faial. No classified trail climbs it: the ascent is not waymarked by the regional forestry institute, so admire it from below.

At Faial, on Santana's north coast, an 18th-century battery built to watch for invaders, today a leisure space and lookout: a semicircular plan following the slope, an outer wall, the lower two thirds set forward, an ashlar coping, and ten small English cannons that once defended the spot. A monument of local value since 1996, much visited for its view of Faial, São Roque do Faial, Porto da Cruz, Penha d'Águia and Ponta de São Lourenço. Open daily at the hours shown.

On one of the slopes at the mouth of the Ribeira do Faial, in Santana, Guindaste offers one of the north coast's most complete panoramas: the pebble beach of Foz da Ribeira do Faial and, right beside it, a prismatic or columnar jointing born of lava flows; then the whole coast from Faial to Ponta de São Lourenço, past the mass of Penha d'Águia; with very good visibility, Porto Santo to the north-east.

On the Estrada Regional 103, at Cruzinhas, in an elevated part of the parish of Faial. The eye drops into the upper valley of Ribeira Seca, carpeted with untouched Laurissilva; on clear days the highest peaks close the horizon. The agricultural terraces typical of the Madeiran countryside are also visible.

On the Estrada Regional 101, on the way into Santana: a small figure of Nossa Senhora dos Bons Caminhos watches over the road, the Atlantic behind it. A short, natural stop on this route, with a view of the parish of Faial ringed by green slopes and of Penha d'Águia, about 600 m, marking the boundary between Santana and Machico.

A very high position, between mountain and sea, on the old Estrada Regional 103, at the entrance to the parish of Santana. From here you see the jagged coast of Faial, Penha d'Águia at about 600 m, and part of the bay of Fajã do Mar, a small pebble beach of Faial washed by the clear water of the north coast. A stop appreciated by visitors and locals alike.

A 1,040 m kart circuit at the mouth of the Ribeira do Faial, in the leisure area the municipality of Santana keeps there. Competitions and meetings are held on it, and karts can be hired with prior booking.

A viewpoint at Coxo, municipality of Santana. It looks out towards the north-east. It stands 371 m above sea level, 3,642 m from the coast; the DROTe 2023 orthophoto shows a platform or a parking area there.