In Santana, Rocha do Navio is like a terrace near the sea, covered with vineyards, declared Nature Reserve by the Madeira Natural Park. Associated to this small portion of land there is an islet which seems like a big rock that once felt from the high cliffs that surround it. To get down there, one may choose to go by a steep cable car (more like an elevator) or walk through a path that will take about 30 minutes to go down and 1 hour to come up. Besides these difficult accesses, one may admire how Madeira people get the best of all portions of terrain for agriculture.

In 1860, on the 24th of December, a dutch ship has shipwrecked near the islet of this place. Its 7 crew members managed to save themselves and walk up the steep path to find some help, which was given by the first persons they found. Since then, this Santana islet and the small terrace near to it is known by the Ship’s Rock – Rocha do Navio.

Photos by Catarina Fagundes