Webcam St. Croix. Panorama of the coast
Santa Cruz is one of Madeira's popular resorts and is the air gateway to the island. Many tourists prefer this town to the bustling capital Funchal, located 15 km west along the coast.
Madeira's coast is washed by the Gulf Stream which creates a comfortable climate on the island where it is warm all year round. Strong temperature fluctuations in the city does not happen, the winters are warm, about +20 ... +22 ° C, and summers are not hot: rarely, when the thermometer rises above +30 ° C.
The port of Santa Cruz was founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century when they discovered Madeira. The name of the town (it means "Holy Cross") was given by the discoverers of the island. On disembarking they saw fallen logs. The ship's captain ordered them to make a cross that would be visible from afar. After some time, the wooden cross was replaced by a marble cross of the same size, and it stood there until the end of the XIX century.
The town has always been small. Local residents were engaged in fishing, growing vegetables and fruits.
The situation changed after the opening of the airport: began to develop tourism infrastructure, built hotels and restaurants, opened a water park. Now it is one of the important resorts of Madeira.
In Santa Cruz there are all kinds of beaches, which will have to be reached by car. The most popular are the nearby Palmeiras and São Fernando. They are connected by a beautifully designed tunnel dug into the coastal rock. They are large and pebbly, equipped with comfortable sun loungers and umbrellas, and the entrance to the sea is gentle. For those who do not like to walk on the rocks, there is a swimming pool area nearby.
