Costa do Norte 1Extent and character of the north coast
Costa do Norte
Describes the northern coast of Madeira, running from Ponta do Tristão to the northern slope of Ponta de São Lourenço: a steep, cliff-lined and wind-beaten shore with only two harbours of refuge, Porto da Cruz and Porto Moniz.
1Extent and character of the north coast
The northern coast of Madeira, generally known as the north coast (Costa do Norte), stretches from Ponta do Tristão (‘Tristão’s point’), where it meets the western region of the island, to the tip of the northern slope of Ponta de São Lourenço (‘St Lawrence Point’), which extends along the eastern side. It has been said somewhere, and with every justification, that it is an alpine, craggy coast, forming a line of high rocks like an enormous wall of cliff, its base lashed by the waves and its summit crowned with the luxuriant greenery of a native forest. Because beaches and coves are so rare, and because of the violence of the northerly winds that blow there for most of the year, it is utterly inhospitable to ships and unsafe for boats. It has only two harbours of refuge from bad weather, Porto da Cruz and Porto Moniz, lying roughly at the eastern and western ends of the coast. The coast takes in the parishes of the municipalities (concelhos) of Porto Moniz, São Vicente and Santana, as well as the parish of Porto da Cruz and the northern shore of the parish of Caniçal (‘reed bed’), both of which belong to the municipality of Machico.
2Mousinho de Albuquerque's description of the shoreline
The outline of the shoreline of the north coast is described by Luís da Silva Mousinho de Albuquerque in the following terms: ‘From Ponta do Pargo (‘sea bream point’) northwards, the coast first runs north-east as far as Ponta do Tristão, where the northern coast of the island begins. It then runs roughly east-south-east as far as São Vicente, and from there east-north-east as far as Ponta de São Jorge (‘St George Point’), whence it returns to its general south-easterly direction as far as Porto da Cruz, almost at the northern root of Ponta de São Lourenço. This point closes the island at its eastern extremity, stretching out into the sea, very narrow, for roughly three miles, in a west–east direction. Along almost the whole length of this shoreline the sea is deep and free of reefs, with these exceptions only: 1. in the recessed part of this coast, where there are some shoals and isolated rocks, among which the Ilhéu da Ribeira da Janela (‘islet of the window stream’) and the Ilhéu (‘islet’) and shoal of Porto Moniz stand out; 2. Ponta do Pargo, where a shoal stretches out into the sea, on which the waves break even in moderate winds, forcing boats to keep well away from the land in order to round it’.
In this article
Place
Places mentioned · 13
- North coast · Subject
The Costa do Norte is the traditional and popular name for Madeira's northern coast, running from Ponta do Tristão to the northern slope of Ponta de São Lourenço. It is a steep, cliff-lined and wind-beaten shore with only two harbours of refuge, Porto da Cruz and Porto Moniz.
- Caniçal
Machico. Its northern shore forms part of the north coast.
Isolated fishing parish at the eastern tip of Madeira, at the root of Ponta de São Lourenço. It originated as a Moniz entail and João Teixeira's hunting reserve and became a parish around 1561. It holds a Piedade feast with a boat procession and has a fort built after a pirate raid.
- Ilhéu da Ribeira da Janela
Porto Moniz. One of the few offshore rocks on the north coast.
Ilhéu da Ribeira da Janela is an islet near the mouth of the Ribeira da Janela, whose name it shares. It is one of the few offshore rocks on Madeira's north coast.
- Ilhéu do Porto Moniz
Porto Moniz. Islet and shoal noted as a hazard off Porto Moniz.
Islet and shoal noted as a hazard off Porto Moniz.
- Machico
Municipality containing Porto da Cruz and Caniçal.
Machico is a town and municipality of Madeira set in a valley. The Elucidário traces its municipal history from its probable creation around 1451, through the loss of territory to Santa Cruz, São Vicente and Santana. It also records its arms, its privileges and its new town hall of 1929.
- Ponta de São Jorge
Santana. Point where the coast turns south-east.
Ponta de São Jorge is the headland projecting furthest into the sea on Madeira's north coast; there the coast turns south-east. It marks the northern limit of the island's width, is used in coastline measurements, has westward ebb currents and is a recommended viewpoint, visible from Pico da Cancela.
- Ponta de São Lourenço
Machico. Eastern end of the north coast and of the island.
The Ponta de São Lourenço is the long, narrow eastern headland of Madeira in the parish of Caniçal, said to be named after the caravel São Lourenço, with a lighthouse on its islet. The Elucidário describes its geology, seasonal vegetation, islets, fossil calcareous bodies at Piedade, land snails and use as pasture. The steamer Forerunner sank there in 1884, and a submarine bank lies between it and the Desertas.
- Ponta do Pargo
Calheta. Starting point of the quoted description, with a dangerous shoal off it.
Ponta do Pargo is a parish at Madeira's western extremity, transferred from Porto do Moniz to Calheta municipality in 1871, where a lighthouse long demanded was first lit in 1922. It is watered by the old Rabaçal levada, grows Sercial vines, gives its name to a white cattle sub-breed, and was the birthplace of Manuel da Costa Dias and João Pestana Júnior.
- Ponta do Tristão
Porto Moniz. Western limit of the north coast.
Ponta do Tristão is a headland in north-western Madeira that marked the northern end of the boundary between the captaincies of Funchal and Machico and the western limit of the north coast. It marked the end of the discoverers' first exploration, and its area has only recently been explored botanically, yielding several notable plants. The notes place it variously in Achadas da Cruz and in the parish of Porto Moniz.
- Porto da Cruz
Machico. Eastern refuge harbour and parish on the north coast.
North-coast parish created in 1577 and noted for good-quality wines. It was transferred from Santana to Machico municipality in 1852 and was the seat of a capitania-mor. It was also a fishing port where some sperm whales were landed.
- Porto Moniz
Western refuge harbour and municipality on the north coast.
North-western parish and municipality with a quay and a tolerable port that serves as a good landing when southerly winds close the south coast. It has one of the oldest Magdalene chapels in northern Madeira, whose feast falls on 22 July. It was the birthplace of Dr Manuel Gomes Jardim.
- Santana
Municipality whose parishes lie on the north coast.
Municipality on Madeira's north coast, created in 1835. It lost Porto da Cruz to Machico in 1852 and was briefly abolished in 1867.
+ 1 more
People
People mentioned · 01-
Portuguese author whose description of the course of Madeira's northern shoreline is quoted in this entry.