Ponta do Tristão
Headland in the parish of Porto Moniz, near Santa Maria Madalena, which once marked the boundary between the captaincies of Funchal and Machico. Its area was explored botanically only recently, yielding several notable plants.
The headland lies in the parish (freguesia) of Porto Moniz (‘Moniz’s harbour’), a short distance from Santa Maria Madalena (‘Magdalene’). On either side of it are some beaches of large boulders, which make very poor landing places.
Ponta do Tristão formed one of the boundary points dividing the two captaincies of Funchal and Machico, as we have already said elsewhere (1-244).
Both the headland and the neighbouring Ribeira do Tristão, which separates the parish of Porto Moniz from that of Achadas, were explored botanically only very recently. There the naturalist J. Gonçalves da Costa found Beta vulgaris var. maritima, Ononis Costae, Carex pendula, Carex elata, Allium vineale, Polypodium drepanum, etc. etc.
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Place
Places mentioned · 07- Ponta do Tristão · Subject
Porto Moniz
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.
- Achadas da Cruz
Porto Moniz. Parish separated from Porto Moniz by the Ribeira do Tristão.
Achadas da Cruz is a small parish in the far north-west of Madeira, in the municipality of Porto Moniz; it grew from a sixteenth-century chapel and became an independent parish in 1848. It was transferred between municipalities several times: to Porto Moniz in 1835, briefly to Calheta in 1849–55, and to Calheta again when Porto Moniz was abolished in 1895. Its flat is the smallest plateau, with a crater-like lagoon 66 m across; free-ranging cattle and Euphorbia mellifera are found there. Other records include the benefactor Manuel de Pontes Câmara and the wreck of the yacht Varuna in 1909.
- Captaincy of Funchal
Funchal. One of the two captaincies whose boundary the headland marked.
The Capitania do Funchal was one of Madeira's two captaincies; its boundary with Machico was marked by the Ponta do Tristão. Its rivalry with Machico coloured Simão Nunes Cardoso's account.
- Captaincy of Machico
Machico. The other captaincy bounded at the headland.
The Capitania de Machico was one of Madeira's two captaincies; its boundary with Funchal was marked by the Ponta do Tristão. Porto da Cruz originally belonged to it, and its rivalry with Funchal coloured Simão Nunes Cardoso's account.
- Madalena do Mar
Ponta do Sol. Place a short distance from the headland.
Madalena do Mar is a parish on the south-west coast of Madeira, in the municipality of Ponta do Sol, founded on the estate of the legendary Henrique Alemão and made an independent parish in 1582. The Elucidário records its chapels, sugar and banana farming, its capitania-mor, damage in the 1876 floods and the 1939 flood of the Ribeira da Madalena, and it was the birthplace of António Policarpo dos Passos Sousa.
- Porto Moniz
Parish in which the headland lies.
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.
- Ribeira do Tristão
Porto Moniz. Neighbouring stream separating Porto Moniz from Achadas da Cruz, explored botanically.
The Ribeira do Tristão is a stream rising on the Pico da Pedreira, fed by the Calvário brook and the Agriões and Lages rivulets. It forms the boundary between Porto Moniz and Achadas da Cruz, has been explored botanically, and one of its tributaries has a waterfall.
People
People mentioned · 01-
Naturalist who collected several plant species at the Ponta and Ribeira do Tristão.