Santana, Madeira

Characterized by its small thatched triangular houses, Santana is a beautiful village on the north coast of the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira - one of the two autonomous regions and a year-round resort of Portugal. These small houses built of natural stone and thatched with straw have served the locals for centuries as stables and dwellings. They were mainly rural homes, used by local farmers, during the settlement of the island, with white-painted walls, red doors and windows with blue trim. Most of the surviving buildings are tourist attractions, and maintained (for example, the straw roofs are replace every four to five years). Thank you very much Laura, for sending me this beautiful postcard from Funchal!