Santana Traditional Houses

The palheiros of Santana are small triangular houses: a steep A-frame of thatch reaching almost to the ground on two sides, whitewashed gable walls, red or blue doors and window frames, and a single room inside with a loft above. They were built cheaply from what the north coast had - straw, timber, stone - by farming families, with animals often housed at one end, and they were the ordinary vernacular of this part of the island until concrete replaced them in the twentieth century. Only a handful of originals remain in daily use; several have been kept or rebuilt in the centre of Santana and near the town hall as examples, some open to walk into, and there is a themed park nearby. The town is also the trailhead for the Queimadas forest and the Caldeirão Verde levada, and Pico Ruivo's short route starts above it at Achada do Teixeira.

What you actually see

• The A-frame thatch - steep roofs reaching nearly to the ground on two sides.
• The colours - whitewashed gables with red or blue doors and frames.
• The single room - one space with a loft above, animals sometimes at one end.
• The preserved examples - a handful kept in the town centre, some enterable.

When to go

Year-round; the north coast is wetter than the south. One to two hours. Combines with Queimadas and the Caldeirão Verde walk.

Honest expectations

Most surviving houses are preserved examples rather than lived-in homes, which some find staged. There are only a few in the centre and a visit is short. Rain on this coast is frequent. The themed park nearby is a separate commercial operation.

Nearby

Queimadas Forest Park is above; Pico Ruivo's trailhead at Achada do Teixeira is west.