Calheta is the largest municipality in Madeira and encompasses seven villages as well as Calheta town. The area is known for cultivating sugar cane which is transformed into Aguardente, a white rum and its traditions are celebrated in a local museum located within a working mill. Calheta is one of the first places on Madeira Island to be explored by the Portuguese and its boundaries stretch from a cove and climbs up to 450 m inland, a distance of about two kilometres.

Calheta Town

The first settlements in Calheta appeared in 1430 and spread along a hollow of a valley that descends from the mountain a little further north which rises to about 1200m. The small bay was one of the few accessible places on the island to land and allowed colonisers to gain a foothold. The indigenous forest was cleared to make room for banana and sugarcane plantations, bringing subsequent wealth to the area.

Calheta obtained its charter on the 1st of June 1502 by Dom Manuel the Virtuous, the Municipal Assembly of the region stated the town’s anniversary should be celebrated on the 24th of June, coinciding with the St. John’s festivities. So, each year, lively celebrations take place in the village, near the beachfront, with music, food stalls and popular parades.

Calheta means small cove, and the area where the marina now resides has always been an important entry point into the area. Over time the area has been developed into a centre for activities and tourism. The marina is a focal point for visitors, with restaurants, shops, and boat excursions. The area has a buzz about it and restaurants, cafés and bars line the seafront abundantly. Here too are the departure points for boat tours, fishing trips, water sports, whale and dolphin-watching excursions.

Praia da Calheta (Calheta Beach)

racketing each end of the marina are two man-made white beaches made from sand imported from Morocco. Wave breakers tame the power of the Atlantic, protecting the beaches from erosion and making the waters tame for family bathing. Sandy beaches in Madeira are rare; there is one in Machico, making the Praia da Calheta beaches very sought after. There are ample amenities close at hand for your convenience and places for refreshment and satisfying appetites.

With an invaluable art collection, the Espírito Santo Chapel is one of the most important historical monuments of the parish of Calheta. The chapel originates from the late 15th century but was substantially reconstructed in 1639. The exterior, boasting both Manueline and Mannerist architectural characteristics, hides a marvel within its walls.

An intricately carved ebony tabernacle with silver inlays was gifted to the parish by Dom Manuel I and has come to rest in the chapel. Overhead there's an impressive Mudéjar ceiling, which can be seen in the chancel, as well as in the central nave. Espírito Santo Chapel hosts three annual festivals Holy Spirit, celebrated on Pentecost Sunday; Blessed Sacrament; and Nossa Senhora dos Bons Caminhos, on the last Sunday of September.

Av. D. Manuel I 23, Calheta, Madeira, Portugal. | 32° 43' 22.9" N | 17° 10' 36.7" W

Engenhos da Calheta is a working mill producing traditional sugar cane rum known as “aguardente.” Delve into Madeira’s rich sugar cane heritage as you tour the facility, witness the rum-making process, and sample the potent spirit.

Every year from mid-April to mid-May, Calheta´s Sugar Cane Mill works non-stop, day and night. Sugar canes must be harvested within a few hours; otherwise they will become dry and useless. The old steam engine has been in operation since 1894. Funchal and Porto da Cruz also have sugar cane factories, which are still in operation. The cultivation of sugar cane was the first significant agricultural product in Madeira, and was responsible great prosperity of the island. This "White Gold" was first imported from some of the distant colonies.

Daily: 10h00 – 18h00
Museu e Engenho da Cana-de-Açúcar, 29, Av. D. Manuel I, Calheta, Madeira, Portugal.
32° 43' 22.0" N | 17° 10' 37.6" W | +351 291 822 118

Located on a hill overlooking Calheta, MUDAS is a museum dedicated to contemporary art. Besides having a rich collection, it is a very dynamic cultural venue. The museum was inaugurated in October 2004 and housed in a building designed by architect Paulo David. Its modern features, as well as its harmonious integration into the landscape, have allowed this vast architectural complex to win international awards: it was nominated for the European Mies van der Rohe Award in 2005. It received the Alvar Aalto medal in 2012.

Inside MUDAS exhibits a vast museological and artistic collection. Once housed in the São Tiago Fortress, in Funchal, this vast collection was transferred to Calheta and now contains about 400 pieces, dating from the 1960s to the present day. They include works by numerous renowned visual artists, such as Lourdes Castro, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, Fernando Calhau, António Palolo, Martha Telles, Pedro Cabrita Reis, Gäetan, Daniel Blaufuks, Álvaro Lapa or Ana Hatherly, for example.

Besides the exhibition centre, MUDAS has an auditorium, library, shop, cafeteria and restaurant. It is also the stage for multiple temporary exhibitions, musical shows, theatre plays or conferences.

Tuesday - Saturday: 09h30-13h00/14h00-17h30. CLOSED: Mondays, Sundays and public holidays

Estrada Simão Gonçalves da Câmara 37, 9370-139 Calheta, Madeira, Portugal.
32° 43' 23.6" N | 17° 10' 49.8" W
+351 289 587 483
mudas@madeira.gov.pt | Website