São Vicente is a picturesque town on Madeira's northern coast. Its wonderful 17th-century church boasts some fine baroque carvings and numeours azulejos, the typical Portuguese mosaics that are featured on so many buildings throughout the country.
Most people visit São Vicente for its caves, which are known as the Grutas de São Vicente. The caves were formed by lava flows from the Paúl de Serra. Occasionally, flowing lava can cool at the top and bottom in such a way that it solidifies and forms a rock-tube through which molten lava continues to flow. When the lava-flow slows, a hollow tube sometimes remains. This is what happened in São Vicente. Adjacent to the caves is an interesting museum about volcanism.
The whitewashed chapel of Nossa Senhora de Fátima sits at the top of a nearby hill.
Not far from São Vicente is the town of Rosario, which features a lovely church.
Accommodation and restaurants are available in town. São Vicente is 22 km northwest of Funchal.
Find a flight to São Vicente