Trip to Porto Santo

On May 6th, I went to Porto Santo to see firsthand how the SIGA network is operating and to understand whether there have been improvements compared to the former service provided by Moinho Rent-a-Car.

First of all, I want to thank the driver João, the other João, and Paulo for their friendliness and availability in showing me how the public transport service on the island works.

Overall, I felt that the local population is satisfied. There’s a noticeable improvement compared to the previous service. However, one point deserves attention,the route to the airport. At the moment, the schedules are not well aligned with flight times, especially those of the Binter airline. Often, the bus leaves the airport without any passengers, which in my opinion doesn’t make much sense. As an example, the bus to Porto de Abrigo is synchronized with the ferry arrivals from Porto Santo Line, with three or more connections to the port. Of course, this is just my opinion, so feel free to share yours in the comments.

As for the rest of the service, it is working very well. There are buses to Calheta approximately every half hour, which is excellent. There are also routes to Camacha, Campo de Cima, Lapeira, and Serra de Fora, areas with stunning landscapes. I was very positively surprised by the service provided in Porto Santo. Unlike what happens in Madeira, here there was a real fleet renewal and a clear improvement in public transport.

If you're staying in the Calheta or Cabeço area, I highly recommend using the buses, they’re practical, affordable, and frequent. For those staying in more remote areas like Serra de Fora, Campo de Cima, Lapeira, or Camacha, you might experience some limitations due to the lower frequency of service.

In short, I loved the experience and I hope to return to Porto Santo soon. A big thank you to everyone for the opportunity!

Miradouro da Portela, Porto Santo