The Healing Sands of Porto Santo
“For centuries, locals have claimed that the sands of Porto Santo have healing properties. It sounds like a good ‘rouse’ to attract more visitors. But, as it turns out,... it’s true!”
Scientists from the University of Oslo in Norway and the University of Aveiro in mainland Portugal found that the ‘carbonate biogenic sands’ that cover Porto Santo’s 9km of uninterrupted golden beach are high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, sulphur and strontium, all extremely helpful in the relief of rheumatism and other arthritic complaints - not to mention gout, osteoporosis and fibromyalgia!
Only two beaches in the world have such biologically helpful properties…
There are only two beaches in the world that have such biologically helpful properties, Porto Santo and Ibusuki Beach in Southern Japan.
The prescribed method on Porto Santo, as you can witness if you take a stroll along the shore on a nice, warm, sunny day, is to be buried up to your neck in health-enhancing silica and soak up its benefits for at least an hour or two! Your skin needs to get hot enough to perspire to get the full effect. Repeat on a daily basis for at least 5 or 6 days and you’ll be as ‘good as new’! Or so they say!
“Cristiano Ronaldo swears by it…”
If you prefer something more sophisticated and are happy to pay hotels such as the Hotel Porto Santo offer a comprehensive spa experience including their ‘Hot Sand Therapy’.
Cristiano Ronaldo swears by it! Experiencing some thigh muscle issues in 2018, the Madeira-born soccer superstar, accompanied by his mother, Dolores, headed to Porto Santo for a weekend to take ‘the treatment’. He hasn’t looked back since. In fact, it was rumoured he took some Porto Santo sand away with him - which you’re strictly not supposed to. But then, who on these islands is going to argue with CR7.
Porto Santo’s beach is wonderful for a stroll at any time of the year.
I’m always delighted to stroll the lengths of Porto Santo’s beach. There’s something magical about this stretch of silicon sands. Even in the depths of winter - January and February - not that Madeira’s winter has much depth, you can enjoy this wonderful beach's air and visual delights.
Of course, there are the distractions of the various beach bars along the way…
