Porto Santo and Madeira could not be more different. Except in winter (when humidity makes its fields verdant again), the chalky soil of Porto Santo, devoid of vegetation, gives the island the ochre tinge of a desert. Its landscape is made up of a large plain with a few "peaks" to the east. The highest, Pico do Facho is 517m high. The lovely beach - 8km of golden sand on the island's south coast - attracts water sports enthusiasts and those in quest of peace and quiet.