Fonte da Areia

On the north coast, Porto Santo's historic spring: its water, once held sacred, was said to be the purest on the island, and an 18th-century fountain still stands nearby. In the 19th century, together with Tanque and Fontinha, it was one of the island's only three springs. All around, pale sandstone cliffs carved by the wind: dune sandstones, biogenic carbonate sandstones piled up over the last two million years, the oldest about 31,000 years old. Four units separated by palaeosols, calcareous crusts ("laginhas de cal"), root casts and fossil land snails tell of former vegetated landscapes under prevailing northerly winds. Geosite, scientific heritage and a natural area of strongly restricted use, 25 m from the road with easy access. From the viewpoint: Ilhéu da Fonte da Areia and the north coast; this is also where the walk down to the Porto das Salemas pools begins.