Porto Santo Airport – PXO Porto Santo, Portugal

Porto Santo Airport (PXO) found in the island of Porto Santo, Portugal has the distinction of being the first of its kind in the area. Built in 1959, it had a relatively small runway that was improved over the years, allowing it to handle around 2,000 aircraft movements per year and passengers of close to 175,000 annually.

Best Time to Visit

Unfortunately, the PXO-Porto Santo Airport has no Instrument Landing System (ILS) which allows the pilot to land the plane without being able to seen the runway. Instead, the facility operates using Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range and the Non-Directional Beacon, both of which are old-school but just as effective as ILS. Airlines with flights to the airport include Binter Canarias, TAP Air Portugal, and Sevenair. Seasonal flights are also available through Condor, TUI Airways, and TUI fly Belgium. Close by is the quaint municipality of Porto da Cruz, known for its distinctive Church of Nossa and Machico, one of the more populated municipalities in the island.

What to Do & Area Attractions

Situated in a quiet city with scenic attractions instead of a more modern city-scene, many of the hotels are small, unobtrusive, and boasting of an architecture that blends well with the overall area. The closest one is the Praia Duorada Hotel, measuring at almost 2km from the airport followed by the posh Pestana Colombos Premium Club All Inclusive at a more 2.5km distance. The Torre Praia Hotel is another well-received hotel with a distance of just 3km. The last two hotels come with city views and free private parking for those who want to rent cars during their stay.