Santana is a pretty village on the north coast of Madeira, famous for its thatched houses (Casas de Colmo). They have been rebuilt according to their original design. People and animals once lived together in these tiny houses, whose thatched roofs reach almost to the ground. More than 100 original houses have been preserved in Santana and in the neighbouring village of Sâo Jorge. Today, they are listed as historical monuments and some of them are even still inhabited. The village got its name from the small chapel of Santa Ana, which was built by the first settlers in the 16th century. Today, a 17th century church stands in its place. This region lives mainly from agriculture, handicrafts and its traditions. Potatoes, maize, wheat, wicker - surrounded by Madeira's most fertile soil, the small town of Santana with its 5,000 inhabitants stretches along a small river over a high coastal plain to the sea. Here, the landscape unfolds in large terraces. Santana is an excellent starting point for hikes and excursions into the mountains of Madeira - from here you can easily explore the rugged north and the peaks. Hikers are especially drawn to Queimadas from Santana, as this is the starting point for the Calderão Verde ("green cauldron"), one of the most spectacular levada hikes on the island.