Machico is historically one of the oldest settlements in Madeira, as the island's discoverers first set foot on land there. The town quickly gained regional and economic importance through the cultivation of sugar cane, even before today's metropolis of Funchal. Today, the inhabitants live mainly from agriculture, fishing, wine-growing and, of course, tourism. As Madeira's second largest municipality, Machico has long since become an exciting little town with numerous small alleyways and pretty restaurants in the very well-kept old town. Holidaymakers enjoy the beautiful landscapes around the town on hikes along the nearby irrigation channels, the so-called levadas. Madeira, with its steeply rising coasts, has few sandy beaches. Therefore, a very beautiful beach was artificially created in Machico with sand from Morocco.