The mills and fountains on the island of Porto Santo brought back to life for visitors to enjoy

Nearly a thousand kilometres south of Lisbon, in the middle of the Atlantic, stands Porto Santo, a biosphere reserve. Find out how this small island in the Madeira archipelago is restoring its unique heritage, showcasing its windmills and public fountains, to boost its tourism offering while preserving its heritage.

Porto Santo, nicknamed the "Golden Island", is now seeing its treasures of yesteryear revived thanks to an ambitious European project. Its windmills and old public fountains, emblematic symbols of its cultural identity, have been neglected for too long. Now, however, these traditional architectural features are being restored to offer locals and visitors alike a glimpse into the island's past.

Porto Santo was the temporary home of the famous navigator Christopher Columbus. Throughout its history, the Portuguese island played a key role as Madeira's granary, which led to the construction of its famous windmills in the 19th century. Today, these restored mills allow visitors to step back in time and relive the era when grain was ground to meet the region's food needs.

The restoration project is not limited to the windmills. The municipality of Porto Santo has also taken the initiative to restore more than a dozen public fountains, water basins and drinking troughs. These water sources, which were once vital to the local population, are now back in use, offering residents and visitors the chance to reclaim their cultural heritage. Schoolchildren who came to discover the island were able to learn about the history of the fountains and mills and their importance to the local population.

The visiting pupils were amazed to learn how mills were used to grind cereals and how fountains were designed to solve water supply