The origins of the island are wrapped up in mystery. At least such is the way Alberto Vieira, a Madeiran historian, begins a thorough work on the island of Porto Santo. This mystery is due, he says, to the lack of conclusive documents. “All of this favours the scholars’ imagination and creates difficulties to the historian”.

According to the historian, the chronicles regarding the origin of the name have been interpreted in many different ways. One of them, the most widely known and disclosed theory, talks of a storm, endured by João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz, at the service of Prince Henry.

The historian recalls that, according to João de Barros, they were on their way to another destination when they got caught by a storm that made them leave their course.
In 1418, after many unpleasant hours and days, they arrived at the island, which they called Porto Santo.

There is also another version, historically documented, which tells that at earlier times, a ship have found safe harbour on the island, after a violent storm.

According to the historian, it is not possible to know how the settlement took place, nor the origin of the island’s settlers. He points out, however, that there is a strong presence of people from the Algarve and their aristocratic lineage.

The settlement of Porto Santo Island began in 1418.
There is also the fact that Porto Santo is connected to one of the most important events in the European expansion: the discovery of America by Columbus, who lived for some time on the island. When in Porto Santo, Columbus would have heard of the existence of land to the west, which took him to prepare his quest.