Porto da Cruz & Madeira Rum Live: Engenhos do Norte

A live journey into Porto da Cruz, Madeira rum and local traditions

Join us live from Porto da Cruz, on Madeira´s dramatic northeast coast, for a journey into the landscapes, flavours and traditions that have shaped this historic rural community.

Part of the municipality of Machico, Porto da Cruz has been closely connected with agriculture, fishing and the Atlantic Ocean for centuries. Its fertile slopes, abundant water and subtropical climate helped establish crops including vines and sugarcane, while its small port provided an important connection with the sea.

Sugarcane became one of the crops that transformed Madeira after the settlement of the island and played an important role in its early economy. In Porto da Cruz, this agricultural heritage remains particularly visible today through the fields surrounding the village and the historic production of aguardente de cana and Madeira agricultural rum.

For this free live virtual experience, Sean will begin above Porto da Cruz at the Cabeço do Cerrado viewpoint, with panoramic views across the village, Atlantic coastline and the impressive Penha d´Águia, or Eagle Rock. From there, we will travel down towards the coast and experience some of the different elements that give Porto da Cruz its distinctive character.

One of the highlights of our experience will be a visit to Engenhos do Norte, also known as the North Mills Distillery. Built in 1927 and incorporating historic machinery, the working mill is one of Madeira´s most important examples of living sugarcane heritage.

Madeira agricultural rum is produced from the fermentation and distillation of fresh sugarcane juice, creating a direct connection between the spirit, the farmers who cultivate the cane and the Madeiran landscape where it grows.

During our visit, Carla from Engenhos do Norte will join us and help us discover more about the historic mill, its machinery and the traditions behind the production of Madeira agricultural rum. We will also visit the tasting room to sample some of the distillery´s rums and learn more about their different styles.

Engenhos do Norte also produces traditional poncha using its aguardente de cana, connecting one of Madeira´s best-known drinks directly with the island´s historic sugarcane industry.

For travellers who would like to experience this side of Madeira in person, Engenhos do Norte is also included in our Madeira Culinary Journey, where we go deeper into the island´s rum, wine, local producers, regional gastronomy and culinary traditions.

Porto da Cruz also has its own distinctive food and wine traditions. During our live experience, we plan to meet José Pequeno at Snack Bar Fragateira and enjoy a traditional dentinho of gaiado seco with vinho seco.

Gaiado seco is sun-dried skipjack tuna, part of an older Madeiran tradition of preserving fish, while the local vinho seco reflects Porto da Cruz´s rural wine culture. Historically, wine from the parish was transported along Madeira´s mountain paths in animal-skin wineskins by men known as borracheiros.

Alongside these older traditions, Porto da Cruz has also developed a relaxed surf culture, particularly around Praia da Alagoa, where Atlantic waves meet one of the most dramatic mountain and coastal landscapes in eastern Madeira.

This experience reflects the kind of Madeira we love to share at Eat & Walkabout: sustainable, immersive travel rooted in local gastronomy, agricultural heritage, landscape and the people who keep Madeira´s traditions alive.

To learn more about the destination, including Madeira rum, sugarcane, gaiado seco, vinho seco, levadas, viewpoints, surf culture and local traditions, visit our Porto da Cruz food and travel guide.

You can also watch the replay of our Santo da Serra Market, Cheese Tasting & Cooking Demo, exploring another side of eastern Madeira through artisan cheese, local producers, the traditional Sunday market and countryside cooking.

And for another Madeira live experience, join us for our Madeira Wine Harvest Festival Live: Festa das Vindimas in Câmara de Lobos, where we explore Madeira´s grape harvest, ethnographic parade and traditional grape stomping.

Join Porto da Cruz & Madeira Rum Live

Our free live virtual experience takes place on Monday, September 14th, 2026 at 4:15 PM Madeira Time.

Register below for free and we will send you the YouTube Live link so you can join Sean live from Porto da Cruz.

This free live virtual experience takes place on one special date:

Live virtual experience date:
Monday, September 14th, 2026 @ 4:15 PM Madeira Time (90 mins. approx.)

Register free here:
Register for the free live stream

Join Sean live from Porto da Cruz for a journey through Madeira´s northeast coast, connecting panoramic landscapes, sugarcane, agricultural rum, local food traditions and the Atlantic Ocean.

We plan to begin at the Cabeço do Cerrado viewpoint, high above Porto da Cruz, where we can enjoy panoramic views over the village, cultivated slopes, coastline and the dramatic Penha d´Águia, or Eagle Rock.

From the viewpoint, we will make our way down towards Porto da Cruz and continue on foot, passing the surfing area around Praia da Alagoa before arriving at Engenhos do Norte, also known as the North Mills Distillery.

At Engenhos do Norte, we will meet Carla, who will show us around the historic sugarcane mill and help us learn more about Madeira agricultural rum, aguardente de cana and the importance of sugarcane to Porto da Cruz and the island.

We will then continue to the tasting room for a Madeira rum tasting and learn more about some of the rums produced at Engenhos do Norte, as well as their traditional poncha made with aguardente de cana.

After the rum visit, we plan to continue through Porto da Cruz and stop at Snack Bar Fragateira, where we will meet José Pequeno for a traditional dentinho of gaiado seco with vinho seco.

Our final walk will take us towards the Porto da Cruz promenade and bathing complex, where we will finish beside the Atlantic with views across the coast and surrounding mountains, followed by some time for live questions and answers.

The exact route and timing may vary slightly during the live stream as we explore Porto da Cruz in real time.