Paul do Mar
Paul do Mar is a civil parish in the municipality of Calheta, in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. The population in 2011 was 871, in an area of 1.40 km. History. The origin of the toponymy "paul do mar" is linked to its geographic position, since "paul" refers to an elongated zone, which is justified by the parish's location along the southwest coast of Madeira. Its exposure to the ocean, and historical periods when the sea bathed the area with seawater, once characterised the area as the "Sitio da Lagoa" or "Alagoa" ( or "the lake"). Historically , the area experienced flooding from the sea when the Atlantic submerged and inundated fields to a depth of one metre. As a result, a salt factory was established. But, this was closed long ago. Since the construction of a new higher sea wall and ocean front with road and parking the sea flooding has stopped. Paul do Mar's Catholic Church is dedicated to the patron saint of the village Santo Amaro. Geography. Paul do Mar is accessible by two roads: one connecting the parish with Porto Moniz, Santana, Calheta and Funchal to the east, and another which connects the  village to Fajã da Ovelha and Jardim do Mar, along the Atlantic Ocean. It is located about 3 km from the urbanized area of Calheta and about 1 km from Fajã da Ovelha. Calheta has an important art centre () and many of the typical facilities that you would expect in a small village. The historic municipal pedestrian way Caminho Real connects Paúl do Mar with Prazeres. During low tide and when the sea is not too rough, it is possible to walk along the rocky beach to Jardim do Mar. The parish is divided into five localities: Sport is popular , and football clubs include the "Paulense" (representing the locality of Ribeira das Galinhas, Serrado da Cruz and Lagoa) and the "Santo Amaro" club (which represented the localities of Igreja and Quebrada). Economy. The main activity in Paul do Mar and its area is fishing and agriculture, particularly the cultivation of banana and tourism including eco-tourism activities such as dolphin and whalewatching. Paul do Mar has significant commercial businesses for a village, including shops, a small supermarket, bars, cafes, restaurants, a patisserie/bakery, a main primary school, Catholic church, a health centre, a bank, a football ground, a four-star  hotel, and a number of self-catering holiday houses and apartments. Culture. There are many festas in the village throughout the year particularly in the summer months including the festa celebrating the Patron Saint of the village Santo Amaro from 14–15 January and The Festa da Lapa (the festival of the shellfish/limpets) which lasts from a Friday to a Sunday night in the month of July. Sport. The waves break large and surfing is enjoyed here by experienced surfers. In 2001 Paul do Mar was one of the venues for the World Surfing Championships. Paul do Mar Paul do