Porches
A hilltop village in Lagoa with a long pottery tradition, plus a stretch of coast crowned by the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Rocha.
Porches is a parish in the east of Lagoa municipality. The village itself sits on a hill inland, and is known for clay and pottery: hand-painted ceramics are still made and sold here. Its parish church is dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Encarnação.
The parish reaches down to a coast of rocky coves, caves and arches. On a narrow promontory between Praia da Senhora da Rocha and Praia Nova stands the small fort and whitewashed chapel of Nossa Senhora da Rocha, with views along the bay towards Armação de Pêra. A tunnel through the headland links the two beaches.