Just two hours into a relatively easy hike and we were stood on top of one of Madeira’s mountain peaks. We were surrounded by a view that one could usually only get from a small, cabin window of a Boeing 737.
We stood in awe at the view around us. The valleys below were completely blanketed by clouds, and only the tallest mountain peaks stood visible, in the gentle glow of the early morning sun. All of this and we were back at our hotel just in time for breakfast by the beach. Not a bad way to start the day, not bad at all!
Madeira is a special island, having earned its nickname, the Hawaii of Europe. A pretty accurate description considering the many micro-climates, and its mountainous interior, with lush, green forests encompassing much of the island.
We tried to capture a range of landscapes during our short visit here and were blessed with some amazing conditions during that time, hopefully we can inspire you to visit too!
Fanal Forest is a fantastic place to visit if you’re in to photography and nature.
It may be sunny on the rest of the island, but arrive here and you’re likely to find it completely covered in mist and fog. This makes for an incredibly eerie atmosphere and perfect for capturing some great photographs.
The forest was definitely one of our favourite places to explore during our trip and we loved the calmness of the whole area. We might recommend some wellies or sturdy footwear as the forest can become quite saturated and boggy.
The Madeiran Chaffinch is a bird you will see often in forest areas of Madeira. Surprisingly tame and incredibly fast – you’ll need a fast shutter speed to capture them.
We visited the mountain areas of Madeira multiple times during our visit, and each time the conditions were different! If you’re lucky you will even see a cloud inversion, which are quite common here. There are numerous hiking trails all of which offer jaw-dropping scenery, however if you’re short on time then there are some viewpoints which require little to no hiking.
I recommend bringing a polarizing filter for photography as the low-cloud can be quite harsh in reflecting the sunlight, oh and don’t forget your drone!
There are webcams doted all over Madeira where you can check the weather in real time. There is even one on top of Pico Do Arieiro. It is useful to check if the mountain is covered in cloud or not. However, the weather changes fast in the Madeira so sometimes you just need to head up there and wait for conditions to change. On one occasion we were driving up the winding road of the mountain in thick cloud, only for the veil of mist to lift once we reached the peak.
One of my favourite things to do whilst exploring the island was to pick out small details and objects with a telephoto lens. We were able to capture some interesting huts and buildings peeking through the mist, and the cloud inversion whilst hiking.
3 Comments
Your photos are fantastic! Absolutely beautiful!!
Wow! Madeira is breathtaking – such beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing!
Holy cow, your photos are amazing, as always. That bird shot. Absolutely stunning!