Photographing Madeira: The best locations for epic photos
Introduction
Madeira is becoming something of a hot spot for landscape photography and in recent years, more and more people come to the island for this purpose - and rightfully so.
I have personally discovered Madeira through other photographers who went there and showed some amazing work and after having been there myself, I fell in love.
2024 was my third time visiting Madeira as a landscape photographer but also to enjoy the island as a vacation and hiking destination. In this blog, I want to share my favorite locations for epic photos that I explored in the last 3 years.
Ponta de São Lourenço
Description: An otherworldly and dramatic coastline
Time of day: Sunrise (recommended), Sunset
Hiking level: 3.2km one way (Easy - Moderate)
Starting off strong with one of the absolute top locations in Madeira for seascape and coastline lovers. This eastern tip of Madeira holds some of the most incredible rock formations, sea stacks and cliffs that you will ever lay eyes on. It is a natural masterpiece and it has a plethora of photographic opportunities from the ground but also with a drone.
There are many different viewpoints on the way to Ponta de São Lourenço and on the hike itself and you can wander off in many different directions to capture those epic views.
The hike is 3.2km one way to the tip of it where you cannot go any further, but the views are spectacular all the way there. The hike itself is not difficult, however the last part to go to the tip and the last reachable viewpoint by foot is a bit steep and has very uneven ground.
A few things to keep in mind about this location:
It’s very popular, so you will share it with many people, even at sunrise
It is very close to the airport, therefore you cannot fly a drone on a big portion of it. Permit is also required.
I’d recommend hiking there first to explore before doing photography: you have many different possible angles, compositions, etc.
It has very steep and eroding cliffs on all sides so stay within the path. Also be aware of overhanging cliffs.
The weather here can be tricky. The eastern tip of Madeira tends to be cloudier and windier, so you probably need to return multiple times to get the right conditions.
Miradouro Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela
Description: Madeira’s most imposing sea stacks
Time of day: Sunrise (recommended)
Hiking level: No hiking required
These beautiful sea stacks on the north coast of Madeira are once again a hot spot but they are popular for a reason. The Janela formation is composed of 3 stacks, the tallest one being an imposing 40 meters high.
Firstly, they have a fantastic placement for sunrise where you get beautiful back or side light throughout the year. This allows for incredible photographic opportunities with lit up skies and the dramatic presence of the sea stacks.
Secondly, the beach often has really big waves coming in and when that happens, you get those truly epic shots. The beach there is also beautiful with round and pleasingly looking rocks that can create a beautiful foreground.
And lastly, if you have a drone, you can get some spectacular aerial photos and footage at this location. You can experiment flying in between the sea stacks, over them, as well as capturing the waves hitting the rocks.
A few extra points here:
This is another quite popular location so be there early if you’d like a front row seat at sunrise
Be careful of the waves - they get really big, so don’t get too close
You need a permit to fly a drone
Although this is one of those classic photographer locations that everyone sees on socials, I still consider it a favorite. That’s because of the sheer epicness of the sea stacks but also because you don’t have to take the same photo that everyone takes - you can experiment going around on the beach and above it, finding angles and foregrounds. The light also plays a huge role here so it is an absolute must see as a landscape photographer.
Pico Areeiro
&
Pico Ruivo
Description: Madeira’s tallest peaks
Time of day: Sunrise, Sunset
Hiking level: 3-6 km one way (Moderate - Difficult)
The two tallest peaks in Madeira hold some of the most impressive and epic mountain views you can get.
You can access both of them by car and hike to the peak, or you can do the famous PR1 Verada do Areeiro hike between the 2 peaks, which is long and strenuous but is absolutely mindblowing. The entire mountain range there is stunning and the hiking paths are very well maintained despite being so high up.
From a photographic standpoint, I’d recommend a sunrise at Pico Areeiro towards the stairway to heaven path (which I have not personally done but it is a very popular spot), or either sunset or sunrise on the Pico Ruivo path.
The path not only has incredible views all around into the valleys, but you get to see down to the coastline and even the tip of Ponta de São Lourenço at the end of the island! Additionally, there is incredibly rich and beautiful vegetation, gnarly dead, old trees and incredible mountain peaks.
To keep in mind:
Hiking distances here are long - so keep that in mind when you plan how much time you need
Here also I’d recommend scouting first during the day before going to photograph, if you choose to do sunrise
Altitude is 1700m + here, so it is much colder and windier than by the coast. Dress properly
Drone permits rarely get approved here due to a radio tower on top of Pico Areeiro.
Certain sections are not suitable for people with vertigo/fear of heights
Verada do Larano
Description: Madeira’s most beautiful coastal hike
Time of day: Sunrise (recommended)
Hiking level: 11 km one way (Moderate - Difficult)
This verada (hike) is considered to be the most beautiful coastline walk in Madeira. We discovered this path this year for the first time and it completely blew our minds.
The walk is located on the north coast and stretches for around 11km from Faial and finishes off at Ponta de São Lourenço. It also provides a very unique angle to come towards Ponta de São Lourenço which is much less explored.
As a landscape photographer you have endless opportunities to photograph the dramatic shapes of the coastline at every turn. Since it is a long hike, I would recommend starting at sunrise and finishing off 3-4 hours later at the beginning of Ponta de São Lourenço.
The only limitation you have here is that you need to stick to the path pretty much all the way, with few small exceptions. The path is not very busy at sunrise so you can stop and take photos.
You can also start this hike at sunrise from the Ponta de São Lourenço side and go up to see some of the incredible viewpoints towards the west. I truly enjoyed this hike and the views are simply jaw-dropping, while not many photographers have made it here.
You will encounter incredible cliffs, sea stacks, rock formations, flowers and lush vegetation - all within the same path.
To consider:
We took a taxi back to our starting point - the hike is long and has a few steep ups and downs. It takes anything between 3-4.5 hours to complete (depending how often you stop). You don’t have to do all of it though, you will get incredible sights from early on.
Not suitable for people with vertigo and fear of heights
Be aware of the weather forecast - the north coast can be quite rainy and windy at times, the cliff-sides can have powerful wind gusts.
Fanal Forest
Description: The enchanted endemic forest in Madeira
Time of day: All day, recommended in fog
Hiking level: Easy - few steep parts
The magical Fanal forest needs no introduction. I believe that most of us photographers have seen a million images from this place by now and probably even feel like it has been photographed excessively, that there is nothing left to discover.
Well, I am here to tell you that to me, that is not the case at all. And here’s why.
Firstly, the area most people stick to is the one by the entrance which is also flat and does indeed have some beautiful twisted trees. However, what people who haven’t been there don’t know is the forest is SO much bigger than that and you can wander off in many different sections that most people never reach. It also has a very steep section which ends in a cliff which is really beautiful and much less visited.
Secondly, the trees are so unique and diverse that there are essentially endless compositions you can play around with. I could probably spend a week just going there trying my hand at all sorts of angles, focal lengths, foregrounds and framing.
Thirdly, there is a big section of forest which is outside the official Fanal forest enclosure which hosts the same type of twisted, gnarly trees as within it, the difference being that it is a bit less open, and has more density. Regardless, it is a gorgeous area where you can wander off and explore.
Now that I hopefully made my point of how worth it is to visit the forest as a photographer, there are a few extra considerations:
The weather
The forest lies at 1100m altitude and therefore is subject to very changing mountain weather. The fog everyone chases is in fact low cloud which comes and goes no matter the time of day.
Predicting fog at this location is notoriously difficult. Usually, if the north coast has the mountain tops covered in cloud, there is a decent chance of fog at Fanal. You will most likely need several attempts before you nail the right conditions.
Crowdedness
Needless to mention, the forest is really crowded at all times of day, but especially after 9AM. Also due to the nature of the weather, you will sometimes have to be there during rush hour, in which case I would really recommend walking further to the less explored parts of the forest.
Miradouro do Guindaste
Description: Dramatic straight-edge cliff on the north coast
Time of day: Sunrise (recommended)
Hiking level: No hiking required
This place is once again a pretty popular spot for photographers and I also consider it to be one of my favorites. However, it is not my favorite due to the spot itself but also because of all the surrounding viewpoints in the area if you put in a little extra effort.
The viewpoint itself is fantastic at sunrise and is typically photographed with a person standing on the edge of the cliff.
There are multiple angles you can approach the scene from and I personally liked to play with a variety of foregrounds here. However, the main composition remains more or less the same.
You can also pull out your long lens and zoom in on the details far out as you can once again see the tip of the peninsula from this spot.
The reason I added this one to my list is because the cliff itself is so characteristic and powerful and it can be seen from all sorts of different angles. If you go further east on the coast you will find other viewpoints (miradouros) which will offer incredible compositions towards this dramatic rock.
I loved seeing it from much higher up and playing around with lush vegetation as foreground, for example.
Keep in mind:
Very popular at sunrise - when we arrived 20 minutes before, there was already a row of photographers lined up at the edge of the cliff. Come early.
The cliff where the subject stands is very eroded. I would highly advise against walking on the left edge of it.
This location works great in moody weather as well.
Road ER110 Viewpoints
Description: Madeira’s most scenic road
Time of day: Sunrise, sunset
Hiking level: No hiking. Driving
This road is absolutely stunning and it is worth driving it in its entirety. The road diverges from outside Archadas da Cruz on the west side of the island and crosses a beautiful plateau with incredible views at almost every turn.
The viewpoints are very easily visible and accessible from the car so you can simply stop anywhere you get the chance.
I’d really recommend driving this road at sunrise or sunset to get incredible light above the clouds while still being able to see into valleys and down to the ocean.
Gear-wise, I would recommend a standard zoom and long lens here as you will probably like to pick out details far out in the distance. A drone is also a great tool to have here.
Important to note:
The wildfire from 2023 has burnt down the vegetation on the north western section of the road, until around the fork with ER210. Sadly that section should be avoided for the time being.
There is currently a road closure right after Miradouro da Bica da Cana which means you will have to go back from this point.
Miradouro da Bica da Cana
Description: Dramatic viewpoint above the clouds
Time of day: Sunrise (recommended)
Hiking level: 10 minutes, Easy
Lastly, here is my favorite viewpoint for sunrise above the clouds and a view towards some absolutely gorgeous mountains and valleys.
This viewpoint is perhaps the most loved spot to watch the sun rise as it offers epicness on many levels.
What you want to aim for here is for a partly cloudy sunrise with low cloud but no medium or high cloud as the viewpoint is placed at around 1500m altitude.
You should aim to be at the parking lot around 30 minutes before sunrise and start the 10 minute walk. If you are lucky you will be met with a pre-sunrise glow over the peaks and a bed of clouds rolling over the mountains below.
This location is fantastic in the right conditions however it is not the easiest to get them, also depending on the time of year you’re going. I was not able to get that perfect blanket of clouds but even without it, the landscape is outstanding.
I’d also recommend a drone here, especially if you want to include yourself as the subject watching the scene from the viewpoint.
Other things you should know about Madeira
The weather is hard to predict.
Madeira has microclimates and the weather can change drastically during the day as well.
In general, the weather can be hard to predict and you need to leave yourself time to return to a location a few times.
You also need to pay attention to the patterns of the weather system there which comes with experience and trial and error. Try using multiple weather apps and this website for mountain forecasts.
Do location scouting before a shoot.
I would really recommend scouting locations beforehand, getting the lay of the land before going for an actual shoot.
The geography of Madeira is steep and dramatic, there are many elements that have to work together - it is a complex landscape which requires a bit of preparation.
Watch your step and dress properly.
Many people pay with their life for underestimating Madeira. It is a very, very steep island with tall, eroding cliffs, mountains and many opportunities to drop into the abyss.
Be careful and don’t forget how high up you are, almost at all times.
Also, despite being a tropical island, the weather can still be quite harsh at times, especially on the north coast and up in the mountains (winds, rain, poor visibility).
Bring many layers and remember that the temperature can drop from 20 to 6 degrees within 30 minutes of driving. Always have a raincoat with you.
Expect intense driving.
Madeira can be a scary place for inexperienced drivers. The quality of the roads is however, for the most part, really really good.
Roads are very steep and curvy, often narrow; so consider your driving skills before going there and how comfortable you are driving in these conditions. I drove a manual car all 3 times but many people prefer automatic for more comfort.
Drone permits are required all over Madeira.
You need to apply for permits on the Portuguese AAN website no matter your drone size.
You can register, make a profile and add each district individually.
Some districts get auto-approved, while for some areas you need to enter a specific area with GPS coordinates and wait around 45 days for an answer. Some areas may get rejected.
There you have it! Hopefully this blog gave you some inspiration for your next trip to Madeira but also some tips to help you plan and know what to expect.
There are many other locations in Madeira which are amazing, so explore the island beyond the most obvious places and you will be amazed at what you find!
You can also join a very useful Facebook group for Madeira travellers where people share tips, information, updates on trails or anything else related to the island. Highly recommend!
If you have any questions, pop them in the comments section!
With love,
Alexandra
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