Madeira – photography trip 2025 – Part 2
The next morning we headed to the eastern end of the island. This is where the São Lourenço Peninsula stretches about 7–8 kilometers out into the ocean. The hike at Ponta de São Lourenço starts from a parking area created out of a roundabout. We arrived very early, so we didn’t have to pay an entrance fee. As far as I know there have been some changes since then, but I haven’t looked into exactly how it works now. The peninsula shows a completely different face of Madeira compared to the lush, forested green interior. Rain is scarce here, so only lower vegetation grows. Proper protection against the strong sunlight is highly recommended. Dávid wanted to photograph the sunrise from a spot called Miradouro do Abismo. It’s about 500 meters from the parking lot and is a higher peak offering a great view toward the southern side of the island. Since we arrived very early, I was able to take a photo well before sunrise, capturing the remaining lights of the night.
This is the northern side of the island before sunrise.
From the peninsula you can also see the Desertas Islands in the background. They lie about 30 kilometers from Madeira. Because they are an important bird nesting site and home to a very rare species of seal, the area is strictly protected. There is no permanent population on the islands. In principle, tourists may only land there with special permission and as part of an organized tour.
While waiting for sunrise, I also looked at the ocean beside the peninsula, where rocks of very mixed sizes rise out of the water.
The sides of the peninsula themselves offered interesting subjects as well, with layered basalt formations and reddish-brown cliff faces.
Sunrise finally arrived. After finishing at our first stop, we continued hiking outward along the peninsula. As you can see in the photos, the trail includes both smaller and larger curves.
The rocks and the stony ocean shore a bit closer.
A few photos taken at different stops:
At another viewpoint, I noticed that at one of the rocks rising from the water, massive waves were crashing against it,sometimes more densely, sometimes less frequently. At times, the mist from the water even painted a temporary rainbow. So I stopped there for a few shots. It’s hard to estimate the height of the breaking waves, but I think they may have reached several meters.
I fell a bit behind the others; mobile reception was inconsistent. I did manage to make a quick call to find out what the plan was. About 3 kilometers into the peninsula there is a place called Cafetaria Sardine House, café & snacks. That was our destination, and after a long photo session walk we took a break there. We ate and drank something, then headed back to the cars. In the afternoon, we visited the Alice Peak viewpoint, as well as another lookout point called Miradouro da Ponta do Rosto.
The island and the adjacent rocks from a slightly different perspective.
360-degree panorama.
We returned to the accommodation, put our gear on charge, reviewed the photos taken during the day, made backups, prepared sandwiches for the next day, to be continued soon.