Dawn over the Desert Islands just off Madiera.

Madiera itself. That cliff on the left is about 600m tall. There are houses perched on the edge.

The pretty city of Funchal. Like the Canary Islands, very touristy.

Câmara de Lobos. A little fishing village not far from Funchal.

Câmara de Lobos. The rock wall is mostly natural.

Câmara de Lobos village. Bought a fridge magnet there.

At one of the viewports after an long climb up steep streets. About 600m high here.

Went even higher. This is an isolated village in the mountains.

The glass walkway at the top of the big cliff on the coast. Its 580m straight down to the water.

The view from the cliff without the glass in the way. Its a looong way down.

Poncha is a local alcoholic drink. 40% proof. We had some but fresh made. Strong and smooth.

Stop 8 : Madeira

May 27 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

Dropped by the island of Madiera, which is Portuguese territory. Another volcanic Atlantic island. Similar to the Canary Islands but not the same.
After complaining about no whales all this trip saw two at the harbour entrance along with 20 or so dolphins.
Went on a '4WD' tour in the mountains behind Funchal, the main city. Not a lot of off roading but boy are the roads steep, narrow and winding. The views from up high are breathtaking.
This is our last 'exotic' stop. Next stop is Vigo in mainland Spain, two days at sea away. Thats our last stop before Southampton.Read more