MADEIRA PHOTOGRAPHY ADVENTURE PORTUGAL FEBRUARY 2025

MADEIRA PHOTOGRAPHY ADVENTURE – THE GARDEN OF THE ATLANTIC

Destination Summary

This Madeira photography adventure takes place on the autonomous little Portuguese island that lies off the coast of the north west African coast. It offers waterfalls, misty woodlands, colourful villages, mountain vistas, colourful flora, sea stacks and ocean pools, verdant terraced hillsides all with a unique Portuguese flavour.

Part of an archipelago of 4 islands, Maderia is known as the Garden of the Atlantic and year round has a warm subtropical climate. The lush forested slopes, deep ravines and huge oceanside cliffs are  sit on the peaks of high mountains / shield volcano that lie submerged 6km below.

On this 7 day Madeira photography adventure  you’ll experience and capture the ancient Levadas ( centuries old, stone channeled water courses ) high waterfalls and cascades surrounded by cool lush laurel woodland with glimpses of mountain landscapes and coastal cliffs.

Madeira has a mountainous interior and late afternoon we’ll make our way to Pico Arierio summit  (by van)   for  incredible views and vistas. Looking out over the peaks there are short trails that lead to view points and we’ll capture the sunset as it drops into the Atlantic Ocean covering the rugged peaks with warm atmospheric light.

Little villages cling to the vivid green terraced hill sides and waves crash into the black volcanic rocky beaches and headlands that fringe the island. We’ll visit Porto de Cruz in the north, Coral des Freis which is surrounded by high mountain peaks and Porto de Sol in the south to try and capture a stunning sunset.

Natural swimming lagoons have been cleverly adapted as safe cooling off spots to relax after a day exploring the Levadas and villages (bring a towel).

The island’s reputation is changing from a winter retreat to a more adventure driven location, with people discovering the hidden secrets of this beautiful Portuguese Island full of varied  locations, vivid colour, history and adventure. So grab some winter sun and your camera gear and book your spot on this Madeira Photography Adventure.

Contact Glen now to register your interest before it sells out.

Accommodation

We’ll have two bases during our trip , the first one in the south east in the old capital of Machico , close to the beach. All single occupancy rooms ( 4 nights ).

Our second base lies in  north west in the little town of Porto Moniz, ( Aqua Natura Madeira hotel ) famed for its azure blue swimming holes. Rooms will be single occupancy with breakfast. More details will be available soon.

Extra Info

Getting There

Madiera has Funchal airport ( Cristiano Ronaldo Airport ) and International flights are available via Lisbon (Long Haul) or direct from most European cities. Madeira is a popular year round destination with holiday flight providers like Tui, Ryanair, Jet 2 plus more all providing economical fares.

Time zone – same as UK

Meet up  16:30 on the  24th February  in Santa Cruz, a short 10 min taxi ride from the airport.

End point will be in Santa Cruz or the nearby International airport on the final day @ 14:00hrs on the 2nd March

Climate

It’s a year round easy going climate with winter / early spring temps around 18-20C. It can be cooler early on and late evening with showers on occasion and some cloudy misty mountains are not unusual. So pack a light rain jacket, hiking shoes, short and long pants and light layers.

Fitness levels

Medium Fitness levels

Madeira has a mountainous interior so we’re going to encounter some hills and short climbs once we get away from the coast.

We plan doing two Levada hikes to experience and capture this unique aspect of the Island. One is pretty flat with narrow sections at times and the Fontes 25 walk has a 15 – 20 min steep section  9 on the way out) with some steps, but most people will have no problems taking their time with rests.

There is also a short 5- 10 minute but steep cliff top hike, but well worth the effort. As always everything is optional.

Your invited to check out some testimonials from previous photo adventures here