The Ultimate Madeira Landscape Photography Guide
Last summer I went on an epic 7 day landscape photography trip in Madeira! This guide covers basics like where to stay, hike, photograph and more!
How to Get to Madeira
Madeira is a stunning island off the coast of Portugal that has recently come more popular for travel thanks to social media. It can be challenging to get to due to the small airport and heavy winds on the island. I flew through Newark which is the only place in Madeira that flys direct as of now. Many places in Eurpoe also fly to Madeira. Since the runway is so small and the winds can be strong many flights are cancelled or diverted to Madeira so keep that in mind when planning travel.
Where to Stay In Madeira And How to Get Around Madeira
I stayed at an Airbnb while in Maderia. The apartment I stayed at can be booked here and I would reccomend this place because of its affordable cost, AC, and proximity to walking around Funchal. I also rented a car while in Maderia so that I had the flexibility to go where I wanted and when which is key for timing and landscape photography. I would highly suggest using a local company to rent rather than a big chain as you will save a lot of money doing that. I booked with Madpoint and had a positive experience. I would also suggest getting the premiem car insurance as I got a few scrapes on my car due to the narrow parking spaces at the Airbnb. Also a lot of reviews online say you need a specific type of car to navigate up the steep hills and I was just fine going with the cheapest automatic option available.
Day 1 - Arrival in Funchal, My Best Meal and Sunset at Ponta da Ladeira
My first day I arrived around 11am and spent the morning and afternoon settling into the Airbnb and exploring a little of Funchal. I will say the walk from Funchal back up the hill to the Airbnb was a struggle and is very steep but a little extra exercise never hurt! Something else I learned quickly in Madeira is that at most restaurants the service is very slow and its just the way of life out there so if you are in a hurry to be somewhere you’ll just have to flag someone down to move things along.
Next I headed West on the island and was amazed by the views just driving for a short 20 minutes. I went to Razão for dinner my first night and would highly reccomend! It was an incredible 5 course meal that is unique daily based on what the chef has available and was under $100 USD which is a great deal for the quality, also the view overlooking the ocean was spectacular!
Next I headed to Ponta Da Ladeira for sunset. The parking lot was very small (only 3 cars or so fit) but there was plenty of parking along the road. This location involved no hiking but was on a steep cliff so be careful! Photography here is pretty simple, I’d suggest using a wide lens to capture part of the island cliffs and the ocean. Sunset is definately the best time to photograph this location because it is West facing with the sun setting in the distance.
Day 2 - Ponta do Rosto, Fanal Forest, and Pico do Arieiro
I started day 2 like most day, very early before sunrise. The nice thing about Madeira is that everything is about a 30-40 minute drive at the most from Funchal so it is a good center point to be at. I headed to the São Lourenço area which has a long trail and a lof of different view points. This is one of the most famous and well known locations in Madeira for photography and is East facing so best for sunrise photography. This morning it was overcast and I didn’t come away with any images I loved but I did scout the area a little bit for later on in the trip.
Next I made the drive to the also famous Fanal Forest and got incredibly lucky with some fog! Most people say to get here in the morning to experience the fog but it was around 3pm and there was a ton of fog and moisture in the air. Something key to know about Madeira is that it can be sunny with no cloud in Funchal and then the Fanal Forest can be covered in fog just a 30 minute drive away. I also think that my visit in the fog and it being later in the day led to there being less people or maybe I just couldn’t see them beyond the fog! Anyways this was one of my favorite places and moments of the whole trip, there is so much area to explore here and amazing spooky photos to capture of the unique trees. The Fanal Forest does allow for a lot of creativity and some abstract photographs, you could bring really any lens you want but I would probably suggest a zoom lens that has the ability to go up to at least 100mm to get some abstract photos.
I didn’t think things could get much better after my time at the Fanal Forest but boy was I wrong. I drove up the treacherous steep road to Pico Do Ariero for sunset and climbed above the fog! It was amazing to witness this view I’ve seen online in person and of course the photographs I saw couldn’t compare. I literally felt as if I was in Heaven above the clouds! Again a wide angle lens here helps capture the magnitude of the moment but a zoom lens can also capture some really powerful photos of the fog rolling over the mountains. When I went in summer of 2025 the PR1 trail was closed but the 1mi or so hike to the closure was still stunning and worth it. Something to keep in mind is that the hike out is pretty easy but on the way back there is a lot of uphill elevation and it is a little challenging. Also a ton of people visit this location, sunset is much less croweded than sunrise though and just as stunning. I came here for sunrise one morning and actually left because it was such a mess but sunset wasn’t too bad.
Day 3 - Scuba Diving in Madeira and Sunset Hike at São Lourenço
This was the only day I slept in! I went down to Funchal around 11am to Azul Scuba for a refresher course in prepartation of a future Scuba trip. They were great at covering all the main points I needed and taking me on a cool shore dive as well! There is some pretty good diving around the island and I would reccomend Azul if you are looking to dive in Madeira.
After this I went back to the Airbnb and got ready for a sunset hike at São Lourenço. The viewpoint faces East and is great for sunrise but I had the idea to hike out on the strip of land which is reffered to as the PR8 hike for sunset and face back West. The hike was super pretty and after the first mile or so not crowded at all. This was one of the few views on the island I had to myself to photograph for sunset. It was a bit overcast and I didn’t have time to return later on this trip but woudl definatley reccomend hiking a few miles out and facing back towards the isalnd to get some super unique and awesome landscape photographs of Madeira.
Day 4 - Sunrise at São Lourenço, PR9 Waterfall Hike, Miradouro do Guindaste, And Miradouro dos Balcões
This was probably my busiest day in Madeira although most days were pretty go go go. I started at São Lourenço and hiked up to one of the most photographic viewpoints on the island for some stunning sunrise photos. These were some of my favorite pictures I got on the whole trip! I would recommend getting here early to leave time for the steep hike and I would also bring a wide angle lens. Even though I’ve seen countless photographs from this place online there wasn’t anyone else at the top with me, I think the fact that you do have to hike a bit may deter lots of people and non-photographers from getting up early and hiking to this spot. Also there isn’t a super well defined trail to get to this viewpoint so you have to keep a good eye out.
I then drove to the PR9 trail which is one of the most famous waterfalls on the island. The trail parking was already a little crowded early in the morning but when I got done with the hike it was an absolute mess so I would highly suggest coming early or late in the day. Alltrails claimed that this hike had a ton of elevation gain but there was really none at all it was just a long tedious hike but the forest and views of the mountains around were great all along. I would highly suggest bringing hiking boots on the trail as tons of people I saw were tip toeing around the numberous puddles and I just wouldn’t be able to do that for 10+ miles. Also note that parts of the trail are super narrow and you have to stop and lean to the side to let traffic come through one way which is another reason why I would get there early or the hike will likely take twice as long as it should! Regardless of the long walk I would definatley check out this waterfall as it is one of the biggest I have ever seen! It was really a spectacular sight to reach the end and be rewarded with such a great view. Definatley bring a wide angle lens to photograph this location.
After the long hike I had probably my second favorite meal at Bolo do Caco Grill & Pizza. The menu was simple, pizza and burgers, but done the Madeira way! The food here was fresh and truly amazing, I’d take one of these burgers over any burger in America any day! Plus the view overlooking the ocean is incredible and the service is super friendly.
Next I stopped by a popular viewpoint I had seen a lot online, Miradouro do Guindaste or the Crane Viewpoint. This is a view I would say is skippable. It was very croweded and the part to walk out onto was closed and looks like as of early 2026 is still closed.
To cap off the day I drove to Miradouro dos Balcões for sunset. While driving there the fog started to become thick all around and I wondered if I would hike the mile or so to the viewpoint and just see nothing but fog… That did indeed wind up being the case! However, for just a few minutes the fog did lower and I was able to get some really cool and unique photos that I haven’t seen anywhere else! My drove being able to fly above the fog made for some awesome videos and photos as well. Another great thing about chancing this view in the fog was that I had it all to myself and I’m not sure if that would have been the case on a nicer day as many views on the island were touristy and croweded.
Day 5 - Sunrise at Bica da Cana, PR 6.2 Hike, More Suba Diving, and Sunset at Pico do Arieiro
This was easily my favorite sunrise of the trip! Bica Da Cana was so much less crowded compared to some other popular sunrise viewpoints as well which made it more enjoyable. To be honest there isn’t quite anything like enjoying the sunrise above the clouds and seeing them roll over the mountains. The hike to this location is pretty easy as well. Overall I would suggest a telephoto lens here to capture some great images of the clouds rolling around, also it is a great place to fly a drone as well!
From Bica Da Cana I made a very short drive to the PR6 trailhead. When I arrived just after sunrise there were a few other cars there. I can’t emphasize enough if you want to do any of the PR6 hikes to get here early! The parking lot was totally full and the road was a mess with cars parked all over the place miles up the road when I got back to my car. PR 6.1 is the more famous and well known waterfall so I chose to hike PR 6.2 to avoid the crowds a bit. Something as well to note is that Alltrails is wrong in terms of elevation and distance because the hike had a huge portion of straight elevation, but other than that is was pretty flat. I did get to enjoy the waterfall all to myself for a solid 15 minutes and got some awesome photographs and videos! I would suggest brining a wide angle lens here and a drone!
I spent the early afternoon back with Azul diving doing a dive at the Garajau Partial Nature Reserve which is where the European underwater dive contest had been held. I came face to face with a giant grouper in a underwater cave that scared the crap out of me! It was a super cool experience though and again for diving and underwater video or photography I would reccomend it!
I capped off the night heading to Pico Do Arieiro which I had already been to but I was encouraged to explore the area a little more and find some new views to photograph. I saw a little trail off to the left of the main viewpoint and trail so I decided to take that out a bit. The walk I took along this trail wasn’t far and it led me off to the side where nobody else was. I got to witness some amazing views all to myself! I also got to fly the drone without disturbing a ton of people, which I’ve always tried to not do! All around Madeira and even at some of the popular places you can get views all to yourself if you time things right or just search around a bit and don’t just head straight to the crowds!
Day 6 - Exploring Funchal, Fanal Forest, and Sunset at Pico Ruvio
I slept in a little more this morning and then headed down into Funchal to walk around and explore the town a bit. I would highly recommend setting aside half a day to do this as the architecture, history, and shops are really cool to see! They also had their big farmers market going on in the city center although I will say the prices there are very touristy and a rip off! Most of Funchal and the restaurants are pretty touristy, there is some cool local places around though if you know where to look!
I spent the start of the afternoon heading back to the Fanal Forest to explore more and get some different photographs. It was a clear day this time at the Fanal Forest and it was a lot busier than when I had previously visited in the fog! The large amount of people and no fog to hide them made it a lot harder to photograph the trees without people getting in the frame so I would definately reccomend coming early or late in the day to get some more seperation to yourself.
Next I drove to Pico Ruvio which is one of the more well known places on the island. I was excited to visit this location as I hadn’t seen it yet even after spending almost a week in Madeira, you definately need at least a week to see a good portion of the island and still I didn’t see everything. Pico Ruvio was a little less crowded than Pico Do Arieiro and I think it is because there is a little bit of a hike to the top. The hike wasn’t too challenging though and only had one short part with a sleep climb. I was able to get some really cool photographs with my telephoto lens from the top and would reccomend brining that. I think there are more unique mountains and shapes around the clouds from this viewpoint than Pico Do Arieiro.
Day 7 - Pico do Arieiro Sunrise Disaster, Sunset at Hidden Gems Eira Do Serrado and Miradouros do Paredão
This was my final day in Madeira and it definately didn’t dissapoint! I starter the morning headin to Pico Do Arieiro for sunrise and when I got there I knew instantly that it was a mess. I arrived a good 45 minutes prior to sunrise and the upper lot was already full and the lower lot was starting to get packed. The lines for the ticketing machines were also super long and at least a 15 minute wait. I decided it wasn’t worth all the trouble and drove a few miles back down the road. I’m not sure of the name of the area I stopped at but there was some parking and picnic tables. Fog covered everything so I decided to send the drone up for some photos and videos. The views I were able to get of the clouds rolling over the mountains and hills were super unique and cool, and again I had the view all to myself!
I spent the middle of the day exploring Funchal a little more and getting some good food! I will say the food in Maderia was spectacular and something I miss. I headed out to a random viewpoint I found on Google Maps for sunset. It wasn’t one I saw on all the online searches I had done before my trip but the views looked pretty good from what I could tell so I decided to go off the beaten path a bit… and I can say it was well worth it! The Eira Do Serrado and Miradouros do Paredão viewpoints are both within 5 minutes of each other so I was able to get some good evening photography light at both. Both viewpoints had stunning mountains all around and a really cool village down in the valley below. I also only saw a few people at each and had the views all to myself by time the sun started setting.
