Geography
Volcanic origins, peaks, sea cliffs and the wider archipelago.
4 articles
Geography & Geology
Madeira is the eroded summit of an oceanic shield volcano built up over millions of years on the African Plate — a young, steep, deeply dissected mountain rising straight from deep ocean.
GeographyPico Ruivo & the Central Peaks
At 1,862 metres, Pico Ruivo is Madeira's highest summit — the crown of a central massif of jagged peaks that includes Pico do Areeiro and Pico das Torres, linked by the island's most celebrated mountain trail.
GeographyCoastline & Sea Cliffs
With almost no natural beaches, Madeira's edge is defined by some of the highest sea cliffs in Europe — among them Cabo Girão — plus volcanic rock pools, fishing coves and the bare eastern peninsula of São Lourenço.
GeographyThe Madeira Archipelago
Beyond the main island lie golden-sanded Porto Santo, the wild uninhabited Desertas, and the remote Selvagens far to the south — together making up the Madeira archipelago within wider Macaronesia.