I haven’t travelled with my camera in ages. The last time was back in 2017, cycling through the Scottish Highlands, I think. A few days ago, packing my Olympus into my backpack felt oddly unfamiliar, but I couldn’t have picked a better trip to bring it along. Madeira is one of the most striking places in Europe, and I’d been dreaming of visiting for years.
1) Scene-setter
I didn’t know what to expect from an island out in the middle of the Atlantic. I knew I would find beauty, but I didn’t expect wilderness like this. One day, a friend and I hiked towards Pico Grande. We caught our Uber in Funchal, when the air was mild and gentle, almost like spring. But when the Uber dropped us at the start of the PR12 trail, the weather changed in an instant. Wind and rain came rushing in, loud and sudden. It felt like stepping into another world. All the way up, the gusts followed us, like a constant voice guiding us through the narrow paths. We walked inside the clouds, around 1,300 metres high, and the mountains appeared and disappeared in the mist. Water oozed from the rock and ran down the slopes, as if the island itself was still alive and breathing.
2) Mid-scene
I have to admit I wasn’t in Madeira purely for pleasure. I was there for a conference (the Football is Medicine 2026 Conference). Still, I took advantage of the location and carved out a few days to explore the island. One of my favourite moments came during the conference dinner. In the middle of the evening, a group playing traditional Portuguese folk music suddenly appeared, and the room shifted, the roof lifted. There was singing, dancing, rhythm, something bright and alive. It was unexpected, and it was wonderful. It’s a pity I didnt have my camera with me.
3) Human trace
Despite its wild, inaccessible corners, and despite the winter season, Madeira was busy. Wherever I went, I could feel the steady trace of people: footsteps on trails, voices in the distance, cars passing on narrow and steeped roads. In the photo below, right at the start of PR6, along the ER105 and att more than 1,300 metres high, I was trying to capture a few lizards soaking up the sun. Even there, the human presence was unmistakable.
4) Detail
One detail that really caught my attention was how used to people the wildlife seemed to be. The PR6 trail was busy, boots on stone, voices in the air, steady breathing on the climbs. And yet the animals didn’t seem bothered. They carried on quietly, letting humans pass, photograph them, or even reach out for a quick pat. The bird in the photo below is a very puffy Madeira chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs maderensis), a local subspecies of the common chaffinch, and it behaved as if the path belonged to it. PR6 took us to Levada das 25 Fontes, which ends at a small lagoon fed by several waterfalls. Even there, in the middle of all that human excitement, a cat was waiting, still, calm, and perfectly available to be petted, as if nothing could disturb its peace.
5) Sensory anchor (movement)
I will remember the raw power of nature on this island for a long time. Walking east along PR8 towards the Miradouro da Ponta do Furado, you could feel it everywhere. In the waves, relentless as they crashed against the rocks. In the colours (far richer than the photo below can show), which kept catching me off guard. And in the sea itself, wide and uncompromising, constantly reminding me that we were not on the edge of a continent, but out in the middle of an ocean.
Madeira surprised me. It caught me off guard. I knew it would be beautiful, but I wasn’t expecting this, especially considering I didn’t even make it to the north side of the island. I loved every part of it, but I don’t think I’ll be back anytime soon. It feels like a place that asks for more time and a slower pace, the kind that lets you stay still long enough to really see it.
- Best part: The walk towards Pico Grande. It was rough, but it felt right: right place, right moment, and exactly the kind of weather that made it unforgettable.
- Unexpected: I didn’t expect to be surrounded by beauty at every turn. Even at night, the landscapes held their own. Mountain slopes dotted with house lights, like constellations pinned to the dark.
- Note to future me: Bring the camera, always. You never know when the shot will be waiting for you.
Shot on OLYMPUS OM E-M10MarkII · Edited in RawTherapee v 5.12
Giampiero Tarantino 