Ponta de Sao Lourenço

Our final exploration on Madeira is Ponta de Sao Lourenço - the long thin peninsula at the eastern end of the island. 

Over the last few days we’ve been surrounded by greens - the lushness of the island’s lush subtropical vegetation; so to suddenly find ourselves in arid dessert is certainly strange. From the palm tree lined car park, the thin and jagged undulating peninsula stretches out, brown and gold against the vivid blue of sea. 

We’re on our way to the airport, so have time only for the first part of the hike along the ridge - but in any case, I’m not fit enough to go the whole length right now. As it is, the views of this amazing landscape are more than adequate, and we’ll return on some future visit to complete the walk.  

Wind has sculpted this volcanic landscape into fascinating shapes and layers, and although bone dry, desert vegetation clings determinedly to pockets of crumbled earth. A pair of kestrels wheel across the cliffs, coming to perch just below us - but sadly, I don’t have a lens for bird photography. 

This is definitely a day for landscapes, so my main’s a shot across the peninsula from the first stage of the hike, two tiny figures gazing out across the sea. In extras there’s one collage of views across the other side, and another showing details of the arid landscape.