ABOVE THE CLOUDSJustine & Jack
Justine and Jack wanted one day that felt like the whole of Madeira, so we started at the top of the island in the dark.
I have photographed Madeira many times, and it is the one place where a good plan matters more than anything in my bag. The island is small enough to cross in a day, but an hour of driving changes the weather, the colour of the ground and the light completely. Fitting a sunrise, a forest and a coastline into the same day is harder than it looks, and getting the order right is most of what I do here.
Sunrise above the clouds at Pico do Arieiro
We left Funchal in the dark and drove up to Pico do Arieiro, and somewhere on the climb we came out above the clouds.
At 1,818 metres it is the third highest peak on Madeira, and on the right morning the cloud sits below the summit in a flat white sea with the other peaks breaking through. We had that morning. The light came up orange behind the ridge, the volcanic rock went red, and for a while it was only the two of them up there. Come early. It is cold before dawn, the small car park fills fast, and the best light is gone within the hour.
Midday in the Queimadas forest and Miradouro do Boqueirao
By late morning we had dropped off the peaks into the green, which on Madeira is a different island entirely.
Parque Florestal das Queimadas sits in the laurisilva, the ancient laurel forest that covers the north of the island, all red-roofed thatched houses and trees that look a thousand years old. A short drive away, the Miradouro do Boqueirao looks down a long valley where the light drops in shafts when the cloud breaks. This is the stop most people skip, and it is where the island feels oldest.
Sunset at Ponta de Sao Lourenco
We finished at the far eastern tip, where the green runs out and the island turns to bare red rock and open sea.
Ponta de Sao Lourenco is a long volcanic peninsula with cliffs on both sides and small islands off the end, and it holds the last light better than anywhere on Madeira. The wind out there never stops, which is a gift with a dress and a veil. We walked the ridge until the sun went into the sea. Three locations, one day, and the driving in between is the whole trick.
If you are thinking about eloping in Madeira, this is the day I would build for you, and I would happily do it again tomorrow. I have photographed the island with other couples too: Styrmir and Heiðdís’s Madeira elopement, and Madeira days with Faye and Laurie and Klara and Siddy. Bring shoes you can walk in and layers for the top. I will handle the timing.
