Best Landscape Photography Locations in Madeira

Madeira is a volcanic Portuguese island in the Atlantic, known for sea cliffs, laurel forest crossed by levada trails, and high-elevation viewpoints that often sit above the cloud layer rather than under it. The volcanic terrain creates sharp elevation changes over short distances, which shows up directly in the terrain data for locations here.

By Robert Bridgewater · Last updated July 29, 2026

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Pico do Arieiro

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 1,803 m elevation

Lagoa 25 Fontes

Lake

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Valley or low-lying terrain · 1,025 m elevation
7 km from the coast

Madeira Cost Drive In

Landscape

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 303 m elevation
On the coast

Poço da Neve - Madeira

Landscape

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 1,685 m elevation

Ponta do Pargo Lighthouse

Cliff Coast

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated terrain · 278 m elevation
On the coast

Fog on the forest in Madeira

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Varied terrain nearby, significant relief · 1,301 m elevation
9 km from the coast

Pico Areeiro

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 1,734 m elevation

Pico Ariero

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 1,558 m elevation

Pico Ruivo

Landscape

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 1,841 m elevation
9 km from the coast

Parque Natural de Madeira

Cliff Coast

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 1,005 m elevation
8 km from the coast

Sunset over the clouds.

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 1,101 m elevation
3 km from the coast

Lagoa do Vento

Waterfall

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Valley or low-lying terrain · 1,172 m elevation
7 km from the coast

Ponta de São Lourenço

Cliff Coast

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated terrain · 112 m elevation
On the coast

Sao Lourenco

Seascape

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated terrain · 90 m elevation
On the coast

Waterfall before Caldeirão do Inferno

Waterfall

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Valley or low-lying terrain · 899 m elevation
7 km from the coast

Ponta De Sao Lourenco Sea Stacks, Madeira

Landscape

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Flat or gently rolling terrain · 36 m elevation
On the coast

Bica da Cana, Madeira

Seascape

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 1,600 m elevation
7 km from the coast

Levada do rei

Forest

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Varied terrain nearby, significant relief · 697 m elevation
5 km from the coast

Ponta de São Lourenço Cliffs

Cliff Coast

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated terrain · 75 m elevation
On the coast

View from the old ER101 to Sao Vicente, Madeira

Beach

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Valley or low-lying terrain · 114 m elevation
On the coast

Beautiful Path

Forest

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Flat or gently rolling terrain · 862 m elevation
7 km from the coast

Pico do Arieiro

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 1,789 m elevation

Mini sloped Levada

Landscape

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Valley or low-lying terrain · 965 m elevation
8 km from the coast

Madeira Mountains

Seascape

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 1,564 m elevation

Planning a night out at one of these locations? Use the free Milky Way Calendar to check moon phase and dark-sky windows, or read the Blue Hour & Star Trail Photography Guide for how to plan the shoot itself.

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