Pico do Arieiro

At 1,818 meters, Madeira's third-highest peak. On most mornings, it sits above the clouds. When the conditions are right, the cloud layer spreads below you like a flat white sea, with volcanic ridges breaking the surface.

Sunrise sessions here are cold and early. Pink on the peaks, purple in the valleys.

Almost every place this high needs a hike. Here you drive to a car park near the summit and walk a few minutes to the viewpoints, which means a couple can arrive in the dark, in good clothes, without a two-hour climb first.

The cloud layer is not guaranteed. Some mornings you drive up and arrive inside the cloud rather than above it. If the weather is not right, we move the session to another day.

When it works, the sequence is fast. Fifteen minutes before the sun clears the horizon the ridges go purple and the cloud sea turns grey blue. Then the first light hits the peaks and everything above the cloud goes pink for about ten minutes. Then it is over and the light turns ordinary. Being in position early is not optional.

Cold is the thing people underestimate. It runs roughly ten degrees below Funchal, the wind has nothing to break it, and standing still at 1,800 metres before sunrise is colder than the number suggests. Bring more than seems reasonable, including something for your hands. A coat can come off for the frames and go straight back on.

Forty minutes from Funchal on a road that climbs steadily the whole way. In June that means leaving town around half past four. In December you can leave at six and still be early.