Ponta de São Lourenço

The easternmost peninsula of Madeira. Bare volcanic rock, no trees, grass on the ridges. Cliffs drop straight into the Atlantic. Looks more like Iceland than Madeira.

Everything that makes the rest of the island green stops here. No laurel forest, no banana terraces, no gardens. What is left is red and ochre rock, wind-flattened grass along the ridges, and cliffs falling straight into the water on both sides. People arriving from Funchal often assume they have driven somewhere else entirely.

For photographs the appeal is scale and emptiness. Two people against a ridge line with nothing else in the frame, no trees to break it up, no buildings, usually nobody else in shot.

Bright overcast suits it better than hard sun. Direct midday light flattens the ridges and kills the texture in the rock, while a bright grey sky keeps the shapes and the colour. Late afternoon works too, with long shadows running across the slopes.

This is the most exposed place I shoot. There is nothing between the peninsula and the open Atlantic, and the wind is constant rather than occasional. Loose fabric becomes the subject whether you planned it or not. Long dresses either look extraordinary here or become unmanageable, and which one it is depends on the day.

About forty minutes east of Funchal. Drive to the Baía d'Abra car park at the end of the road, then a short walk to the first viewpoints, which is far enough for a session without turning into a hike. Ground is uneven volcanic rock, so proper shoes rather than sandals. It pairs well with Miradouro da Quinta do Lorde twenty minutes back down the road.