The northern coast of Madeira is home to some spectacular scenery, so we set off early to start exploring the area – starting with a cliff-top walk. 

I was doing a great job navigating us to the trailhead parking area, until I accidentally took a right too early which led us onto what might’ve been the steepest road in the world. It literally felt like we were being cranked up the side of a vertical rollercoaster. There was nowhere to turn around and Craig didn’t want to slow down unless it was a guaranteed place to turn otherwise he’d lose his momentum, so we were driving as fast as our little car could take us, en route to the space station.

We did eventually find a spot to do a three-point turn and make our way back down to earth, before beginning the hike with a pair of soiled pants. 

The coastal trail was carved into the cliffs, which often plummeted to our left, down to foliage and eventually the choppy sea. It was a lovely,  peaceful walk, but the weather wasn’t ideal as it was very overcast. I opted for an out-and-back route, which offered the best views and almost no elevation gain. 

When we reached our turnaround point we stopped on a rocky outcrop for a snack and drink where we were battered by strong winds. We watched as rain-clouds swooped above the blue sea in a misty haze. Then there was the quick realisation that the clouds were edging towards us, until we were standing right beneath them, rain tinkling against our jackets. We took that as our sign to walk back, and of course, the moment we reached our car the sun popped out. 

Driving back down the road almost ended in disaster as a hiker decided to run across the road ahead of us, slipping as she stepped over the gutter and almost falling in front of our car! Thankfully she regained her balance, but boy did it have our hearts pounding. Driving in Maderia isn’t for the faint-hearted. 

We stopped at a few coastal viewpoints en route to Santana, to photograph the traditional Madeiran homes. They were like A-frame wooden cabins, painted white and red, and featuring thatched roofs. Most of them had souvenir shops inside, but one was set up like a little museum, demonstrating how they used to live, with a cosy bedroom at the back and a living room and kitchen at the front. 

To continue our coastal explorations, we embarked on the P8 trail. It’s probably one of the island’s most popular hikes, navigating a rugged peninsula that juts into the sea. It was a really fun hike with beautiful views of lush, grassy, slopes plummeting down to red cliffs. The blue sea sloshed below us, with rocky islands rising from the water. 

The only downside to the hike was the trail condition, which was in an appalling state and in desperate need of maintenance. We had to trudge through thick, clay-like, mud which stuck to our shoes and felt like we were wearing metal boots. 

After the hike, we had a thirty-minute drive back to our accommodation. The sun began to set ahead of us, just as some small rain clouds drifted through, resulting in intense yellow clouds. I desperately wanted to pull over somewhere to enjoy the view but we ended up in a village, blocked by houses and lost in a maze of narrow lanes. 

As we veered around a bend, we got sight of an intense rainbow arching through the fiery sky. It was so beautiful, but alas, I was only able to capture it through the windscreen of our car. We did eventually make it down to the coast where we saw a few peachy clouds and the rainbow rising above a church – but we will need to step up our sunset game in Madeira from now on.