#Archipelago Estimated Population: 270,000 Total Area: 801 sq km (308 sq mi) Capital: Funchal Country: #Portugal Status: Autonomous region of Portugal Set in the Atlantic Ocean c. 560 km (350 mi) off the coast of Morocco, Madeira , the largest island, and Porto Santo are inhabited; the Desertas are not and Selvagens (the latter being somewhat closer to Africa) are only inhabited by a team of wardens of Madeira Natural Park , members of the Maritime Police, as well as of the Captaincy of Funchal. Known to the Romans as the Purple Islands, they were rediscovered (15th cent.) under Henry, The Navigator. The volcanic origins of Madeira can still be seen, as the amphitheatre that surrounds Funchal was once a caldera. The island is surprisingly mountainous with peaks of 1,860 metres (over 6,100 feet high)! Fortunately, volcanic activity stopped about 6,500 years ago but it was precisely this activity that endowed the island with a fertile landscape, which favoured the ancient subtrop...

Stunning scenery enhanced by emerald green mountain tops and the deep-blue coast is only the beginning of what awaits in Madeira. Located 600 kilometers off the African coast, the Madeira archipelago makes up Portugal’s southernmost island community, meaning it enjoys some of the best year-round weather when compared to other Portuguese regions. In Madeira, exotic fruits are common such as guava and passion fruit, and locals prepare a variety of traditional dishes that represent Madeira rather than Portugal as a whole. Try bolo do caco, bread cooked on flat basalt stone, or fried scabbard fish with fried bananas for a real regional treat. Hiking is a popular activity in Madeira, many of the paths along levadas (open canal systems originally used to distribute water through the island) and offering amazing views from their peaks.

Foto:  Portugal visto do Ceu

O Miradouro do Pico Ruivo situa-se no ponto mais elevado da Madeira, a 1861 metros de altitude, e oferece amplas vistas para várias localidades. O Miradouro do Pico Ruivo, situado em Santana, encontrando-se no ponto mais alto do arquipélago da Madeira, a 1861 metros de altitude. Este é o terceiro ponto mais alto de Portugal. Em dias de céu limpo, é possível avistar o Curral das Freiras, no concelho de Câmara de Lobos, as diversas achadas de Santana e o profundo vale da Ribeira Grande e de São Jorge. Oferece ainda amplas vistas sobre a Ponta de São Lourenço, o Paul da Serra, o Porto Santo e o grupo das Ilhas Desertas. Foto:  https://viagensasolta.com/4-trilhos-que-adoramos-fazer-na-madeira-dificuldade-media/