Full moon night on Pico do Arieiro

At 1,818 m, Pico do Arieiro is the second-highest peak in Madeira. As it is accessible by road almost to the summit, the magnificent views of Madeira’s rugged mountains attract many visitors.

I experience a special atmosphere on a clear full moon night, when the lights of the settlements seem to flow like lava streams from the mountain flanks of the north coast, which are bathed in silvery light. The radar station on the summit, on the other hand, looks as alien as a moon station in space. Soon, the dawn brings an end to this special spectacle and the sunrise over Madeira conjures up a new world of glowing colours.

One of the most spectacular hikes on Madeira also starts from Pico do Arieiro, leading across airy ridges and rock ledges, through tunnels and up stairs over to Pico Ruivo, Madeira’s highest mountain.

More pictures in the Madeira gallery