Geography of Madeira

The archipelago of Madeira is situated around 700 km off the coast of Northwest Africa and some 500 km from the Canaries. Madeira (736 km2) is the main island and the largest, followed by Porto Santo (42.2 km2) and a group of uninhabited islets (14.5 km2), known as the Desertas (Ilhéu Chão, Deserta Grande and Bugio). The surface area of the archipelago totals 819.5 km2. Madeira is extremely mountainous, with imposing cliffs, deep ravines, erosion calderas and peaks to just below 2,000 m, such as Pico Arieiro (1,818 m) and the highest, Pico Ruivo (1,861 m). The western half features the broad plateau of Paul da Serra, the biggest stretch of flatland on the island. Porto Santo is heavily eroded and comparatively much flatter than Madeira. The landscape is predominantly semi-arid and dominated by open plateaux. However, the northeast sector presents 200-metre-high cliffs and a group of peaks, including Pico do Facho, at 517 m the highest point on the island. Finally, the Desertas Islands are particularly striking because of their narrow shape, length and height, rising up like sharp ridges in the middle of the ocean. Deserta Grande is both the largest (10 km2) and the highest (478 m).
The climate of Madeira is Mediterranean-like and mild, and strongly influenced by the Atlantic and trade winds. Average rainfall is around 600 mm, which is higher than in the Canaries and midway between that of the Canaries and the Azores, which have by far the wettest climate. Temperatures, however, resemble those of the Canaries (with variations according to altitude), dropping to below zero, in the highest regions, in winter and early spring, and bringing frost and snow. In contrast, Funchal, which is south-facing, has a very similar climate to Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
A significant variation with the Canaries, at least in recent times, is the presence of permanent streams in several ravines on the main island, a clear indication that the climate of Madeira is much damper and wetter than that of the Canary Islands. A number of waterfalls cascade into the sea, especially along the north flank, something which has not been seen in the Canaries for many a decade.