Madeira Island’s history doesn’t begin with its discovery in the 15th century. Long before that (15 million years ago), innumerable phenomena and volcanic processes produced the magnificent landscapes of the island and shaped its surface until it attained its present configuration, which provides breath-taking views over the land and the sea. The oldest formations of the island are located in the São Vicente Valley, at Lameiros, where they appeared more than 5 million years ago. Madeira Island is located in the Atlantic Ocean, 978 km southwest of Lisbon and 350 km west of the African coast. The Autonomous Region of Madeira is blessed with a remarkable natural heritage.

Volcanic in origin, the archipelago was formed by processes that began in the Miocene Period, approximately 18 million years ago.

The Selvagens, however, are an exception. The formation of this group of islands began about 27 million years ago. Madeira Island is 63 km long and 23 km wide at its widest point. Reaching over 5000 feet [N.Tradutor: original diz “metros”; deve ser “pés”.] in elevation, its central mountain range runs east to west. It is part of the biogeographical region of Macaronesia, which includes Madeira Island (738 km2), Porto Santo (43 km2), Desertas (14 Km2) and Selvagens (4 Km2). Only the first two are inhabited; the other two are nature reserves. The terrain of Madeira Island is extremely mountainous, marked by the oldest volcanic features corresponding to the highest points of the island: Pico Ruivo (1,862 metres) and Pico do Areeiro (1,818 metres). The central layout of this mountain range divides the island into two slopes: the northern and the southern. The relief of the island is sharp, with deep valleys, narrow gorges, numerous precipices and high cliffs, due primarily to the intense erosion caused by surface waters. Due to its relief, its mountainous landforms, and its exposure to the prevailing winds (trade winds from the N and NE), the island is marked by various microclimates. This, in conjunction with the exotic nature of its vegetation, is an important factor in attracting tourism, the principal economic activity in the Region. There are no great temperature variations throughout the year, the mild climate registering average temperatures in the neighbourhood of 22ºC (maximum) and 16ºC (minimum). Due to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, the sea water temperature stays around 22ºC in the summer and gradually cools to 17ºC by the end of the winter.