Madeira (relief: slopes, plateaux and valleys)

The almost unbelievably rugged terrain of Madeira and the capricious, varied configuration of its relief would deserve a long and detailed description. Lack of space and of reliable data does not allow us to provide one, so we confine ourselves to a brief list of the principal mountain heights and their altitudes, and of the headlands, slopes and hillsides, valleys, plateaux, depths, etc., found across the 500 square kilometres of the whole surface of this island.

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It consists, says the Dicionário Universal Portuguez Ilustrado, already cited, of a lofty range of mountains from twelve hundred to nineteen hundred metres high, from whose back a number of peaks rise. It runs from east to west from Ponta de São Lourenço (‘St Lawrence Point’) until it finally forks, extending north-westwards over Porto Moniz (‘Moniz’s harbour’) to form Ponta do Tristão (‘Tristão’s point’), and sending out a smaller branch to the south-west, whose tip is Ponta do Pargo (‘sea bream point’). This longitudinal range, descending with its foothills and some secondary spurs to the north, west and south along its whole length down to the sea, divides the island into three great regions, namely: the northern, from Ponta de São Lourenço to Ponta do Tristão; the western, from Ponta do Tristão to Ponta do Pargo, which covers the territory within the said fork; and the southern, which runs from Ponta do Pargo to Ponta de São Lourenço. However, as the western region slopes towards the north-west and is already largely under the influence of the northern quarter, seafarers, and with them Madeirans in general, distinguish only two regions: one, which they call the Costa do Sul (‘south coast’), being the one marked out above on this side, and the other the north coast (Costa do Norte), which comprises the northern and western regions mentioned’ (on these coasts, see what is said on p. 324 of vol. I).

As already stated, the mountain range that crosses Madeira lengthwise from east to west, with high summits and without a break, clearly separates the northern and southern coasts. Along its back rise many peaks of considerable height, among which stand out Pico Ruivo (‘russet peak’), the highest of all, Pico do Cidrão, Torrinhas, Canário and Arieiro. Besides those already named, we shall mention the best known: Pico do Castanho, Pico da Maia, Pico do Arco de São Jorge, Pico das Torres, Pico da Neve, Pico do Poiso, Pico da Lagoa, Pico de Santo António, Pico do Arrebentão, Pico do Infante, Pico Grande, Pico dos Bodes, Pico da Urze, Pico do Gato, Pico da Amendoeira, Pico Queimado, Pico da Suna, etc. As offshoots of the mountains and peaks of the central range, many other heights also stand out, sometimes extending as far as the coastal areas. Among these we shall mention Pico dos Barcelos, Pico da Cruz, Pico do Cardo, Pico dos Eirós, Pico do Facho, Pico das Favas, Pico da Cruz, Pico da Relva, etc. (see each of these entries).

For further detail, we must draw the reader’s attention to the extensive account on p. 52 ff. of vol. I, which gives the ‘altitudes’ of a large number of mountain heights and of other points especially worth knowing. On this subject, the data supplied by the Hydrographic Mission of the Adjacent Islands (Ilhas Adjacentes), published on p. 95 of vol. I of the esteemed work ‘Zargo’s Islands’ (Ilhas de Zargo), are of particular interest.

The only stretch of ground in Madeira’s extremely rugged terrain that deserves the name of plateau is the Paul da Serra (see that entry). Nevertheless, the name plateau is commonly given to the small plains of Santo da Serra (see Lagoa), in the parish (freguesia) of the same name, the Achada de Santana (‘plateau of Santana’), in the parish of Santana, and the plain of Achadas, in the parish of Achadas da Cruz (‘plateaus of the cross’).

The principal points or projections of this island’s coastline are the following: the point of São Lourenço, the longest, which has several secondary points named Furado Abra, Dedais, Rosto, etc.; Ponta da Queimada, Ponta de Santa Catarina, Ponta do Guindaste, Ponta da Atalaia, Ponta da Oliveira, Ponta do Garajau, Ponta da Cruz, Ponta da Água, Ponta do Sol, Ponta da Galé, Ponta do Jardim, Ponta da Fajã da Ovelha, Ponta do Pargo, Ponta do Tristão, Ponta do Porto Moniz, Ponta Delgada, Ponta de São Jorge, Ponta de Santana, Ponta do Cortado and Ponta de Larano (see each of those entries).

The mountainous and extremely rugged terrain of this island gives rise to many valleys, some of remarkable depth, though in general they are of fairly limited length. The principal ones are the valley of Funchal, especially at the locality called Val Formoso; that of Machico, which stretches from the beach of the town (vila) of the same name between the banks of its stream; that of Jardim da Serra (‘upland garden’), at the northern end of the parish of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos (‘the narrows of Câmara de Lobos’); that of São Vicente (‘St Vincent’), lying in the drainage basin of the stream of the same name and including the town and its surroundings; that of Penha de Águia, which curves round the cliff of that name (see Penha de Águia); that of Metade, near Ribeiro Frio (‘cold brook’); and that of Ribeira da Janela, between the banks of the stream of that name (see Vales). The articles Fajãs (‘coastal flats’) and Quebradas are related to this subject.