Madeira rises dramatically from the ocean. Mountains climb sharply from the Atlantic, ravines cut deep into the landscape and peaks disappear into passing cloud. Waterfalls spill down sheer green slopes, while changes in altitude create pockets of sunshine, mist and subtropical lushness across the island.

Madeira’s levadas, narrow channels built to carry water across the mountains, are accompanied by paths that lead deep into the island’s interior. Follow them through tunnels, alongside waterfalls and into the ancient Laurissilva forest, where moss-covered trees, ferns and laurel belong to an ecosystem that has survived for millennia.

Walk mountain trails, swim in volcanic pools, canyon through waterfalls or head out onto the Atlantic, then retreat to a beautiful spa or garden-filled hotel. There’s something exhilarating about spending a few days this close to a landscape that still feels gloriously untamed. Every path seems to lead a little deeper into the island.