Madeira - fantastic geology but little information

Earlier this year Janet and I decided we needed to get away from the English winter so investigated where you can get to from Exeter. There is quite a choice now, including geologically interesting places such as the Canaries and Cyprus. We decided on a week in Madeira at the end of January.

We ordered a couple of guidebooks from the Library which gave about a page on the geological history but no details of what to see. I also tried a couple of websites specialising in geological books but without any success. Undeterred, I assumed that we would be able to get local information once we were there but again had no luck so it was down to looking and trying to make sense of it!!

The view from the plane is quite spectacular, particularly as they have had to build the runway on stilts over the sea due the lack of a sufficient length of level ground. This lack of flat ground is the overriding geographical feature of the island - wherever you go there are steep sided valleys and vertical cliff faces and hardly any beaches.

Madeira has benefited significantly by recent EC development grants. They have constructed a dual carriageway road running along the south side of the island where they have basically put bridges across the valleys and tunnelled through the spurs between them. Hence there are plenty of exposures to look at while avoiding the local drivers! Once off this highway the roads are narrow and tortuous but provide some most spectacular views, particularly those that are just ledges on the side of the cliffs.

If you are considering a visit don't miss the following geological highlights:

1. The lava tubes and exhibition centre at Sao Vicente on the north coast - the exhibition is new and has been done very well. After the 20minute walk through the lava tubes you enter an exhibition room with pictures and explanations of the local geology and this is followed by "a journey to the centre of the earth" which includes 3D projection film.
2. The central region around Curral das Freiras (The Valley of the Nuns). The sheer faces give the impression of it being a caldera but the exhibition above says it is all due to erosion.
3. The air fall deposits and bathing pools dug out from the lava at Poto Moniz in the northwest.
4. The volcanic bombs (see picture 85) and intrusive dyke network (see picture 84) at Ponta do Rosa on the eastern peninsular.
5. The levadas or water catchment ditches used to collect water from the higher ground and route it to the cultivated terraces on the sides of the valleys. You can get an idea of the scale of the landscape from the picture of your Branch Organiser on the mirador at Balcoes - the worried look on her face could be due to the vertical drop into the valley just behind her.

Chris Adams, SW OUGS

Click here for photos.

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