Earth from Space: Madeira

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captured a rare, cloud-free image over the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Zoom in to explore this image at its full 10 m resolution or click on the circles to learn more.

Lying off the northwest coast of Africa, the archipelago is an autonomous region of Portugal and comprises two inhabited islands, Madeira, the largest, and Porto Santo (top right), and two uninhabited groups, the Desertas (partially visible at the bottom) and the Selvagens (not pictured).

The islands of Madeira are volcanic in origin: they are the tops of mountains that rise from the ocean floor deep below. The Portuguese explorers named them Madeira, which is Portuguese for wood, inspired by the dense forests that covered the islands when they arrived.  

The lush main island of Madeira is famous for its rugged, green landscape and is home to unique endemic flora and fauna. To protect this natural environment, two thirds of the island are designated as national park. The Madeira Natural Park includes the Laurisilva of Madeira, a Unesco World Heritage site and the largest surviving area of primary laurel forest. This type of vegetation is now confined to the Macaronesian Islands  ̶  the islands of Madeira, the Azores, the Canary Islands and Cabo Verde. 

Funchal, Madeira’s capital, can be seen as a large, light-brown area on the island’s southeast coast, on the lower slopes of mountains that reach 1200 m. The runway of Madeira’s airport is visible on the east coast.

The narrow Desertas Islands at the bottom are also designated as a natural reserve. Uninhabited by humans due to scarce and poor-quality water, Desertas are home to numerous species of birds, as well as the protected Mediterranean monk seal. The islands are relatively barren with their reddish and brown ground, a reminder of their volcanic origin.

Porto Santo, at the top, features white, sandy beaches along its south coast. Here, the island’s main town, Vila de Porto Santo, can also be spotted, with its airport visible just to the north. At each end of the island are hills. At 515 m, Facho Peak, on the east, is the highest.