Abismo Viewpoint

The ground falls away to the sea at the eastern end of Madeira, and what you get here is rock: bare ridges, red-brown cliff faces, the swell working at the foot of them. One spot takes in almost the whole of that eastern end, so there is no hunting about for a better angle — it is all in front of you from where you stand. The Ponta de São Lourenço peninsula runs out east from the viewpoint, treeless and stripped back to stone, and on a clear day the eye follows it the whole way to the tip. Come for the geology and the distance.

• Water: nothing to fill a bottle from within 800 m of the viewpoint, so bring what you plan to drink.
• Toilets: the nearest are around 520 m away and are not free.
• Information: a Ponta de São Lourenço information point stands about 270 m away, with a second board around 500 m out.

Most people drive. Two car parks sit about 530 and 545 m from the viewpoint, and the last stretch is covered on foot from there. Arriving by bus works out much the same: the Baía d'Abra stop is around 550 m away, with a second stop, Caniçal/Praínha/Baía d'Abra, roughly a kilometre out. Either way, count the walk in both directions.

Best: sunrise — one visitor comes here for first light. The viewpoint looks east over the Ponta de São Lourenço peninsula, so the sun comes up beyond the tip of the island and the cliff faces take the colour before the rest of the coast does. Later in the day the same wide sweep is there; the light on the rock is flatter.