Porto Moniz
Porto Moniz is a charming coastal town located on the northwest coast of Madeira, Portugal. Known for its natural swimming pools, stunning cliffs, and rugged coastline, Porto Moniz is a popular destination for tourists and photographers alike. The town is surrounded by breathtaking landscapes, including the Laurissilva Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the volcanic mountains of Madeira. Photographers will find plenty of opportunities to capture the beauty of Porto Moniz, from the dramatic seascapes to the colorful flora and fauna. Some of the best photography locations in Porto Moniz include the natural swimming pools, the lighthouse, the cliffs of Ribeira da Janela, and the Levada do Moinho trail.
Wind created a lot of mist in the air, which required constant cleaning of the lens. For this reason I gave up on long exposures here, but I enjoyed this beach anyway. The boulders create endless possibilities for composition!
![Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela [Madeira]](https://cdn.phoide.com/Thumbs/124ce90b-f172-4449-8201-8d8c5933f919.jpg)
Just came back from a fantastic trip to the island of Madeira with a pocket full of great material. Lets start with one of the most magic places of the island, the Fanal forest. We were so lucky to have this fog wich turns this place into pure magic!
![Blick auf Porto Moniz [Madeira]](https://cdn.phoide.com/Thumbs/1e285201-aa3c-4d7c-95f9-c7421a9d0197.jpg)
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Ribeira da Janela a small beautiful village located on the...
This magic rock near Porto Moniz was on top of my to do list, since I started to plan the trip to Madeira. I did not expect it to be so hard to get a good photo from it. The first day we came there, the light was flat and a strong wind from the sea made it nearly impossible to keep the lens open for more than a few seconds. Just the nice waves gave me reason to keep on trying. I think cleaning the lens took me the most time. A really frustrating experience. It took me a second try on a little less windy day, to get this out of the scene. Sorry for pimping up the sky.
Another one from the fantastic rock needles "Praia da Ribeira da Janela"
Another gnarled, mossy tree from Fanal forest.
Posto Florestal Fanal is an amazing place to photograph magnificent Laurel trees. You can find solitary or semi-solitary old trees of various shapes and sizes.
Photo Tips: Absolutely try to get there in a foggy weather, as it really makes the place mystical and helps you to create more interesting compositions. That said, it's definitely possible to make great photographs in a warm morning or evening sun.
You'll use either wide angle lens if you try to fill the frame with nicely twisted tree branches or normal lens to capture individual trees or small groups.
Getting there: There are several smaller parking spots next to the road around this place.
The Fanal is part of the the "Laurisilva of Madeira" wich is a Unesco World Heritage site since the year 2000. It is an outstanding relict of a previously widespread laurel forest type.
The magic of the area only comes with the fog, which often rises the steep slopes from the northern coast and then envelopes the bizarre trees. It then seems to rain under the trees, but that's just the condensed fog dripping from the leaves. An absolutely magical experience, that can be over as quickly as it came. You just have to be lucky.
One more from mysterious Fanal!
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Ribeira da Janela a small beautiful village located on...
Thanks to all Phoide contributors to Porto Moniz!
Most notably Walter Maurer, Jiri Hajek and Sven Deigl Nürnberg.