The Madeiran archipelago, together with those of the Canaries, Azores, and Cape Verde, comprise Macaronesia, "the Fortunate Isles", to which the gods of Greek mythology brought the heroes when their adventurous lives were over. They are volcanic in origin, their hard, basalt mountains rising above Atlantic deeps, unconnected to the European or African continental shelves.

Madeira’s mountains provide a spectacular backdrop to the airborne approach to the island. The runway at capital Funchal's airport juts on pillars toward the sea, so that landing feels like coming down onto the deck of an aircraft carrier. It was once regarded as the world’s most dangerous airport.


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