Shaped by Wind and Water

The northern coast of Madeira faces the ocean with no protection. No sheltered bays, no reefs, nothing to soften the power of the Atlantic. Wave after wave rolls in from the horizon, crashing against the black cliffs and sending white spray into the air.

It is rarely quiet here: the ocean never seems to rest.

Up close, you can see what this coastline is made of. Water rolls over the rock, flows back, and covers it again. The cliffs are sharp and broken, their edges frozen as if caught in motion. This is basalt — hardened volcanic lava formed millions of years ago, when fire rose from deep within the Earth, building the island layer by layer.

Some cliffs stand apart from the shore, surrounded by water on all sides, like tiny islands in the middle of the ocean. Wave after wave slowly reshapes them, polishing the surface and leaving behind the memory of the ocean’s endless movement.

Madeira was born from fire, but its shape has been formed over centuries by wind and water.

Madeira, Portugal.
October, 2017.
...