Volcanic rock, storm and rainbow on Sao Lourenco - Madeira's East

Because the weather forecast for today was so bad, our tour guide decided that we should not go on the levada walk in the center, but to the eastern tip of the island.

So we went to the Sao Lourenco Peninsula, where a nature reserve is located.

After a hiking parking lot there are no more roads. A café at the end of the path can only be reached by employees and suppliers by boat.

We started our way in sunshine and a light breeze through the mountainous landscape, always with a view of the water on at least one side.

Since there was only one way, everyone could go at their own pace.

At the café we were supposed to meet again. For some, the prospect of a coffee before the return trip was also a good reason to continue the journey...

On the way, the wind picked up a bit and a light drizzle started. There were beautiful rainbows over the water and the mountains.

When we arrived at the café, we found that it was not open: the boat with the employees and supplies had not yet left due to the wind.

We continued our way because we still wanted to climb the 164-meter high peak, Ponta do Furado.

In good weather you have a beautiful view of the peninsula and the far eastern tip with lighthouse from there.

However, the sky became more and more cloudy and when we reached the top, the rain started to get heavier.

When we arrived back at the café, we could at least take a moment to rest under the roof there and drink our own tea before we started the return trip again.

During the hike, the sky cleared up briefly from time to time and we could see rainbows again. Eventually, the cloud cover became denser and it started to blow strongly.

When we were back at the bus, we were completely soaked and grateful to be dry. On the return journey, there was supposed to be a stop at the sandy beach of Machico. The light sand was imported from Morocco and we could see it shining from the bus. However, nobody wanted to get off because of the rain and we were glad when we were back at the hotel and could change into dry clothes.

In the afternoon, the sky turned blue again and we could stroll through Canico de Baixo for a while.