Linda Marii and Steven had a full day elopement on Madeira island in Portugal in April 2026. They contacted me in November and told me they are not set on a location yet, but they want something wild and dramatic. I showed them photos of Madeira island and they were immediately sold on it. They told me it was exactly what they were looking for.

Madeira is a tiny island of Portugal located in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. It is small. You can drive from one side to the other within 1,5h. It is lush all year around with mild temperatures. Madeira doesn’t get too hot, nor too cold. It is a hikers’ paradise. It has so many beautiful hiking trails, but at the same time it also has a lot of stunning locations you can access by car without hiking at all. I’ve traveled a lot and Madeira is one of the places I’d go back any time! 😍

Elopement day overview

Engagement photos

The couple asked me if we could take a few engagement photos the day before the elopement and my answer was of course a big fat YES! We went to a little secluded spot in the morning for the engagement photos.

The elopement day

We started the day very early with a 1h hike in complete darkness. I provided us all with headlamps to show us the way. The hike itself was not very difficult and nicely manageable in a wedding dress.

We got to the end of the trail exactly at sunrise time. We found ourselves a little secluded spot with a beautiful view for the vows and rings exchange. The ceremony was quite emotional for them. A view like this and all the beautiful words exchanged with each other makes it all feel so powerful 🥹

After the ceremony we started our hike back. This time we actually saw where we were and took our time to take in the views, too.

When we got back to the trailhead, we got ourselves some drinks and snacks from a foodtruck. We started our drive towards Funchal, the capital of the island. We went to a VERY GOOD meat restaurant with beautiful views and nice elegant style. In Portugal they eat a lot of meat. On Madeira it is usually beef and many restaurants offer the meat on a bay laurel stick. This is something traditional for Madeira. The laurel stick gives the meat a wonderful taste and smell. Our chosen meals were all so delicious it was literally foodgasm worthy 😋

After the delicious lunch we went to pick up the wedding cake for the evening. We drove to one another beautiful spot and stopped there to take in the views.

Then it was time for the last part of the day. We went to a beautiful meadow spot with sunset views. We hang out for a few hours there. Just laying on the picnic blanket, enjoying the sun and the views, chatting. The couple called their parents to let them know that they are married now. This was very surprising for everybody, because nobody even knew they were out of the country 😅 They ate the cake, drank some wine and chilled.

Once the sunset time got closer, we took a few moments for sunset photos and wrapped up the adventurous beautiful day with this.

Conclusion

Madeira island is the perfect location for elopements if you want the nature around you to be lush, wild, dramatic and you love the ocean and mountains, too. It is perfect for couples who love to hike and are a little adventurous. It is also the perfect honeymoon location for active couples. During the rest of the trip you could do several more hikes, go whale watching, do canyoning, paragliding. Or just lay back, listen to the sound of the waves, admire the views, sip some local wine at a vineyard and eat delicious local food 🥰

Other blog posts you might be interested in:

The Ultimate Madeira Elopement Guide

5 Best Madeira Elopement Locations

How much it costs to elope in Madeira