A brief visit to the Ilhas Desertas

Leaving Funchal   

We had really enjoyed our time in Madeira and there is a lot more to the island that we didn’t manage to see but we needed to move on for 2 reasons. Most importantly we had arranged to meet Alex and Lucy in the Lanzarote area for their holiday and secondly because of bureaucracy. We had recently got the sad news that Alex and Lucy’s flights had been cancelled as a result of the Monarch airline declaring bankruptcy. So, as we left Madeira, we were working a plan based upon the hope that Alex and Lucy would be able to book some replacement flights with another carrier. The bureaucracy was because we had applied to the Portuguese authorities to anchor off and go ashore on 2 of their nature reserve islands. We were delighted that they had approved our application but, of course, we were now fitting in with the dates for which we had approval.

Ilhas Desertas ahead   

Approaching Ilha Deserta Grande   

Once clear of the shelter of the high ground above Funchal we had a spirited sail southwest for 20 miles towards the first of our destinations, Ilha Deserta Grande. This is the largest of the Desertas islands and the only one that you are allowed to visit. The island is about 6 miles long but less than a mile wide, with steep peaks rising up to nearly 500 metres; it is a dramatic place to approach in a yacht.

The only anchorage where you are permitted to stop is on the western side of the island, with a modicum of shelter provided by a reef which comes just out a short way from the coast. However, the reef submerges when the tide rises and we were a little concerned about the wind which was blowing onto this side of the island rather than the eastern side, which is more usual. We dropped the sails early so that we could both be looking out for underwater obstructions as we crept into the anchorage. Jade, a French yacht, left as we approached and we spoke briefly to them on the radio. Also, tucked in against the cliff was a large gulet style tripper boat which was bucking at anchor ominously.

The pebbly beach we had planned to anchor off   

The piloting directions read something like ‘approach from the south, staying as close as you dare to the cliffs, before dropping anchor as far in as you dare to the small pebbly beach’. We continued in but were having serious reservations about the suitability of the anchorage in the prevailing wind. The tide was rising and so we were about to lose the causeway’s protection from the waves, the wind was forecast to increase and the other 2 yachts visiting had either left or were about to.

The wardens’ cabin (bottom left) and spectacular volcanic stone cliffs   

Just above the pebbly beach we could see the wardens’ cabin and from our close-in vantage point the steep cliffs above. You used to be able to climb all the way to the top but we had read that a recent rockfall had made parts of the path dangerous. We crept in a bit closer looking at the fantastic colours of the volcanic rock cliffs but also with a wary eye on the gulet to our right, still bouncing around on the waves.

Passing Ilha Bugio (top and bottom right)   

Sadly, we decided that the weather forecast and the rising tide made staying a poor option and so, having taken some photos, we headed out again and turned south. That took us past the most southerly of the Ilhas Desertas, Ilha Bugio which also has beautiful rock strata layers twisted by the volcanic action.

Looking north towards the Ilhas Desertas   

So, instead of a night at anchor and an explore ashore we now had the prospect of an overnight passage south. At least we had a good wind and, as we cleared Ilha Bugio and set course for the Selvagem Islands, Chardonnay of Solent called us up on the radio. They were a few miles ahead of us also heading for the Selvagems; it looked like we would be having an OCC social event when we got there.

Islas Desertas, Madeira, Portugal