It's quite a unique and interesting place I'm bringing you today. Achadaz Da Cruz Is an isolated plot of land on Madeira's west coast that is full of small farms which are mostly abandoned. They have built a cable car there, this way people can actually get down there and see the place close up, this is exactly what we did. From one side the little farm village is sided by 300m high cliff mountains and on another side is the Atlantic ocean.
If you are afraid of heights then the cable car ride might seem a bit scary to you. The first shot is from a cable car going down.
And here you can see the way the cable car comes down and goes up. It seems much smaller in the photo.
You can hike down by the way but it takes about one hour and is incredibly steep so you need to be well-prepared. The cable car ticket costs just about a couple of euros so you don't win much in money to choose the hike down.
The coastline.
The village is really interesting. It was built in the 16 century. Probably had good soil to grow crops. People who moved there had to be pretty fearless to live in isolation and without much comfort. Today there are many small farmhouses but the big majority are abandoned, people couldn't live this way anymore.
There are trails all around the village so you can check out most of the places there is to offer. We spent around an hour or a bit more walking around.
A good overview of most of the village. This place looks like a landslide that has fallen down from the cliffs.
On the sides of the hills, you can see traces of past agricultural land, not in use today anymore.
A couple of cool plants in the village.
Not all houses are abandoned. There are still some people who have not moved away. In the shot below you can see house that is probably lived in today.
In the following photos, you can see these yards more close up. All overgrown and clearly, nobody lives there anymore but the remains remain.
Rough water next to the village.
Some equipment that was once in use. I don't know how long it has been sitting there uselessly but corrosion is real. The salty ocean air also makes these metal machines corrode faster.
After a while of exploring it was time to take the cable car back up again. From the above, a really cool view straight down appears over the village. Unfortunately, it's a disgusting and blurry photo and somehow I didn't realize this mistake. Still, I want to show you that one so here it is.
I always find it extremely interesting to explore abandoned places like this one. Imagine how these ones were lively places and all that went on in there. It's still quite a hidden gem to go and see despite some tourist buses coming through. Might soon get overrun by tourists though.
Tonight I will fly to French Alps on a ski trip for 6 days. Hoping to get some awesome content from the landscapes there too, im excited!!!
I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge your photography and exploration of the Farms Lost In Time on Madeira's west coast. Your photos and words transported me to this isolated plot of land and gave me a glimpse into its unique history and beauty.
Your adventurous spirit in exploring abandoned places like this one is admirable, and I appreciate the effort you put into sharing this hidden gem with the world. Your photos captured the essence of this place, from the rugged coastline to the overgrown yards and traces of past agricultural land.
I encourage you to continue exploring and sharing your adventures with us. Your passion for photography and adventure is inspiring, and I look forward to seeing more of your content from your upcoming ski trip in the French Alps.
Keep up the great work and keep exploring!
I am glad you value the content I do. Always try to bring interesting stuff and photography out here.
Hopefully will get some good shots From French Alps as well.
If there is a cable car then why would you not use it, right? 😉 I prefer to make it easier as then I have more energy to explore once I reach my destination...
Great photos! It's been a pleasure to follow your posts from Madeira.
I hope that there will be enough snow and that you will have a lot of fun! I'm not so worried about photos as I'm sure you'll take plenty of them 🙂
Have a safe flight!
At first I had actually planned to hike down there but I reconsidered on the spot 😂
Glad you have enjoyed these posts!
Oh there will be snow. Forecast shows +40cm in next two days. I just hope we get clear skies too to really see the views. Im not going to carry my mirrorless camera on the mountain while skiing. I will break it in half. Trying to get on some videos and pictures on gopro.
Hopefully will get chances to use a real camera elsewhere.
Thank you!
A number of village people nowadays have left farming for a different means of living in the city or somewhere in the suburbs! This place must be very productive in the past to think it's near the sea.
Thanks for the lovely photos!Riding a cable car with this sight must be very exciting ☺️
I dont know if they sold the produce as well. They probably did but transporting this produce out seems incredibly problematic.
This must be a very isolated place that transporting was difficult then!
Nature's softbox (the overcast day) really let you capture this in the best light. Is there much wild life in the region due to the absence of humans?
Quite an interesting moody lighting yeah. Suits this place. Got some good shots.
There are many birds and lizards in the area.
Wow thank you very much for taking to this interesting and beautiful place today.
I never see a farm with a stunning view like that. People must have worked very hard to build it.
The sure did work hard building these. Had to carry all the stones by hand.
Wow !!!
Indeed!
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Wow! what an incredible place.😱