Black-sand beaches, volcanic peaks and surfer towns — I found serenity in the gorgeous ‘Hawaii of Europe’

I feel like the Little Prince, sitting atop an otherworldly landscape and gazing into oblivion, watching the jagged peaks in front of me fade into a brilliant red sunrise. My view seems improbable, just miles of imposing cliffs, and a layer of fluffy clouds under my feet — sights that should only be seen by plane.

But reaching this perch was remarkably easy: It’s steps from a parking lot you’d visit to watch the dawn at Pico do Areeiro, Madeira’s third-highest mountain.