Selvagens Islands

The rugged, inhospitable Ilhas Selvagens, or Savage Islands, have frustrated centuries of colonization attempts. Located nearly midway between Madeira and the Canary Islands in the North Atlantic, this small archipelago is today Portugal’s southernmost territory, comprised of two main islands and multiple islets that remain uninhabited by all but a hardy few.

In recognition of their importance as a nesting point for numerous bird species—including the Atlantic’s largest breeding colony of Cory’s shearwaters—the Selvagens were designated as a natural reserve by Portugal in 1971. They are now part of the country’s Madeira Nature Park, whose rangers are the sole occupants of the remote outpost, sharing the harsh landscape with the endemic Selvagens gecko.

Offshore, shipwrecks litter the marine landscape, the work of violent oceanic swells that, while dangerous on the surface, also churn up nutrients below, creating a rich environment for sea life. As part of the nature park, the islands’ surrounding waters are protected out to 12 miles and to a depth of 200 meters.