The volcanic islands, category in which Madeira is included, rarely correspond to a unique volcanic cone; they are formed by a set of multiple and varied growing volcanic apparatuses, like its own configuration suggests. This configuration corresponds to the relief originated in the bottom of the ocean and which the Madeira Island and the Desertas are merely but culminating parts that exceed the sea level.

The volcanic structure shape, the climate and the nature have played predominant roles in the relief's modelling, as it is known today. In spite of its contrasting relief and its deeply incised valleys, the present aspect of the island, viewed from the sea and at a certain distance, is the one of a flattened shield dissected by the vertical erosion, of which the edges might have been broken through the billow's erosion. The cliffs, a few hundred meters high, are common along its outline; actually the island has almost no low coasts. A dissymmetry between the meridian slope with a convex shape and the northern concave-shaped slope is also evident, due to the more rapid retreat of the northern cliffs, as a result of greater hydraulic dynamics originating in the northern predominance of the eolic courses.

Despite its small size, with a total area of 736,75 Km2 (maximum length is 58 Km, in the East - West direction, and 23 Km of maximum length in the North - South direction), the Madeira Island presents a very accentuated relief with a quarter of its surface above 1000m of altitude and high slopes. About 65% of the island's surface has slopes superior to 25% inclination, 23% has slopes between 25% and 16% inclination. Only 12% of the total area, which corresponds to 85 Km2, has slopes inferior to 16% inclination. The plain areas, or relatively plain areas, are scarce.

The Massif Central is located in the central region of the island. The higher zones are located in the central here. They are composed of a series of peaks, among which the highest peak of the island: Pico Ruivo (Santana) with 1.862m altitude.

Separated from the Massif Central through the deep valleys of Ribeira Brava, South, and São Vicente, North, the occidental part of the island presents, as its main morphological structure, the Paul da Serra table mountain. From a structural point-of-view, this table mountain is the continuity of the Massif Central, from which it separated due to the retreat of the main riversides' tops, and has approx. 16 km in length and 6 km in width.

The Ponta de São Lourenço represents the eastern extremity of the Massif Central and corresponds to a narrow, irregular and curved peninsula, which the marine erosion is destroying intensively. Morphologically, it distinguishes itself from the rest of the island due to its smooth and low altitude relief, which is responsible for the little precipitation and, consequently, for the scarce vegetation, contrarily to the remaining zones of the island. Curiously, if the sea level would lower 100 m, the Ponta de São Lourenço would extend significantly, towards the Desertas, and would be only 4,5 km away from the Ilhéu Chão. This fact shows that these islands, apparently separated from Madeira, are actually part of the same volcanic structure, of which the Madeira Island is the most important immersed part.
The two islets (Agostinho and São Lourenço), located in the easternmost zone of the peninsula, are more than mere fragments of the Ponta de São Lourenço, already separated by the marine abrasion.

Almost the entire coast of the Madeira Island is a chain of abrupt cliffs that reach, in the Cabo Girão, the maximum height of 580 m. The cliffs' line is interrupted at the Funchal's amphitheatre, in the Machico Bay, and by the mouths of the most flowing riversides. Some riversides turned north are suspended and the waters fall in cascade into the sea, clearly showing that the cliffs' retreat is quicker than the valleys' setting in. This retreat is directly related with the maritime hydrodynamic erosion processes. As a consequence of these erosion processes, the cliffs become unstable, sometimes leading to large landslips or steepness wich originate landslides.