He disembarked from a coastguard launch onto Deserta Grande, an uninhabited island that forms part of Madeira region, amid a large swell and strong winds. It is traditional for Portuguese presidents to visit the island. The rest of the president's party on his three-day visit to Madeira were unable to leave the naval frigate D. Francisco de Almeida to board smaller boats to carry them to the island for safety reasons. That included journalists, who were thus unable to witness this part of the visit.