discover our journey
Some places you visit leave a postcard memory and fade. Others reach into your soul and rewrite your story. For me, Madeira is the latter—a dream that became an adventure, an adventure that became a life, and a place that became home. This isn’t just about rugged cliffs, winding levadas, or the endless Atlantic horizon. It’s about the people who welcomed me, the stories they shared, and the quiet moments that made this island home.
2018
A Dream on the Horizon
Long before I packed a bag, Madeira lived in my imagination. I’d lose hours scrolling through photos—lush green peaks piercing the clouds, golden sunsets over Funchal, flower-draped streets that seemed too perfect to be real. Could the air really taste of salt and forest, the colors glow like that? I didn’t know then that reality would outshine every pixel I’d ever seen.
2021
The First Solo Adventure
One rainy afternoon, tired of waiting for the “perfect moment”, I booked a solo trip to Madeira. No plans. No expectations. Just a gut feeling and a plane ticket.
Even after I left, the island stayed with me. Quietly, it kept calling me back.
2021
A Chance to Live and Study in Madeira
Even after I left, the island stayed with me.
Quietly, it kept calling me back.
One chat led to something I never expected—a chance to live and study in Madeira for a year. I applied on a whim (way past the deadline)… and somehow got in. I didn’t plan it, but it changed everything.
2022
When Leaving Wasn’t an Option
And then there was him: my partner, a Madeiran born and bred. We met by chance, bonded over hikes and shared dreams, and suddenly, Madeira wasn’t just a place I was visiting—it was a place I couldn’t imagine leaving.
Saying goodbye was never really an option. I knew I had to come back.
2023
Around Madeira is Born
Returning to Madeira, I wanted to do more than just explore—I wanted to help others experience it the way I did. I’d seen too much, felt too much, to keep it to myself, so I started scribbling notes, mapping trails, collecting stories, dreaming of a way to share the island’s heartbeat.
That’s how Around Madeira came to life. But while it may be my project, I could never have done it alone.
A Team Effort, Fueled by Love & Friendship
Behind every tip, every recommendation, and every hidden gem I share, there’s a team—my partner, his family, and our incredible friends who constantly bombard me with local secrets and insights.
Around Madeira may have one founder, but its heart belongs to everyone who helped me turn this dream into reality.
Home, Now and Always
Madeira isn’t just where I’ve hung my hat or planted my roots—it’s where I’ve found myself. It’s the morning mist over the mountains, the stillness of a village at dawn, the feeling of standing on a cliff and knowing there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. If you give it a chance—if you let me show you its wonders—it might just carve a place in your heart too.
