Loving Madeira to Death?

There’s a tightness in my chest I need to talk about. It’s a feeling that has been growing for months, maybe even years. It’s the conflict between my work as a travel advisor: sharing the beauty of Madeira, and my purpose: protecting the place I love and get to call home.

I fell in love with this island in 2014. I moved here for good in 2018, chasing a dream with a one-way ticket. Madeira embraced me when my own life was falling apart. Its levada’s became my therapy, its mountains my sanctuary, and its people my friends and family.. quite literally as my Madeiran partner and I are now expecting our first baby together.

This island is my home. And you protect your home.

For a while now, however, I have seen my home struggling. I see the consequences of its own breathtaking beauty:

• I see ancient trees in the magical Fanal Forest being climbed for a photo, their fragile branched damaged and breaking.. and no advise being given nor any ‘forest police’ to protect it.

• I see 300 people jostling for a spot at Pico do Arieiro sunrise, the silence shattered by the noise of the crowd and drones up in the air.. parking impossible.

• I see small villages like Ponta do Sol and Jardim do Mar overflowing with rental cars, disrupting the daily life of residents and no parking spots left available..

• Speaking the language, I hear the frustration in the voices of locals… the farmers, the shop owners, the quiet neighbours… who feel their home is being turned into a theme park and they have no way to afford housing anymore as prices go up and there is no form of regulation, as foreigners can buy property without even having a residency here..

And so I’ve had to ask myself the hardest question: ‘By promoting the Madeira I love and being a foreigner myself, am I part of the problem?’

For a long time, I didn't have an answer. It felt like a choice between my livelihood and my love for the island. Also remembering the days where Madeira felt welcoming and the days where it was ‘begging’ for tourists as small local businesses went into bankruptcy during the pandemic..

And I’ve realized that it’s an unfair choice.

The problem is not tourism nor the foreigners choosing to live here and contribute to its economy. The problem is how we tourism and how the island is governed..

Working in the tourism industry locally for almost 8 years, I have come to know that the vast majority of visitors are not careless; they are uninformed. They arrive with dreams shaped by social media, but no one has given them the guidelines of being a good guest. No one has told them that the "secret spot" is actually a fragile ecosystem or that the scenic road is actually very dangerous due to rockfall and landslides..

They don’t know what they don’t know.

And so, who will tell them..?

Now I feel that it’s my mission even more than ever before to go from simply helping you see Madeira, to helping you understand and protect it. Here’s what that means for the content I create and the advice I give:

1. I keep prioritising respect over virality.
   This is something which has always been important to me; I will not just geotag a fragile location. When I share a place, I will consider first if this is already a well known island highlight and I will explain its significance and provide clear, actionable guidelines on how to visit without leaving a trace. Your photo is never worth the degradation of a natural sight.

2. I keep supporting the local community.
   I will actively steer you away from large, international chains and towards the small family-run tascas, the small local businesses, the independent winemakers, and the certified local (mountain) guides. Your euro is a vote for what kind of tourism you want to support.

3. I will remain your source of "crowd-beating" wisdom.
   I will keep dedicating myself to helping you experience the magic of Madeira without contributing to the overcrowding. This means promoting the off-season, sharing quieter alternative routes, and providing advice on timing your visits.

4. I will give you the "why."
   I won't just tell you to "be respectful." I will explain why it matters. Why you shouldn't park in that specific spot. Why you need to stay on the levada path. Why that spot it a better alternative to an overcrowded highlight.

A Call to Action for Everyone Who Loves This Island

If you are planning a trip to Madeira, I invite you to join me in this approach.

Come as a Guest, not just a Tourist.
Come with the intention to learn, to listen, and to give back. Choose a local guide. Buy your fruit from a roadside stall. Eat in a small, family-owned restaurant. Care and please do not litter (also toilet paper remains visible in nature for a very long time).

This isn't about feeling guilty for visiting. It's about feeling proud of how you visit.

This is a future where we don’t just take from a destination, but where we give back. It’s a future where tourism becomes a force for protection, not destruction.

This is my mission and intention. I hope it’ll be yours too.

Thank you for being here.

Monica
The Madeira Travelista