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Madeira Friends Blog
A home for locals and internationals
Madeira Friends connects locals and internationals through giving-back, wellness, sustainability, and culture. Together, we're building a stronger, more inclusive community on this beautiful island.
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Sometimes, the most meaningful moments happen in the most ordinary places, like a supermarket on a Saturday morning. That is where volunteers from Madeira Friends spent the weekend, collecting food and smiles at Pingo Doce in Lido. Between Portuguese “obrigados” and friendly conversations, lo...
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There are moments that remind us what community truly means, when people from different backgrounds, languages, and stories come together to learn, laugh, and connect through something timeless.
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This week, Madeira Friends had the joy of welcoming back The Trash Traveler, our favorite eco-warrior, storyteller, and all-around good soul, for another round of environmental action and awareness on our island.
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What happens when a group of curious internationals and locals get the chance to step inside one of Madeira’s most fascinating research hubs? A lot of questions, a lot of smiles and perhaps some surprises.
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What happens behind the doors of a fire station? Most of us pass by the big red trucks and sirens without thinking twice about the people inside, the ones who put their lives on the line when disaster strikes. This week, our community at Madeira Friends had the chance to find out.
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This week, the Madeira Friends Hub was filled with a mix of anticipation, curiosity… and tissues. We hosted the premiere of a short documentary about CASA Madeira (Centro de Apoio ao Sem Abrigo), an association that has been supporting people experiencing homelessness for 17 years.
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Wednesday morning. The sun is shining, and while most people were easing into their day with a coffee, (Portuguese style) we decided to do something a little less ordinary: a beach cleanup at Praia Formosa, Madeira’s largest pebble beach.
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What do you get when you mix greenhouses, a surprise tea ceremony, and a group of locals and internationals armed with buckets and laughter?
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“How does one shelter take care of 300 animals?!” 🤯
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Madeira Friends invited its community of international supporters, alongside local families and guests to enjoy an afternoon of Madeiran culture and heritage together. The event featured traditional Madeiran music and folk dances by local groups, bringing everyone to their feet and filling Predic...
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No one expects to find a sick or injured dog on the street or a litter of sick cats looking for food. But it happens more often than you think, even here in beautiful Madeira. Whether you are a local, an expat or just visiting, you can make a difference.
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Sun is out, the WiFi is strong, and we bet your beach towel is not too far away. Madeira isn’t just a place to relax, it’s a hotspot for remote workers and freelancers who want the best of both worlds: productivity and paradise. From historic hubs to sea view desks, these coworking spaces mak...
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On 25th July 2025, the Madeira Friends community rolled up our sleeves and stepped into the shoes of the island’s traditional artisans.
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On Saturday, 2 November 2024, the Arquivo Regional e Biblioteca Pública da Madeira, in collaboration with Madeira Friends, welcomed more than 30 families to their second English storytelling event. This edition featured the beloved children’s book Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and offer...
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On 26th February 2025, Madeira Friends had the opportunity to run a workshop at Escola da APEL with a group of curious students aged 15–16. The goal: to introduce them to the power of AI and no-code tools and to open their eyes to new possibilities in tech and remote work. This session was part...
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In August 2024, wildfires once again tore through Madeira. Forests blackened. Animals fled. Places we walk and drive through were swallowed by smoke and flame.
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In December 2024, Madeira Friends launched a campaign to support the island’s rescued animals — and thanks to our incredible community, it was a success.
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Let’s rewind about three and a half years to when we met Adam Williams, the OG of Madeira Friends. The scene: post-SUP first paddle session, coffee in hand in Câmara de Lobos. I look over and see him sitting alone at a table. Naturally, I did what I do best — recruit random strangers. I walk...
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Madeira Friends travelled to Morocco to take part in the Taghazout Surf Expo, a leading international event in Africa dedicated to surf culture, digital nomadism, and sustainable tourism. Held over four days, the expo brought together more than 80 projects and over 40,000 participants — includi...
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On 31 October 2024, Madeira Friends was invited by Escola da APEL and the Arte.M Association to speak with a group of students aged 16 and up about the transformative power of digitalization. Held in Portuguese and attended by around 25 students, the session offered real-world insights into how d...
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At Madeira Friends, we are always touched by the stories of people who come to the island, connect deeply with the community, and leave feeling like they have found a second home.
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Get involved. Support our vision. Help us shape Madeira’s future. Become a supporter of Madeira Friends, click here.
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Every December, as the festive lights brighten Madeira’s streets, a quieter tradition has been growing — one rooted in kindness, solidarity, and meaningful impact. For the third year in a row, the international community, led by Madeira Friends, came together to support Acreditar, the Portugu...
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In 2023, Madeira Friends came together once again to celebrate the island’s most iconic figure — Cristiano Ronaldo — on his 38th birthday. Following the success of their previous tribute, they raised the bar with a brand-new, cinematic video experience titled “THE MADEIRA BUCKET LIST.”
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In 2023, Madeira Friends launched a meaningful giving-back initiative at Escola Básica e Secundária Gonçalves Zarco — a 4-week pilot coding program designed to inspire local students and introduce them to the world of technology led by volunteers from the digital nomad and expat community.
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It all started with a simple intention: to help those who needed it.
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In July 2022, Madeira Friends made their presence felt at the Summer Opening: one of the largest music events held on the island at Santa Catarina Park in Funchal.
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For a long time, we dreamed of turning the Madeira Friends experience into something even more immersive — a home where remote workers could live, work, and connect while tapping into everything the Madeira Friends community already offers. Coworking, events, island adventures, and friendships ...
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Year 2022
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Art Installation Intergrating Locals and Internationals — Year 2022
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In 2022, Wanderlust, the world’s largest mindfulness and wellness event, arrived in Madeira for the first time — and Madeira Friends was right there, stepping into the wellness spotlight in a way we never had before. Locals, internationals, creatives, wellness pros — everyone came together ...
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Madeira Friends hosted their second hackathon which took place at the Sangha Cowork Funchal on 19, 20, and 21 May 2023. In 2022, they focused on no-code tools but this time they took it to the next level, as they brought Artificial Intelligence into the equation. They focused on bureaucracy, safe...
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On the 9th and 10th September 2022, Madeira Friends alongside Martin Donadieu and Ana Leça Umbelino, with the support of the regional government of Madeira through the government IT headquarters, Startup Madeira, Digital Nomads Madeira Islands, organized the first social responsibility hackathon...
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The initiative began with a simple yet effective strategy: the 5-minute burpee challenge to raise money for a non-profit animal association, Ajuda a Alimentar a Cães. Their goal was to raise €1000 in a month but in a remarkable show of community spirit and generosity, they surpassed their fund...
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Madeira Friends — the island’s leading non-profit community where locals and internationals create, learn, and grow together — is launching the Madeira Friends Tech Lab this September 2025. This four-month program empowers students aged 16–22 to design, prototype, and launch AI-powered so...
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