Madeira blog

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Digital Nomads on Madeira island

gepubliceerd op: 08 Apr 2021
About six months after we finished our project here on Madeira in 2019, suddenly everything came to a standstill again. We were just getting used to receiving guests in our little paradise. On 14 March 2020, not knowing then, we waved goodbye to our last guests, the airport pretty much went on lockdown and here on Madeira we went into a fairly severe lockdown.


In the meantime, we are more than a year in full lockdown. The small number of guests we were still able to receive in 2020, have all had so much joy here with us. We hoped everything would continue, but we all knew that this would not happen just like that. It was a year full of uncertainties. And still its not over yet.

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What we also didn't know when we started this new year was that a completely new group of people would be coming to Madeira. There was a project set up by Goncalo Hall who, together with the government, launched a start-up called 'Digital Nomads Madeira'. An opportunity for people who can do their work online, anywhere in the world, to come to Madeira for a few months. A shared workplace with good wifi and a space for special events became a reality in the nearby village of Ponta do Sol. One little message to Goncalo later and our Calheta Boutique Houses were on the website! It took 3 days before all the houses were found and booked by the first digital nomads.

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On average, guests now stay with us for 2 to 3 months, something we had no experience with until now. Someone who stays in your house for a few months may have very different needs than when a guest is with you for only a week. A hoover, extra cleaning cloths and linen, now the guests are completely provided for. They are all young and inspiring guests, between 24 and 37 years of age, who carry out their jobs or their businesses from here. One by one they find their routines and their way on the island and for us it is nice to see what they get up to and also show us new things.
We have been hiking a few times, they have barbecued at our house, had drinks at the poncha bar and a few weeks ago we did some 'Canyoning' with a whole group. An experience never to forget and an absolute must for the adventurous guests that we may welcome here in the future.
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So, for us, the long stays are really a completely new branch of the sport, which we absolutely love. It is nice to have so much time for your guests and to get to know them better at your leisure. Maybe we should open our houses every year for a certain period of time for longer stays? Not only for digital nomads, but maybe also for people from the Netherlands who want to escape the winter and enjoy the pool on Madeira.

In any case, it made us realise that even in difficult times, you have to look at what is still possible. Keep your head high and stay positive!

Love from Anne & Dave


Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator 

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