The Portuguese island of Madeira is looking to build a town dedicated to digital nomads. It’s meant to help the island capitalize on the rise of nomads — people who travel year-round and work from their computers — that have already been living on the island.
After seeing how fast this demographic is rising, and understanding that the beauty of the island would attract other nomads, Madeira created a pilot project called Digital Nomad Village. The ‘village’ provides fast internet, community events, exclusive hotel property, and — most importantly — free office space.
The program launched in February and will run until the end of June. Located in the tranquil Ponta do Sol, on the south coast, there are spectacular views out to the Atlantic, and it’s near the capital of the island – Funchal. It can host up to 100 nomads at any one time, but those people need to commit to staying in the village for at least a month.
According to the website, “Madeira Islands have the perfect conditions to attract digital nomads with its natural beauty, activities in nature, culture, and fantastic weather conditions throughout the year.”
The project is in partnership with the Government of Madeira, StartUp Madeira, and acclaimed digital nomad Gonçalo Hall.
The forests of the island are an outstanding relict of a previously widespread laurel-type forest. According to UNESCO, this forest covered much of Southern Europe 15-40 million years ago, but today exists in just a handful of places.
Although more people are discovering that unique and natural beauty, the island’s appeal has been evident for centuries: 19th century author H.N. Coleridge called Madeira the “most enviable island on Earth.” And the island has been named Europe’s Leading Island Destination for five years running.
Click here to discover more about the Madeira Islands.
