Meet the faces behind ‘Our year in Madeira’

We are Marieke & Rembrandt, Dutch natives, but abroad adventures always have been a common tread throughout our lives. At the age of 18 Marieke packed her bags and moved for a year to Australia. After graduating Rembrandt lived for 9 months in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Before moving to Madeira we lived almost 4 years with our family in Czech Republic.

“Why Madeira?” That’s the question we’ve heard most often since we decided to pack our bags and move our family to this floating botanical garden in the Atlantic. We wanted to spend our year of parental leave as much as possible together outside in nature. Madeira offers a mild climate, breathtaking nature and many outdoor activities, so the decision was quickly taken!

Our Mission

After a year of living in Madeira many friends asked us for travel tips. Living here for a full year changed everything how we looked to the island. It allowed us to peel back the layers of the “standard” tourist experience.

On this site, we share:

• Real Lessons: The logistics of moving and living on an island.
• Curated Nature: Hikes and viewpoints we’ve tested with our own feet (and sometimes with kids in tow).
• Local Soul: The places and people that make Madeira more than just a holiday destination.

Why You Can Trust Our Tips

We don’t do “sponsored stays” or “top 10” lists based on Google searches. Everything you read here is based on our own footsteps. We’ve driven the steepest roads on the island, spent countless hours walking levadas, and tasted more Bolo do Caco than we’d like to admit.

Our goal is simple: to help you fall in love with Madeira just as deeply as we did—but with the headstart that only a year of local living can provide.