Guides
Living here
The honest version. Weather by month, damp, driving, internet, community, and whether it gets boring.
Working remotely from an island built on its side
Madeira has the highest fibre coverage in Portugal and the lowest take-up of it. What ANACOM's figures measure, why the relief matters, and the time zone.
Damp, humidity, and the number IPMA stopped publishing
Madeira's relative humidity is barely measured. What IPMA actually publishes, why north-facing and high houses suffer most, and what shows up in a viewing.
Keeping a car on a road that is mostly tunnel
The annual IUC tax, the IPO inspection interval, Funchal parking rates and the weekly regional fuel price — what owning a car on Madeira actually involves.
What the official statistics say about safety here
Recorded crime in Madeira against the national rate, the two official figures that disagree, and the hazards the regional civil protection plan actually ranks.
European Portuguese, and the accent that comes with the island
Where Portuguese courses actually exist on the island, why Madeiran speech is hard for learners, and the nationality language rule that changed in May 2026.
Is Madeira boring? For some people, yes
The official numbers on population, the festival calendar, cinema screens and the winter season — and an honest answer to the question that costs a sale.