Keeping up with the motto: Work hard, play hard! “Road Trip mode on”!
Madeira Startup Retreat isn’t just about work. As it could not be otherwise the first Saturday of
the week (May 7 th) was dedicated to getting to know more about Madeira Island on a Road
Trip!
We started the adventure at “Mercado dos Lavradores”, the historic local market at Funchal,
where entrepreneurs were able to see the beautiful colors of vegetables and fruits, as well as
fresh fish. They also got to know the different types of Madeira bananas.
Despite being spring, we got lucky as it was sunny and warm, like a typical summer day on the
island. We got to visit:
> “Câmara de Lobos” where we saw the fishing village and the vivid colored fishing
boats.
> “Cabo Girão” viewpoint, everyone was brave to walk on the glass platform (which is
580 meters above sea level!) and to take some cool pictures.
> “Ponta do Sol”, where we had lunch and startups tasted some Madeiran food like
“bolo do caco”. After we had a little walk through the village.
> “Ponta do Pargo”, a breathtaking cliff where we could see the open ocean and breath
fresh air. We also got to do a fun drone video as well as some group photos!
> “Porto Moniz”, where despite being cloudy and windy startuppers were astonished by
the natural pools.
Startuppers Under The Spotlight
Gokulan Kannan,Co-Founder & COO @ Hotel Manager
How was the experience of knowing a little more about Madeira?
“We had a car because we had to pick up one of our co-founders, so we thought “it might be better to go in the car” and Micaela said, “you’ll learn more about Madeira if you come with us, you’ve got the Local Hosts”. So, we told our co-founder to get a cab and we came on the bus, it was the best decision so far on this trip. We not only saw the beautiful Island, but we also learned about the history and the culture, and to have that contact and that background was really useful. It was a really awesome trip! I also thought that the schedule was going to be very long (9 am to 7 pm) but it was very quick. I really enjoyed it, the Local Hosts were fantastic, and everyone had different stories to tell. All in all, it was a really fun trip!”
What did you enjoy the most?
“My favorite place was the cliff at Ponta do Pargo, where everybody was telling me not to go on the edge. It’s absolutely beautiful and it came at the right time of the day, we just had lunch and then we saw the nomad village. To go from a town/city culture to some very much in nature was amazing! I wish we could do more of that, this was week one, so we still have five weeks and I want to see more of these kinds of things with the group.”
Cesia Kearns, Engagement Strategist, Community Lead @ StayAltered
How was your road trip experience?
“I loved the experience, it was wonderful to be able to see more of the island, since we’ve been staying in Garajau, you know, only coming between Funchal and Garajau. I was marveled the whole time, just the terrain, and I kept thinking about how the engineers and construction workers created those roads and built those buildings in a place that has such steep terrain, and I was just thinking about everyone who has made this island what it is, the beauty of it and all the infrastructure, which is really interesting. It was lovely to see how other people are living in different villages and cities on the island.”
What was your favorite thing? It can be a landscape, a moment, or an experience.
“I enjoyed the camaraderie of everyone on the bus and getting to talk with our Local Hosts about what would they do if they weren’t on the trip, also getting to know the members of the startup retreat a little bit more and all the views. It was such a spectacular day and there were so many things I wasn’t expecting to see, such as the natural swimming pools in Porto Moniz. It was unbelievable just to see those dramatic lava rocks and how the ocean water is pooling into them, and what a clever way to design a swimming area around that natural feature and then all the very different plant life from where I live. So, I was really enjoying getting to see more of the natural landscape while enjoying good company in the process.”
After enjoying nature, we ended the day in “Câmara de Lobos” savoring the traditional drinks,
“Poncha” and “Nikita”, while appreciating each other’s company. It was an incredible day!
Check out the amazing photos!