Madeira overwhelmed by tourists: Wild camping stirs local woes

Madeira is attracting more and more visitors. In the first half of 2024, the island hosted over 940,000 tourists, an 8% increase compared to the previous year. Among them were 64,500 Poles, marking a 16% growth compared to 2023.

Aleksandra Skibińska, a resident of Madeira, highlighted in an interview with "Fakt" that the island is becoming a victim of its own success. Tourists frequently ignore rules by staying in areas not designated for overnight accommodations, resulting in sanitation challenges. Skibińska notes that since the pandemic, tourist traffic has surged by 40%.

Residents of Madeira are worried about the behavior of tourists who set up tents in prohibited areas, such as beaches or national parks. Officially, wild camping is forbidden, and designated areas require prior reservations. The problem is the lack of adequate sanitation infrastructure, which leads to environmental pollution.

I often see tourists sleeping in cars or pitching tents where they shouldn't, like on beaches, seaside boulevards, or in the national park. There was even someone who pitched a tent in the center of Funchal, Madeira's capital. Because, after all, he’s in a wild country, right? - Skibińska reported to Fakt.

The same issues occur on trails, where tourists relieve themselves and fail to clean up afterwards.

It is possible to camp "under the stars" for free. All you need to do is reserve a spot on the Madeira Natural Park website. However, this type of accommodation requires you to pitch your tent in a marked location, specify the exact date of your stay when making the reservation, and agree to take your waste with you. These campsites, however, do not offer extensive infrastructure. Typically, they provide access to a toilet and drinking water, but not to showers.

Source: Fakt