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Welcome! My name is Katie.

Hello, and first of all, thanks for visiting Pico & Poncha.

I’m a 26-year-old travel writer and nomad from a small village by the sea in Wales, a small country in the United Kingdom.

In 2023, on a whim, I booked a two-month trip to Madeira.

I found the internet lacked one single Madeira blog which could provide everything I needed to plan my trip. That’s why I created this blog.

As the author of Pico & Poncha, my first and single aim is to help more people to get the full island experience, as well as information of how support local Madeiran businesses and everything you need to know how to find the best poncha and pastel de nata (… of course).

A woman poses on top of Pico do Facho, a mountain in Machico.
Blonde woman types on laptop at a desk next to a circular window with a view of Funchal in Madeira.

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

Just over one year into nomading (living and working abroad full-time), I spontaneously booked two months in Madeira.

I was searching for a calmer routine with lots of fresh air, following a busy period travelling Bali, the Philippines, Java, Australia, Malaysia and Sumatra in southeast Asia and Oceania.

I moved into a traditional Madeiran home in the city of Machico on the remote east coast, living above a lovely elderly man with a sweet dog with the English name ‘Lady Laura’.

Machico, my base in Madeira

I spent the two months immersed in the island’s hikes, villages, fiestas and laidback lifestyle. I quickly started wondering whether I should start paying Madeira’s mountains for their therapy services.

It was too late: the bond was formed and I vowed to continue returning to Madeira, while not fully giving up my digital nomad lifestyle.

A LITTLE ABOUT THIS BLOG

Madeira lacked one single travel blog which could completely guide anyone arriving on the island.

Having been a travel writer for five years, I decided to launch Pico & Poncha as the ultimate Madeira travel blog.

My blog isn’t about your run-of-the mill tourist guide. I’ve been all across the world (including places like Cuba, India, Sumatra, Australia, Malaysia, Romania) and I’m not scared to travel outside of the box.

Hikers wave from a large boulder on the Pico Grande hike in Madeira.

While you’ll find guides to the most popular tourist spots here, you’ll also find less-known hikes, ideas for supporting local Madeiran businesses, wildlife watching, unique adventures and posts how to engage with the Madeiran culture.