Madeira

A steep Atlantic island whose oldest piece of sustainable engineering is still running: the levadas, channels cut into the mountainside centuries ago to carry water from the wet north to the dry south. The research here is largely marine, MARE-Madeira studies the archipelago's marine biodiversity from Câmara de Lobos, AMACO works on ocean conservation, and AREAM drives regional energy and environment policy from Funchal. Alongside them, Arambha Eco Village is a permaculture community at Tábua, and Casas da Levada in Ponta do Pargo and Woodlovers Villas in Jardim do Mar are stays built to fit the land.