What is A Place To Be?

APTB is an up-and-coming neighbourhood in Madeira for people who want to live a sovereign life within a like-minded community.

When will A Place To Be open?

In August 2025 we purchased 530,000m2 of land in Caniçal, Madeira. But we didn't wait for the paperwork to start gathering. We'd already been opening our doors to day visitors in spring 2025, and every first Saturday of the month I host a rustic BBQ for friends and family on the land. Get in touch to join if you’re around.

Building permission is expected in early 2027. Once that comes through, it will take another one to two years to complete the village. We're building several small neighbourhoods across the 53 hectares, so community members will be able to move in as each cluster of homes is finished, rather than waiting for everything to be done at once.

Subscribe to our newsletter on the homepage to stay updated as things unfold. We're grateful for your support and your patience.

Is APTB a school?

APTB isn't a school, and we have no plans to become one. We simply provide an environment where children can thrive and learn naturally. We don't need to put a label on it.

We're a neighbourhood without a school. Each family is fully responsible for their own children's education. Whether that looks like homeschooling, unschooling, or something entirely in between, that's completely your call.

What we do have is a community full of people with things to share. Many of our members offer workshops, classes, and activities, and not just for kids. Whether it's woodworking, cooking, movement, music, languages, or something else entirely, these offerings are for everyone. And if a group of people develops an interest in something nobody in the community can teach yet, we're happy to bring someone in who can.

Learning here isn't confined to a room or a timetable. As John Holt put it, “children learn from anything and everything they see. They learn wherever they are, not just in special learning places.” We believe that deeply, and we've built our environment around it.

Does APTB include methods such as Montessori, Steiner or Waldorf schools?

We differentiate ourselves from these schools in the following way:

• we’re not a school but offer spaces to use for everybody, including adults

• we don’t ask anybody to follow a curriculum

• rather than focussing on children’s developmental milestones, we give children the freedom to develop in their own individual way and time, in their own nature

• we don’t do any type of assessment or evaluation of the children’s progress or growth even when offering classes

Is APTB only for families?

No, we’re looking for like-minded people to build our village community of all ages.

Will there be Wifi available?

Yes, every house and other spaces such as the co-working space and other buildings will have access to Wifi. We’re also planning on having small tree houses where people can work from using a local internet connection.

What if I need peace and quiet to work in the Coworking space when children are allowed in all the time?

One part of the coworking space is marked as ‘A Place to Be Working QUIETLY‘. Everybody in this area must remain silent and not disturb people working there and children know that anybody working in there have no task to offer. The other area is for everybody to share projects, tasks and information. If you need absolute privacy due to a private session for example or to shoot a video, we recommend to do this in your apartment or tree house.

Can we do a trial phase to see whether APTB/unschooling is the right thing for us?

Yes -Once our houses are ready, we will offer ‘family weeks‘ from time to time to give you the chance to experience life at APTB firsthand - an opportunity to immerse yourself in the sovereign/unschooling lifestyle, connect with the community, and see if it feels like the right fit for you.

What if my child is being homeschooled and follows a curriculum? Will someone teach him/her the content?

If your child is following a homeschool curriculum, they will remain in charge of their own learning process. Once we have teachers for specific interests, they won’t enforce structured content—but they will be available to support, answer questions, and offer guidance when a child seeks it, just like many other community members.

Which age groups are present at APTB?

There is no age limit at APTB. We’re building a village consisting of many generations.

How much does it cost?

To become a shareholder, the minimum investment is €250,000 or 4 BTC. This gives you access not just to APTB, but to all locations within the Citadel Garden network.

Please email us for further information on how to become a shareholder.

Do you have other locations outside of Madeira?

Yes! APTB is one of several villages that’s being created by Citadel Garden. While the other locations will have their own names, character, and unique communities, they’ll be part of the same extended network. Citadel Garden are currently scouting land in Latin America, Africa and Asia. They also own a walnut farm in Georgia and a Canadian island.

Each place offers a different flavor, but they’re all built on the same core values: freedom, connection, and sovereign living.