Madeira Archipelago: Paths to a Sustainable Nature Sport Tourism Destination

The Autonomous Region of Madeira presents itself as a territory of natural and cultural diversity, awarded and valued by many. With these quality resources, tourism represents a key industry, and sport tourism, particularly, sea and nature sports activities such as Levadas Walking, is one of their most relevant products. This chapter aims to present an overview of sport tourism in the Madeira archipelago, presenting results essentially from the analysis of secondary data, resulting from scientific publications, as well as technical documents prepared with the support of governmental bodies. The archipelago is at a crossroads between the sharp growth of the tourist offer associated with nature and the need to preserve and regulate the most precise good that the tourist destination has—nature associated with the forest and the characteristics of the sea as a space of physical activity, sport, and tourism. The affirmation of sustainability in the archipelago is seen as a long-term objective that involves several entities. Valuing and protecting resources will translate into the creation of authentic products, experiences, and activities that, together, will result in an increasingly unique, attractive, and sustainable offer and create a sustainable nature sport tourism destination.