WORDS & PICTURES: Melissa Diener
Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn | MelissaDiener.com
Narrow winding alleys, crumbling facades of beautiful old buildings, Azulejos, and blossoming Jacaranda trees. The Portuguese capital is a slice of heaven, and seemingly everyone is flocking in to claim their piece – including a few thousand digital nomads.
Multiple digital nomad platforms currently rank Lisbon as the best place in the world to work remotely. And suddenly the oh-so-dreamy alleys have become a wee bit crowded, with accommodation prices through the roof. It feels like Lisbon is full to the brim – so why not venture out into the countryside and explore the idea of coworking in rural Portugal, beyond its capital city?
NEED FOR SPEED (AND SPACE)
Many digital nomads are on a constant search to slow down from the daily grind – except when it comes to their internet speed. A fast internet connection is indispensable for any digital nomad, and is often one of the key factors when deciding on a remote work destination. Naturally, many gravitate towards bustling cities with fast WiFi, lots of amenities, and a selection of different coworking spaces. But since the beginning of 2020, when we were all forced to stay within our own four walls, many started craving more space and a closer connection to nature – including myself.
My partner and I moved to Portugal in 2020, and ended up renting an apartment in Penha de França in central Lisbon. After several tight lockdowns, our lease came to an end, and we decided that we needed to get out of the city; to really breathe, have a change of scenery, to have room to move around and be closer to nature.
So we moved our few belongings into a storage unit and headed to a place we’d never heard of before: a small mountain village called Folques. We found a newly renovated 3-bedroom house with stunning views and all the fancy things our little city-dweller-hearts could only dream of: a big garden with lemon and mandarin trees, a terrace with a BBQ, and even underfloor heating throughout the house (if you’ve ever spent a winter in a Portuguese house, you’ll know why this is real cause for excitement).
The village didn’t have any shops and we only ever saw a handful of people from the tiny community that still live in Folques, which really made it the perfect “lockdown haven” to move around freely with no mask. Here, we spent a few wonderful weeks exploring the surrounding areas and welcoming spring, whilst dining on our terrace and watching the sun set behind Mont’Alto.
Discover Portugal | A World Away: An Insight into Expat Life in Portugal
REMOTE WORK, BUT MAKE IT RURAL
Portugal has so much more to offer for digital nomads than Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve. And slowly but surely, there are more and more projects and initiatives popping up to promote sustainable remote work in smaller cities and more rural areas of the country. For people with remote jobs, this is not only a great way to beat the crowds and save some serious bucks by choosing cheaper places, but an opportunity to explore beautiful new spots in lesser-known areas of Portugal. To put it simply: coworking in rural Portugal is a win-win situation for digital nomads and for local communities. It creates a more sustainable approach to remote work whilst combatting overcrowding and inflation in cities.
The North
Aside from Porto, there are a few other cities in northern Portugal, such as Braga, Guimaraes and Amarante. In fact, Braga is rapidly developing into a tech hub with a thriving startup-scene. You should have no problems finding accommodation with good internet in these places. Ocean lovers can head a bit further north from Braga to Viana do Castelo. This hidden gem on the coast even has a few surf schools for wave-chasers and beach bums.
If nature is calling, head to the Peneda-Gerês National Park. It’s the oldest protected area in the country, and the only national park in Portugal. Here, you get to enjoy crystal clear water to swim or kayak in, amazing hikes, unspoiled vistas, and sleepy villages with traditional food. Since internet connectivity can be a bit tricky inside the national park, you may want to head to Selina Gerês if you’re planning a longer stay.
Explore Northern Portugal | Aveiro, Portugal: City Guide
Central Portugal
Central Portugal is probably the most underrated region in the country. Luckily, there have been some brilliant minds who have seen the potential in central Portugal and started initiatives to increase rural tourism and remote working opportunities.
One of those opportunities is Aldeias de Montanha (villages of the mountain), which was the first initiative to encourage coworking in rural Portugal. The project includes three coworking spaces in three different villages: Videmonte (Guarda), Alvoco das Várzeas (Oliveira de Hospital), and Lapa dos Dinheiros (Seia) This cooperative is all about embracing the concept of a circular economy: creating spaces that draw resources from and give back to local communities.
Another charming village you should keep on your radar is Fundão. This municipality in the Castelo Branco district put some serious effort into cranking up its local economy. With support from Interreg Europe, they’ve successfully completed various projects to decrease unemployment and drive innovation. Aside from their local coworking space, they now also have a brand-new center for business and shared services.
To combine your rural village experience with a splash of city life, head to Coimbra. This student city is home to one of Europe’s oldest universities and has a handful of cafés and coworking spaces. It’s also a good public transport hub to either head north or south by bus or train.
Did you know that the centre of Portugal is home to some of the country’s most beautiful river beaches, or “praias fluviais”? Ourém, Arganil, Piodão, Gois, and Seia are just some of the places you can find them. Here, you can enjoy the mountains whilst still taking a dip in the nearby river to cool off on a hot summer’s day.
The South
When we hear southern Portugal, we automatically think of the Algarve. But have you ever heard of the Alentejo region? These vast landscapes of rolling hills and olive trees stretch all the way from the heart of the country to the beginning of the Algarve. Alentejo makes up the country’s largest yet most scarcely populated region, with less than 5% of Portugal’s entire population inhabiting this area.
You may want to start off in the region’s largest city, Évora, which offers fantastic traditional restaurants, a few coworking spaces, and lots of different types of accommodation with good WiFi. And then there’s the countryside – and oh boy, is there a lot of it! Admittedly, if you’re looking for community, this may not be the place for you, but it definitely makes for a nice weekend getaway if you’re in the region. A little-known gem is the dreamy hilltop village of Marvão, which has an old fortress, stunning vistas, and, even a tiny coworking space.
But if you’re not a fan of soaring temperatures, it’s best to avoid the interior region during the summer months where temperatures can reach well over 40°c. Instead, head to the Vincentina Coast, where you can enjoy the Atlantic breeze, great waves, and stunning coastal hiking trails. Visit Vila Nova de Milfontes if you want to experience life in a laid-back Portuguese fishing town. Here, you also have another Selina coliving space if you want to catch up on some work after a few days off-grid.
Surf’s up | Costa da Caparica, Lisbon: A Surfer’s Paradise
The Islands – Azores and Madeira
Did we save the best for last? Perhaps we did, because if you think Portugal’s mainland is amazing, just wait until you’ve seen its islands. The archipelagos of the Azores (9 islands) and Madeira (4 islands) are just around a 2-hour flight from Lisbon; although it may seem that being in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is an issue for fast WiFi, you couldn’t be more wrong!
Ponta do Sol on Madeira island has been named the world’s first digital nomad village, so it’s needless to say that all your wildest nomad dreams will come true on this magical island. There is so much on offer for digital nomads here that it couldn’t possibly be condensed into a single sentence.
If you’re heading to the Azores, you may want to pick its biggest island, São Miguel, as your base as it has the best infrastructure for nomads with some beautiful coliving and office spaces available.
If you want to explore the other islands, you can reach them with Sata Air Açores, the local airline. These islands also make for the perfect “digital detox” destination for those needing to switch off and wind down from the daily grind – not just for those hoping to experience coworking in rural Portugal.
Adventure to the Islands | The Azores are Calling: São Miguel for Solo Hikers
RESPONSIBLE COWORKING IN RURAL PORTUGAL
All in all, escaping to the countryside is a great way to explore new places and communities and immerse yourself in their local culture. Applying a certain level of mindfulness and responsibility, and choosing our destinations with intention as digital nomads can make all the difference in creating a more sustainable way of remote work in the future.
