The Algarve for Digital Nomads

The Algarve could be the perfect digital nomad hotspot. A coffee (bica) can be as cheap as €0.50 and a beer often costs €1 or less. There’s miles of beautiful coastline and it’s usually very easy to find a café with wifi as well. 

Then there’s the surfing. The Algarve, particularly the West Coast, is a fantastic surf spot and a great place to either learn or practice surfing. 

It’s also fairly affordable, particularly if you stay long-term and if you stay away from the most touristy spots. 

Unfortunately, even though Lisbon has become a digital nomad hotspot, with a buzzing community and plenty of co-working spaces, the Algarve has yet to take off as the next Chiang Mai or Las Palmas. 

It’s getting there, though, and, if you decide to visit, you could really help it achieve its potential. 

Tip: Planning to cowork in Portugal? Croissant App offers a 7-day free trial that allows you to work from multiple coworking spaces in Lisbon (and one or two in the Algarve).

Accommodation for digital nomads

• The Algarve Digital Nomads FB group has an ongoing survey and nearly every digital nomad that visits the Algarve ends up booking through Airbnb.com. 
• Flatio.com, which is like Airbnb but for medium-term rentals, has rooms and apartments across the Algarve.
• Booking.com is also worth looking at, particularly off-season (around October to April). During this time, you can often find hotel rooms for as little as €15 or €20 per night. You can sometimes find cheap apartments on there as well and even cheaper hostel beds. 
• For longer stays see the guide to renting long-term on the Algarve. There’s also a guide to finding winter rentals.
• Co-living spaces like The Stokeworks can be fun places to live and meet other digital nomads. 
• Some nomads hire campervans while they’re on the Algarve.  This isn’t the cheapest form of accommodation, but it’s definitely one of the most fun. 

Where should I go on the Algarve?

Although there are nomads spread out all over the Algarve, particularly in places like Faro, Vilamoura, and Sagres, the majority end up in Lagos, which has fast becoming a digital nomad hotspot.

Lagos is popular for a reason. It’s within easy reach of the West Coast, a paradise for surfers, it has a beach that you can walk to from the town centre, and, with both a train and a bus station, it has good public transport links to other parts of the Algarve.

Even though there are always a few other digital nomads on the Algarve, it’s still a very small scene. During the winter months, the Algarve can be very quiet and many restaurants and bars shut down. Although you will find one or two places that are open, many of the resort towns can have a bit of a ghost town feel to then.

Getting around the Algarve

The best way to get around the Algarve is by car, especially if you want to go to the beaches or into the countryside. 

The Algarve does have quite a good train system, but it only connects to some of the towns on the Algarve (Faro, Lagos, and Portimão are all connected).

Otherwise, there is a good bus system that connects the towns on the Algarve. Finding the timetables can sometimes be a bit difficult, but Algarvebus.info has all the info. 

Where to meet other digital nomads in the Algarve

There are a few relevant groups on Facebook: Algarve Digital Nomads and Digital Nomads Portugal. If you want to meet other digital nomads in the Algarve, try posting in here and letting people know that you’re in town. A few people do this every month, and it’s probably the best way of meeting other nomads. 

Start Algarve, a meetup group for startup owners in the Algarve, is another place to meet fellow entrepreneurs, digital nomads, and startup owners. Meetups are very infrequent, but it’s always worth checking to see if there’s something happening while you’re in the Algarve. 

While not about freelancing specifically, the couchsurfing forums can be a good place to meet other people while travelling. As with the Digital Nomads Portugal Facebook group, just post a message saying that you’re in town and see who wants to meet up.

Co-working spaces & recommended cafés on the Algarve

The following spaces have been suggested by members of the Algarve Digital Nomads FB Group. If you’re not already a member, it’s worth joining. 

Albufeira

Cafés to work from in Albufeira

Al-Gharb

Speciality coffee shop situated in Albufeira’s new town (near “The Strip” that offers wifi and seats with power outlets as well as a selection of speciality coffees, cakes, snacks, and main meals.

Faro

Co-working spaces in Faro

Alandra Square 

• Price: from €70 per month and €8 per day. 
• Website: alandrasquare.pt
• Trial day available: 

Faro Avenida Business Centre 

A coworking space for freelancers, digital nomads, and teleworkers. Other services available include meeting rooms, lockers, and a phone service.

• Price: 1 day = €10, 1 month from €70.
• Website: Faroavenida.com
• Trial day available – just get in touch with them.

Cafés to work from in Faro

Lagos

Co-working spaces in Lagos

CENTRO Lagos (Lagos)

A coworking/shared office space.

• Price: €149 per month.
• Website: centro-lagos.com

Reis & Marreiros, Lda

A coworking/shared office space.

• Price: €100 per month.
• Address: Rua Brito Camacho, Lote 41 – Cave frente, Lagos, Portugal

Cafés to work from in Lagos

London Tiger Coffee

London Tiger Coffee is a small and cozy café with good wifi and a great selection of cakes and desserts. 

Abigail’s Café

Abigail’s Cafe offers a menu that consists of smoothies, beach bowls, and brunch options, and several of their seats have power outlets as well.

Portimão

Co-working spaces in Portimão

Hub Ativo

A coworking/shared office space.

• Price: €15 per day or €135 per month. 
• Address: Rua Joaquim Agostinho Fernandes

Sagres

Co-working spaces in Sagres

Currently, there are no co-working spaces in Sagres. There is a co-living space, however. 

Cafés to work from in Sagres

Laundry Lounge

Laundry Lounge is a bar and café that’s popular with surfers and freelancers. You can even do your laundry there as well. 

The Hangout

The Hangout is another café that’s popular with surfers and freelancers. As well as pizza, coffee, and beer, there’s often live music as well. 

Loulé

Co-working spaces in Loulé

Cowork Mucancas Loulé (Loulé)

A small co-working space located in Loulé, a small town close to Faro. Facilities include showers, coffee and tea, printers, a kitchen, storage area, a conference room, and free parking.

• Price: 1 day = €15, 1 month from €150.
• Website: mucancas.com

The Green Building (Loulé)

• Price: €160 per month or €15 per day
• Website: the-green-building.com
• Trial day available: 

Golden Creative (Loulé)

• Price: €120 per month or €10 per day (+ IVA)
• Website: goldencreative.pt
• Trial day available: Get a free week’s trial using the Croissant App. 

Cafés to work from in Loulé

Ikea Lounge area

Free tea or coffee Monday – Friday if you have an Ikea card. 

Silves

Cafés to work from in Silves

Café DaRosa

If you just want to check e-mails or do something quickly, Café DaRosa is a nice place to work from. Free internet access is available from the nearby Silves council, so you don’t even have to ask the café for a password. 

Aljezur

Co-working spaces in Aljezur

Cowork Aljezur

Small, boutique coworking space located around 4 km from Aljezur Town Centre. Free parking is available. 

• Price: €12 for a day pass. Fixed desks are also available.
• Website: Aljezur.life
• Trial Day Available: No.

Almancil

Cafés to work from in Almancil

Venepao 93 Padaria e Pastelaria

Good coffee shop, but it doesn’t have power outlets. 

Baguette de Paris

Coffee shop with power outlets. 

Coworking Retreats in the Algarve

There are now several co-living retreats in Portugal, and this includes one or two in the Algarve. Others happen sporadically, and take place for just a couple of weeks in the year. There is now always at least one of these per year.

Other places to work from on the Algarve

• Tip: If you don’t know the wifi password, it’s often the name of the café. This works about 50% of the time, so it’s always worth trying.
• Tip 2: Most libraries in the Algarve have free wifi, and are very easy places to work from. 
• Tip 3: Many supermarkets (especially the larger ones like Pingo Doce and Continente) have free wifi. Normally you can pick it up in the food courts or cafés and work from there. There are big food courts at the main shopping centres in the Algarve: Algarve Shopping (near Guia), MAR Shopping (near Loulé), Forum Algarve (near Faro), and Aqua (near Portimão).