The Algarve, Portugal’s southerly, coastal region, has always tempted a few digital nomads and travelling entrepreneurs, particularly those visiting Lisbon. Now, however, it’s no longer just a place you might tack onto a Lisbon trip, but somewhere you might visit on its own – or, thanks to Portugal’s digital nomad visa, consider moving to.
For a long time, Faro, the largest city on the Algarve, was also a contender for the Algarve destination of choice but recently it’s become clear that Lagos is the clear winner. Although there were a number of coworking spaces in Lagos, several new spaces opened in 2020 and it’s expected that a number of new coliving spaces and nomad-friendly cafés will open in the future as well.
To be fair, Lagos was always a better destination in many ways. Although it’s one of the most expensive places on the Algarve, and although Faro is much closer to the airport, Lagos has one important thing going for it: you can walk to the beach from the town centre. It’s also close to the surfer’s paradise that is the West Coast, which is another requirement for many digital nomads.
(That’s not to say that you should rule Faro out completely – it’s much more of a hidden gem than Lagos, has more historical attractions, and is nicely situated close to Spain – but Lagos is just likely to be a better choice for your digital nomad base on the Algarve.)
Accommodation
While there are plenty of hostels and hotels in Lagos, an apartment is often the best choice for nomads as it gives you more space to work from and also means you can cook at home. Airbnb is the obvious option, but prices are often high in Lagos. If you can’t find what you’re looking for there, take a look at Flatio, a site that focuses on medium-term accommodation. Booking.com is also worth looking at.
Facebook Groups can sometimes reveal options. It’s worth asking in Algarve Digital Nomads, but also looking at some of the accommodation-specific groups like Long Term Rentals Algarve or Algarve Winter and Long Term Letting.
Coworking Spaces
Over the past few years, a number of coworking spaces have opened up in Lagos as well as several coworking-friendly cafés including:
- Centro (coworking space)
- The Office (coworking space)
- London Tiger Coffee (café)
- The Coffee Studio (café)
Connect with other nomads
Two Facebook Groups cover the Algarve nomad scene: Algarve Digital Nomads and Lagos Digital Nomads. Between the two, you should be able to connect with all of the other nomads in the Algarve.
It’s also worth connecting with the Lisbon Digital Nomad scene as well while you’re in Portugal.