Remote Working in Portugal

The best way to get started as a digital nomad is by joining a CoWorking Trip where everything on your trip to Portugal is organized for you. If you’re already a pro-traveler, then keep reading for inspiration and tips to help you plan your own trip to Portugal.

This travel guide to Portugal is especially made for digital nomads! Here you can find helpful information about the top things to see and do in Portugal, how to get around, the cost of living, the best coworking spaces and tips on where to eat, meetup and have adventures!

Get more travel advice and Find a Travel Buddy in Portugal!

Find out the Best Time to Visit Portugal!

Portugal's vibrant city culture

Explore colorful cities, stunning monuments and small countryside villages with countless stone-made churches. Spend an afternoon strolling through the cobbled streets with cute cafes, designer boutiques, and restaurants tucked between colorfully painted or tiled buildings.

Explore iconic parts of Lisbon 

The capital and largest city of Portugal, Lisbon has a population of over half a million people. Perfect weather, fun nightlife, friendly locals, and Fado music all await you in Lisbon. Here you can also discover famous landmarks like the Belem Tower and Jerónimos Monastery.

An iconic thing to do in Lisbon is to take the mountain cable car ‘‘Elevador da Bica’’ on the Instagram-worthy yellow tram. Or visit the oldest district of Lisbon - Alfama, where you can see the Sé Cathedral and take the historic no. 28 tram. Finally, check out the LX Factory, a creative hub in an industrial area where you can explore a colorful mix of shops, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, cafes, and bars. 

Festivals in Porto

Enjoy some of the many festivals happening around Portugal, like Festa de Sao Joao in June which has been held in Porto for over 600 years. During this celebration of midsummer, you can tap strangers' heads with a plastic hammer or a bunch of garlic flowers and receive a smile in return. There are also parades, fireworks and bonfires!

Discover historic Sintra 

Sintra is packed with palaces and castles to visit. See the Monserrate Palace, a romantic villa with a magical atmosphere that is perfect for taking pictures. Don’t miss the Pena Palace, one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Finally, explore Castelo De Mouros, the ruins of a castle that defended the region in the Moorish era. Here you can see ancient battlements, climb up towers and enjoy the incredible view of the coastline.

Beautiful beaches

Not far from Sintra, you can find Cabo da Roca which has an amazing view point and is also the most Western point of the mainland in Europe. Close to this you will find a real hidden gem - Praia da Ursa. Or head to Cabo de São Vicente to see impressive cliffs and watch the most southwestern point of Europe.

As a digital nomad, you have the freedom to work and travel anywhere. There is more to remote work than sitting at a computer all day. Make the most of being somewhere new and try the local activities!

Find the best surfing spots 

Surfing is surprisingly compatible with the digital nomad lifestyle. Set up your mini office somewhere you can watch the ocean waves and just quickly disconnect from work when you feel like taking a short refreshing surf break. 

Portugal has some of the best beaches in Europe for beginners to learn how to surf but it also has the biggest surf waves in the world for professional surfers. It’s easy to rent a board at almost any beach or sign up for surfing lessons and they will teach you how to go from zero to riding the waves with confidence. 

Hike to your heart's content

A trip to Portugal will be unforgettable for nature-lovers and hikers. Some of the best trails you can find are in the only national park in Portugal - Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês. 

As a digital nomad you may not have time to commit to several weeks of hiking like on the Camino de Santiago or Rota Vicentina trails, but you can enjoy a few hours of blissful hiking on shorter trails. 

Here are a few incredible hiking trails in Portugal that take 2 to 3 hours

• Vale do Zêzere in Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela is (7km)
• Via Geira Roman Road in Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerê (9.6km) 
• Rocha da Pena Circuit in the Serra do Caldeirão (4.7km) 

Tip! The best time to go hiking is during the cooler periods in spring and autumn.

Enjoy world-class wine 

Portugal is famous for its high-quality wines. It is one of the few countries in the world that offers a wide variety of wines from light summer wines to deep, rich red wines like port. Something unique you can try on your trip is Vinho Verde and visiting a local Portuguese winery to do a wine tasting should also be on your list of things to do!  

Portuguese is a safe destination with a high quality of life. Overall, Portugal is an affordable and comfortable place to live for digital nomads. However, it is becoming increasingly expensive, especially in urban and tourist areas. If you’re willing to move a little further away from the major cities then living costs will be cheaper. 

Here is an overview of living expenses according to data from Numbeo.  

1 bedroom apartment in city center - 687.39 €

1 bedroom apartment outside city center - 541.06 €

Utilities for an 85m² apartment - 109.01 €

Internet per month - 33.44 €

Monthly living expenses (without rent) - 538.76 €

By Plane

Fly to Portugal and land at one of the five international airports that can be found in Lisbon (LIS), Porto (OPO), Faro (FAO), Madeira (FNC) and Ponta Delgada (PDL) in the Azores. 

Train

Traveling by train can be a little faster than by bus but it is often more expensive and has less frequent schedules. Entroncamento is the main railway junction of the country - all trains make a stop here in between destinations. 

Try to book train tickets at least 5 days in advance to get an early booking discount of 40% with Intercidades trains. 

Bus 

If you’re trying to go to a smaller village then a bus may be your only option. You can rely on regional bus companies to get you where you need to go or travel with Rede Expressos, the largest intercity bus company. 

Metro

In the two largest cities of Portugal, Lisbon and Porto, you can travel with the light railway and subway. The metro is modern, comfortable and has air conditioning. You can also explore these cities and Sintra by tramway.  

Car

Portugal’s main roads are well maintained and the country is rather small which makes it easy to drive from north to south. Everyone drives on the right hand side of the road and tourists can use their foreign license for up to six months in Portugal. 

Taxi 

Taxis in Portugal are recognizable by their green or beige roofs. If you want to catch a ride, then just wait at a taxi stand in major cities or you can call an Uber or ride with Bolt instead of a taxi.

PORTO

You’ll easily find plenty of coworking spaces in Porto since it is such a popular destination for remote workers, freelancers and digital nomads. Enjoy fun after-work activities in the evenings 

Top Coworking spaces in Porto:

Porto i/o

Vertical Coworking

Porto Soul Coworking

Land

LISBON

Portugal's capital, Lisbon, is one of the best digital nomad cities in the world! It has dozens of coworking spaces, cafes, restaurants and accommodation options for your stay. Plus, the city is well connected so you’ll be able to explore lots of new places when you’re off work.

Coworking spaces in Lisbon:

Liberdade 229

IDEA Spaces

Social Innovation Centre

Selina Secret Garden

ALGARVE

The Algarve region is known for having the most beautiful beaches that are easily accessible by car. There are miles and miles of beaches with cliffs and cool caves along the way. Get some sun on the beach and swim in the atlantic. 

Coworking hubs in the Algarve:

Aljezur - Cowork Aljezur

Faro - Alandra Square and Faro Avenida Business Centre

Loulé - Cowork Mucancas Loulé, The Green Building and the Golden Creative

Lagos - Lagos Digital Nomads Cowork and Centro Lagos

MADEIRA

The island belongs to Portugal and it offers an official village for digital nomads in Ponta do Sol. The most exciting activity in Madeira is definitely whale watching, otherwise you can go surfing or immerse yourself in raw untouched nature on the many hiking trails. 

Top coworking spaces in Madeira:

Working Space in Ponta do Sol 

Cowork Funchal 

Design Centre Nini Andrade Silva

HubRemotely in Santa Cruz and one in Caniço

ERICEIRA - Top spot for surfers!

Escape from the crowds of Lisbon in the small town of Ericeira. This is a perfect place for surfers, yogis, digital nomads and young people. Here you will find the perfect work-life balance with many yoga places to balance out your zen, vegan cafes, hostels, clubs and amazing sunsets.

PENICHE - Hidden Gem 

Work remotely from Largo Space which offers a friendly, family style environment, a cafe and cozy corners for you to work comfortably. Alternatively, you can stay at WOT Peniche, a hip hostel with a large industrial-style communal area with great internet connection, bicycles to hire and the beach just 10 minutes away. On a day off you can take the ferry to explore Berlengas Biosphere Reserve, an island which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Check if you need a Visa

You can live and work freely in Portugal if you are a European citizen. If you are from another country then a tourist visa lets you stay in Portugal for up to 90 days. If you plan to stay longer, then the D7 visa is a good option for digital nomads. 

Tipping

In Portuguese restaurants it is polite to give a tip of about 5 -10 percent of the total price.

Wear comfortable shoes 

Taking care of your body is important when you travel. Remember to pack good walking shoes because getting a blister or cuts on your feet can quickly ruin your trip. 

Don’t forget sunscreen! 

Even if it is a cloudy day, you can still get sunburnt. It’s a good idea to wear loose fitting clothes that cover your skin or apply sunscreen with a protection factor higher than 30 every two hours.

Skip the peak tourist season

From mid-May to August, the beaches are packed with families and tourists on summer vacation. If you have the freedom to travel whenever you want then try to plan your trip on dates outside of the peak tourist season. 

Since the weather in Portugal is good most of the year, it’s worth going during a quieter period since accommodation will be cheaper and more available and you won’t have trouble getting reservations at restaurants. 

Buy a local sim card

Staying connected is vital to the digital nomad lifestyle so consider buying a local sim card for your phone to use as a hotspot in case your accommodation has bad WiFi. 

Useful items to pack

A portable wifi router to help you stay connected no matter where you are.

An extension cord so you can even set up your workspace on the balcony.

A laptop stand because working with an inclined screen is better for your posture. 

A sleeping mask in case the hotel curtains are too thin. 

Workout equipment like skipping ropes and elastic resistance bands to help you stay in shape on your trip.

Learn some Portuguese 

Knowing a few basic phrases of the local language can help you. Here are some:

Olá - Hello 

Bom Dia - Good Morning

Boa Tarde - Good Afternoon

Boa Noite - Good Night

Por favor - Please

Obrigada/o - Thank you

Quanto custa? - How much does this cost?

Vamos! - Let’s go!

This travel guide was written by Kim, an adventurous nomad from South Africa who loves to help digital nomads and travelers find inspiration for their next big adventure!

Find out more about her and see her trips here.