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As the digital nomad movement continues to grow, so do the amenities to support those living the nomadic lifestyle. In recent years, there have been several digital nomad villages created to meet the needs of remote workers traveling and working from different countries.
It can be a challenge to travel and work at the same time. Finding a place to call home away from home for a few weeks or months at a time is necessary to get the work-life balance you need to get work done and at the same time explore the destination.
To be able to do your work, you need a comfortable place to work from, and most jobs require a high-speed internet connection. And let us be honest, no one wants to spend all their monthly wages on accommodation.
And if this was not enough, it would be nice to have some sort of community when you are away from home, right?
What if I said that all this has been taken care of and all you have to do is to move in, work, explore, and hang out with other like-minded people?
Well, you can.
Digital nomad villages are still quite new, but with their enormous popularity, there are several new projects on the drawing board. It seems like these communities are about to spread like wildfire around the globe!
If this sounds like something for you, keep on reading as I will reveal some of the great digital nomad villas that are already available around the world.
What is a Digital Nomad Village
With a thriving worldwide digital nomad community, there are growing “DN hubs” where nomads tend to hang out, like Bali, Chiang Mai, and the Canary Islands.
So what exactly is a digital nomad village, and what is the difference from the international communities that we have seen grow for years?
A digital nomad village is an area or entire village built up around the needs of digital nomads. There will typically be numerous co-working spaces, long-term rentals, co-living places, and a good internet connection.
On top of that, these villages or areas will cater to the lifestyle that most digital momads want with activities and networking so that it is easy to get to know others in the community.
You can compare it to an all-inclusive for digital nomads where you pay a package price that include different benefits like accommodation, free coworking spaces, wifi, gyms, etc. Different packages include different things, but it may reduce your cost of living overall.
Besides being beneficial for remote workers, the digital nomad villages aim to support the local economy by assuring that nomads stay longer. At the same time, they learn about the local community and culture.
The traditional digital nomad hub is basically just an area that has become popular among digital nomads to hang out, usually due to affordable accommodation, good internet, and high quality of life (typically tropical planets, sandy beaches, coffee shops, lots of attractions nearby, etc.) and co-working spaces grow with demand.
The digital nomad village, on the other hand, organizes all of this before the nomads come there and can effectively cater to their visitor’s needs with a pre-organized structure while collaborating with the local community, thus avoiding inflated prices caused by nomads earning 6-digits and rather contribute to the local economy.
This will eventually make the nomads support local businesses and blend in with the locals in a more balanced way, which is a win-win for both parties.
Digital Nomad Villages around the world
Digital Nomad Village Madeira
Digital Nomads Madeira is the world’s first digital nomad village. It has been built by the digital nomad Gonçalo Hall and founder of Lisbon based start-up firm NomadX, together with the regional government and Startup Madeira. Since it has been created by a nomad, you can be assured that all your needs are covered.
The project has worked with the local community of Ponta do Sol where you can get help finding accommodation and coliving spaces, there is a free co-working space for nomads in the village, and events like nights out, sports events, and networking events are organized weekly.
Nestled between two high cliffs, Ponta do Sol is a charming little village on the south coast of Madeira. With a small beach, a picturesque bridge leading out to the pier, and terraced restaurants and cafés, it is a lovely little retreat.
Nature lovers will love Madeira. The island is crisscrossed with hiking trails taking you to lush waterfalls, jaw-dropping cliffs, and impressive coastal views.
If walking isn’t your jam, do not worry. Rent a car and discover the island from different viewpoints or take the cable car from Monte village.
Madeira has a rich culture rooted in religion, music, and crafts which you can get a deep dive into while spending time on the Portuguese island.
Mindelo, Cape Verde
Cape Verde is an archipelago that consists of 10 islands with lovely all-year-round tropical weather. The digital nomad village has recently opened on São Vicente, created by Gonçalo Hall, who also started similar projects in Madeira and Pipa.
You pay an all-inclusive monthly fee that among other things includes accommodation, co-working spaces, restaurants, and a gym.
The digital nomad village is created to make the nomads living there learn about the culture of Cape Verde by introducing local music and arranging workshops that support the locals and rich traditions.
The nomad community is set in the northern part of the island, in Mindelo which is a vibrant, cultural hub with 1900s colonial architecture. This is a place where you can get an in-depth experience through traditional music, a unique fusion of African, Portuguese, Brazilian, and Cuban which is said to remind you of Blues.
The tropical island has a wealth of mesmerizing beaches, diving sites, and hiking routes through Parque Natural Monte Verde where you can trek to the top of the island’s volcano. To get there, you can fly into the Natal International Airport.
Nomad Village Brazil
Another initiative by Gonçalo Hall is the completely new digital nomad village in northeast Brazil. The Pipa project takes places in the village of Praia da Pipa in northeastern Brazil. It’s the first project in South America and cooperation with the Brazilian government.
Nomad Village Brazil opened in November 2022 and was the perfect little place to create a thriving digital nomad community, as the only things they had to build were co-working spaces and work with local restaurants to cater to vegan and vegetarian nomads.
There are community managers present to welcome and integrate new nomads.
With tropical weather and surf all year round, this is the perfect destination for active nomads that embrace water activities and a laid-back vibe, while looking to escape cold winters in European countries.
Being a village, it is also safe compared to the big Brazilian cities that do not exactly have a good reputation when it comes to safety.
Boundless Life, Sintra Portugal
Boundless Life is another startup that has created digital nomad villages for nomad families. Their installations in Sintra offer private apartments in houses exclusively for families with children (and pets included.)
The packages include accommodation, childcare, a community manager, a co-working space, weekly cleaning service, and airport transfer.
Considering more and more nomads meet their significant other and get children, but are not willing to give up their lifestyle, this is a game changer.
Sintra is a fairytale village surrounded by castles and palaces, yet close to Lisbon and wonderful coastal towns with beautiful beaches. Summers are warm and winters are mild, which makes it a comfortable destination all year round.
Lisbon has also turned into one of the hottest digital nomad destinations in Europe, which means you can easily go on nomad meetups in the capital city too.
Boundless Life, Syros Greece
Similar to the Sintra village, Boundless Life has created a site on Syros island in Greece for nomad families with all the amenities you will need.
Syros is a wonderful Greek destination with amazing beaches, mouthwatering food, and a lot of activities on and off the water.
The island has a multitude of hiking trails of different lengths and difficulty degrees where you can take in the calmness of nature and maze at the incredible views across the island.
Culture lovers will enjoy relaxing lounge cafes and jazz bars overlooking the dark water glittering from the reflections of the lit-up town.
This is a lovely off-the-beaten-path island where you can immerse yourself in the local culture without the usual tourist traps and crowds of the more popular Greek islands.
Syros has a long history and was inhabited already in pre-historic times, so you can uncover a whole lot of historical layers in this lovely Greek paradise.
But you can also go on different weekend trips to other nearby small islands to explore more of Greece.
Bansko, Bulgaria
While not officially a village created for digital nomads, the small village of Bansko in Bulgaria has somewhat turned into one.
Bansko is a beautiful mountain village surrounded by some of Bulgaria’s highest peaks, making it perfect for active nomads who want to go hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter, with many ski resorts near the town.
A number of coworking spaces were opened here, and it has a growing digital nomad community. This is in part due to the annual Bansko Nomad Fest which happens every June.
It’s a celebration of the location-independent lifestyle when 500+ digital nomads from all over the world meet to network, learn from each other, and of course – party. I went in 2022 and had a blast!
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While digital nomad villages are still fairly new to the world, I believe they are part of a positive future for nomads wanting the security of a community, fast internet, and an affordable place to live but at the same time giving back to the local community.
There is a fine line between what digital nomads have created for themselves around the world now and what the future of these villages aims to provide. As an advocate for sustainable tourism, I see it as a great initiative in a fast-growing society of remote workers.
Finally, with the growth of nomad families, I also find it a positive trend that there are villages that cater to their needs, which is quite different from the “traditional” single nomads.
It seems like digital nomadism is here to stay, and people of all life journeys are keen to join in on the trend.
Jumping into the remote work lifestyle? Check out these posts!
- Best Travel Insurance For Remote Workers
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- 19 Best Places For Remote Workers to Live in 2023
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