Digital Nomad Guide to Portugal
The best places to live and stay, coworking spaces, cafes and beaches in Madeira
Where to stay in Portugal
Lisbon
Beach lovers and remote workers: this is your spot. Nestled in the south of the island, Ponta do Sol is decorated in scenic costal views, pebble beaches, and promenades lined with palm trees. Along with Outsite Madeira, you'll find 4 main beaches: Anjos, Lugar de Baixo, Madelena do Mar, and Ponta Do Sol here. This area is also home to the newly launched Digital Nomad Village.
Cascais
Great for first-timers, Funchal is the capital city of Madeira with all the conveniences of a capital city plus some pretty epic ocean views. With a more metropolitan feel, it features a multitude of shops, coworks, restaurants and attractions. In comparison to the rest of the island, it's a bit more expensive though still affordable.
Ericeira
Conveniently situated close to the airport and Funchal, Santa Cruz is a small coastal town famous for its beaches (and water park). It's a great spot for water sports like diving and snorkeling.
Porto
A little smaller and quieter than Funchal, the town of Machico is nestled on the east coast, and is home to Praia de Machico. While most beaches in Madeira are rocky or pebbled, this beach is unique in that it has golden sand imported from Morocco. Here you'll find a wide variety of restaurants, shops, bars, and accommodation in this area. This is a great area for hiking lovers as there are many trails nearby.
Madeira
A little smaller and quieter than Funchal, the town of Machico is nestled on the east coast, and is home to Praia de Machico. While most beaches in Madeira are rocky or pebbled, this beach is unique in that it has golden sand imported from Morocco. Here you'll find a wide variety of restaurants, shops, bars, and accommodation in this area. This is a great area for hiking lovers as there are many trails nearby.
Digital Nomad Communities in Portugal
Over the years, Portugal in general has become a major hub for digital nomads. Wherever you are in the country, it's likely there's a solid digital nomad community already in place. As a guest at Outsite, you'll be connected with other Members via our Whatsapp groups, making it easy for you to meet other likeminded nomads.
Coworking Spaces in Portugal
Lisbon
Cascais
Just a short walk from Guincho Beach is this inviting coworking space. CoworkCascais features air conditioning, a lounge, a fully equipped kitchen, and free water and coffee.
This open and airy space includes private meeting rooms, training rooms, an auditorium, a cafe, and outdoor seating with garden views.
Outsite
All of our locations, including Outsite Cascais-Guincho, is fully equipped with a dedicated workspace onsite.
Ericeira
The Salt Studio Cowork Ericeira
This is a cowork and events studio that offers weekly, daily and monthly memberships.
Kelp Coworking Space Ericeira
Located in the center of the city, Kelp Coworking has two phone booths, a meeting room, and a large outside patio with daily, weekly and monthly memberships.
Outsite Ericeira
Our space features floor to ceiling windows, 10 private rooms, desks in all rooms and a dedicated workspace.
Porto
CRU Cowork Hub
A cool space in the center of the Bombarda Art District, Cru offers various membership types, hot desks, fixed desks, and private offices. There's also a ping pong table, a call room, a fully equipped kitchen, and an outdoor terrace.
Synergy Coworking
This space is perfect for digital creatives - they've got a podcasting room, sound and video recording equipment, professional lighting, and a 3D printer.
Porto i/o
This is a bright and spacious spot to work from with complimentary drinks and snacks. They also organize events and community lunches-perfect for networking.
Madeira
- Outsite Madeira
Outsite Madeira is situated in Ponta Do Sol and has 15 private bedrooms, a dedicated workspace, swimming pool and communal area.
- Digital Nomad Village's Cowork
As part of the Digital Nomad Village, remote workers will receive free access to a free coworking space available to all remote workers joining the village. It’s conveniently located in the center of Ponta Do Sol, steps away from plenty of restaurants and bars.
- Quinta Splendida
Quinta Splendida is under the same management as the Digital Nomad Village project, and is a highly rated coworking space offering daily rates for about $14 and monthly memberships for about $116.
- Vila Galé
Located in Santa Cruz, Vila Galé is a coliving space with a dedicated work area. They offer monthly memberships for about $72, which includes round the clock access, an on-site gym, and hot desks.
- Cowork Funchal
Cowork Funchal is a large coworking space that boasts great facilities in an old historic building. The space includes thirteen offices, two meeting rooms, and multipurpose rooms. They have multiple memberships to choose from, as well as day passes available. Monthly passes start at €242/month, and their day pass is €12.
Best cafes with Wifi in Portugal
Lisbon
Cascais
This is the oldest coffee and pastry shop in the city. They offer a full breakfast and lunch menu as well as free and fast WiFi.
Sacolinha Pastelaria & Padaria
Grab an espresso and a seat at this popular cafe serving some of the best freshly baked pastries around.
NATA Lisboa
The place to go for pastéis de nata and fast WiFi. NATA Lisboa is located just steps from the beach and has indoor and outdoor seating.
Ericeira
This specialty coffee shop has you covered for caffeinated beverages. They’ve got everything from specialty espresso drinks to pour over coffee to various teas. They also have a great variety of foods for each meal, and many vegan options.
Have a sweet tooth? Head to O Pãozinho Das Marias for delicious pastries to go along with your coffee, including traditional Portuguese custard tarts, pastels de nata. There’s plenty of outdoor seating where you can enjoy your sweets al fresco.
For classic and specialty coffee in a laid back spot, you’ll love this Surf Cafe which has a nice covered patio for outdoor seating. As the name suggests, you can also get bowls here. You can make your own açai, yogurt, or poke bowl. As for coffee, they have your traditional espresso drinks as well as more unique options like passion fruit iced macchiato or a fig and honey latte.
GiG - The Green is Good
Great spot for breakfast, lunch, and brunch. GiG specializes in healthy food and their menu features many vegan and vegetarian options available.
Porto
A popular spot amongst remote workers in Portugal. It's relaxing, has fast WiFi, as well as great food and coffee. There are plenty of tables here, so you should have no problem finding a spot even on a busy day.
Combi Coffee Roasters
This is a hip cafe located just a short walk from Outsite. They serve what some claim is the best coffee in the city. Combi is a laidback neighborhood cafe with fast WiFI, fun music, and an overall great vibe.
BUuh!
Somewhat of a hidden gem, BUuh! maintains an inviting atmosphere with hip music and welcoming staff. Outlets can be found at almost any table, affordable coffee, pots of tea, and pastries.
Madeira
- Design Centre Nini Andrade Silva
This design center was recently converted into a working cafe space with a robust menu, fast wifi, and beautiful ocean views.
- Café Apolo
This cafe offers a great selection of coffee and pastries, and açaí bowls. Their wifi is fast and free.
- Loja do Chá
A great spot to unwind, Loja do Chá is a relaxed tea house in Funchal serving vegan and vegetarian options.
Things to see in Portgual
- Tour the Miradouros on the Western Coast of Madeira
Escape the beaten path and explore West Madeira's rugged coastline. The area boasts beautiful views of lush valleys, steep mountain peaks, and jagged cliffs along the coast. Some highlights include: Viewpoint Fio, Ponta do Pargo Lighthouse, Garganta Funda Viewpoint, and Boa Morte Viewpoint.
- Porto Moniz
Admire and take a dip in the natural pools here. Admission is 1.50€ and includes access to the cafe there.
- Traditional houses in Santana
When Madeira was claimed by the Portuguese in the early 1400s, they built small, triangular houses with thatched roofs. This cultural site named Casas típicas de Santana, showcases several of these houses, and is free and open to the public to visit and enter.
- Cabo Girao
These sea cliffs along the southern coast offer incredible panoramic views of the fajãs of Rancho and Cape Girão. This is also a popular place for paragliding and base jumping.
Things to do in Portugal
- Swim with whales and dolphins
There are many tour companies that offer swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving with the sea animals that call the waters of Madeira home. You'll be led by a specialists trained in dolphin and whale observations. - Go surfing
Nicknamed the Hawaii of Europe, Madeira's waves attract surfers from all over the globe. Its surf spots are world-class, appealing mostly to experts, though there are breaks available to beginners as well. - Go canyoning
Perfect for the adventurous, canyoning in an all-year sport here. For beginners and experts alike. - Go hiking
With its large variety of wildly scenic trails winding throughout the island, Madeira is considered to be somewhat of a hiker's paradise. Trails for every level are available. Note that there are two types of hiking trails you'll find: Levadas, which are paths that run along manmade springs, offering a more leisurely experience, and Veredas, which are your typical hiking trails that lead up and through Madeira's mountains. Expect more of a challenge, but incredible views.
Getting around Portugal
Car
While getting around Madeira by car is a totally viable option, it should be noted that the roads and driving conditions are particularly rugged and not for the faint of heart (or novice drivers). The roads can be narrow with sleep hills and drop-offs, and there are many long-distance tunnels spanning through mountains. Confident drivers should be fine, but if this isn't you, there are plenty of other ways to get around.
Cable Car
Connecting Funchal to Monte, the cable car lines are a great option for getting around this area, plus they come with some pretty great views of the mountains. A roundtrip will go for €15, though it's worth noting this is aimed more towards tourists.
Bus
The bus is a very popular way of getting around the island. Some bus routes include free audio tours available through this app, so you can learn while you ride. You can buy tickets in advance, or purchase on board from the driver. You'll find three different kinds of buses: Orange (running only throughout Funchal and its immediate surroundings A one-week unlimited ticket will cost you €15. Find bus routes and schedules here Horários do Funchal), Red (Operating in the western part of the island), and Green (operating in the eastern part).
Taxis
Taxis are also available here and typically available at good rates.
Visas for Portugal
For US citizens, no visa is required for stays under 90 days. For Europeans, Portugal is part of the The Schengen Area, making it extra simple for citizens from Schengen Area counties to travel to Portugal. If you're considering a long term move to Portugal, check out our guide to Portugal's D7 Visa.
How to get to Madeira
The best way to get to Madeira is by plane or ferry. Madeira is a quick 90-minute flight from Lisbon. There are two airports in Madeira: Santa Cruz and Vila Baleira Airport, both having frequent flights well connected to Portugal and the rest of Europe. The ferry picks up and drops off at the Funchal Port, however, this mode of transport is seasonal and dependent on weather and sea levels.
Ready to book? Outsite offers discounts on 30+ day stays, and you'll be instantly connected with the digital nomad community in Portugal.
Check out our other digital nomad guides to Sagres, Ericeira and Lisbon.
