CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS: BUILDING A DIGITAL NOMAD COMMUNITY IN PORTUGAL

Building a Community

If you’re headed out into the world with the intention of taking on a slow-travel lifestyle, first of all, congratulations! You’ve made the decision to pursue a life that is freer, more spontaneous, more exciting, and more focused on your specific wants and needs. The ability to work from wherever you want is an enormous perk, and so many people are using this freedom to explore the world.

It’s not necessarily going to be easy though, at least not at first. Without the naturally forming office culture, some digital nomads are at a bit of a loss for how to build community and make friends while also creating the life of their dreams and making memories. There are plenty of things you can do to get yourself started. Though different strategies are going to have different results, depending on how you put them into play, a lot of digital nomads just like yourself have been able to use some of these tips to build up their network.

For example, let’s take a look at Portugal. The coastal country is already an appealing place to travel to because of its food & fine wine, sunny weather, and ocean scenery. More specifically, though, Portugal offers a Digital Nomad Visa (which you can apply for while still at home) and also a tax incentive to attract remote workers to the country. Both of these facts are good signs that remote workers like you are going to feel welcome in Portugal and will probably have existing resources to lean on once you’re there. Let’s dive into a few tips and tricks for building up your own community once you get there!

Research and Planning

We all should know by now what failing to plan really is (if a helpful parent hasn’t filled you in by now, it’s “planning to fail”); and the same applies to any trip, especially your extended journey to Portugal.

You’ll want to spend a fair bit of time researching and planning before you leave. Not only should you be sure that you understand what it means to be a digital nomad, but you should also try to see what you can find out about digital nomads in Portugal and what their experience is like. What are their communities currently like, and where are they? What are their values, interests, and goals? What are they missing and what do they need that you could potentially offer? It’ll be so much easier to start building a community right away when you give yourself this head-start.

Choose a Location

This is a big one… possibly the biggest! Portugal is a whole country, of course, and there are a lot of areas to explore here. It’s likely that you’ll have the best experience if you stay in a region that is already hyped up by digital nomads, like Lisbon, Porto, or the Algarve. 

Although Lisbon is the most expensive city in which to live in Portugal, it’s still quite affordable when compared to the rest of Europe. While Porto is a couple of hundred dollars less per month, and the Algarve is somewhere in the middle. 

Be sure to consider this cost of living, as well as quality of life, safety, and infrastructure in each city. It would be brutal to arrive at your Portuguese adventure only to find that there’s no acceptable workspace nearby, or the internet is spotty, or some other issue. They might seem like small concerns before you get there, but things like coworking spaces and internet speeds are going to directly affect your workflow and ability to build community while you’re in Portugal.

Create an Online Presence

One of the first and most important aspects of building community is the act of putting yourself out there. It can be scary, but if you can overcome those feelings, it can also be a lot of fun! Build a website, social media profiles, or both that you can devote to your time in Portugal. If you create and share content that’s based on remote work, life in Portugal, hurdles and obstacles in your travels, and tips you have for fellow digital nomads, you’ll soon attract a community. With this type of content, chances are high that your community will include a lot of people who either live in Portugal, are digital nomads, or both. 

Before too long, your online community will be bustling with people who can be your network in Portugal. Everyone is working on expanding their communities, so slow-travelers like you are always on the lookout for this type of content in their given areas. You can bet that you’ll be able to reach someone who you connect with very soon.

Networking Events

This is where the fun begins. It’s time to get out there and actually meet some people! If you’re feeling particularly organized, you could even set up a networking event yourself through your website or social media. But for those just looking to dip their toes into Portugal’s world of remote work networking, you won’t have to look far to find all sorts of events. Just take a look at the rest of the year’s digital nomad events in Lisbon alone! With some specifically focusing on work topics and others designed to be fun breaks from work among like-minded people, you’re sure to be able to build community if you get out there and meet some folks in your field face-to-face.

Although sometimes the meetups and events mentioned above can be found advertised around coworking spaces or through word-of-mouth, you may find the best way to hear about them is by being online. Portugal has a number of online areas where their digital nomad community is thriving.

Check out NomadX, a group that offers coworking spaces in Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve region, and prioritize digital nomad community building. Also, take a look into RemotePortugal and Digital Nomads Lisbon for similar help.

Building a strong community anywhere takes some work and some time, so don’t be discouraged if your digital nomad community is slow to grow. Hopefully, with the advice above, your time in Portugal will allow for some networking, learning, and fun. Get out there and build that community of yours!