How to be a Digital Nomad in Tenerife, Canary Islands
The Island capital– Santa Cruz de Tenerife, lies at the top of the Island– and perhaps, Tenerife’s ‘more conventional’ side.
How to be a Digital Nomad in Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
How to be a Digital Nomad in Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
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The Azores are a chain of islands located in the Atlantic Ocean about 1300 km from the Portuguese mainland. They consist of nine large islands and several smaller ones, which form an autonomous region belonging to Portugal. Their location is extremely remote, and even some of the individual islands actually lie more than 100 kilometres away from each other. Internationally, the Azores are not the most well-known destination, although they have become popular among European tourists over the past years. Flights are becoming more and more affordable as low-cost air carriers are implementing new routes to help tourists reach the Azores.
Still technically in Portugal’s domain, although the chain of islands is located roughly around 1300km from the continent, the Azores have kept their authenticity as the “Green Island of the Atlantic” for hundreds of years. Indeed, the Azores are filled with breathtaking landscapes of lush green and black rocks, given the fact that a group of active volcanoes lives here as well.
Think Hawaii with a mild climate, thanks to the Gulf Stream which passes right through the islands.
The Azores are relatively unknown compared to the other European islands and therefore are a great place for nomads who seek calm and want to reunite with Mother Nature.
Distributed across an area of about 2350 square meters, almost 250,000 people live on the Azores. Around 600,000 tourists visit the islands every year, and a growing number of digital nomads choose to call them their temporary home. In addition to tourism; agriculture and cattle breeding are the main occupations on the islands, and most of the landscape is quite rural. Come here for hiking, swimming and lots of other outdoor activities. This group of Islands is truly unique with its fascinating history, active volcanoes, versatile nature and incredible underwater world. Each island has something different to offer, like waterfalls, volcanic caves, natural swimming pools or black-sand beaches. The Azores are sometimes described as the “Hawaii of the Atlantic Ocean” and definitely deserve this title. While their climate is far less tropical, the volcanic setting and maritime lifestyle do resemble Hawaii. Luckily the Azores are far less expensive and an excellent place for digital nomads who are looking for an experience close to nature on a budget. You won’t find as many remote workers or expats in general on the Azores as in the rest of Portugal. However, the community is very tightly-knit and welcoming to newcomers who haven’t been to the islands before.
Scores
- 🌟 Total score 82% 3.72/5 (Rank #96)%
- 🛍️ Quality of life score 85 Good%
- 👪 Family Friendly Score 80 Good%
- 💰 Cost of Living 100 😙 Affordable: $2,042 / mo%
- 🖥️ Internet 100 🏎 Fast: 41Mbps (avg)%
- 🌴Adventure 100 Great%
- ☀️ Temperature 50 🌞 Nice: 19°C (feels 19°C)%
| 🗺️ Continent | Europe | 🏳️🌈 Country | Portugal |
| ✈️ Average trip length | 📅15 days | 🖥️ Internet speed (avg) | 🚀41 Mbps |
| ☀️ Weather (now) | 🌤 19°C + 😊 Comfy (72%) = feels 19°C | 💨 Air quality (now) | 👍 38 US AQI 🍃 OK |
| 🔋 Power | 230V 50Hz | 🚖 Best taxi app* | Uber |
Winter in the Azores lasts from January to March, but temperatures rarely drop below 10°C at night. During the day, it can get up to an average of 16°C, but frequent rainfall is to be expected. The water temperature averages at 17°C, making it too generally cold for swimming, although it is technically possible. From April to June, the weather becomes more pleasant from month to month. In June, temperatures can rise above 20°C during the day and drop to around 15°C at night. Despite the warmer temperatures, you can encounter occasional rains in these months, but they do not last more than a few hours before the sun comes out again.
From July to September, it is finally summertime in the Azores. Temperatures reach a high of 25°C which feels a lot warmer in the sun. The water temperature, with an average of 23°C, is perfect to go for a swim. In the summer months, the Azores rarely have rainy days, and the weather will be mostly dry. You can enjoy up to nine hours of sun per day making these islands ideal for a summer holiday. In the autumn months of October to December, the weather varies greatly and can be very unpredictable. It can sometimes be nice and warm one day and then cold, rainy and windy the next. Daytime temperatures drop from 21°C in October to around 17°C in December. Keep in mind that temperatures vary at different altitudes, and unexpected rainfall can always occur. The Azores are said to have four seasons in one day and are known for their unpredictable weather, so always be prepared for anything.
| 📝 Blogging+77% | 🍵 Tea+58% | 🙏 Spiritual+38% | 🏄 Surfing+26% |
| ⛰ Climbing+72% | 💪 Fitness+55% | 🥾 Hiking+37% | ⛰ Outdoors+23% |
| ✋🏻 White+67% | 💫 Not religious+55% | 🎓 Master’s Degree+33% | ☕️ Coffee+16% |
| 👅 Sex positive+65% | 💃 Dancing+49% | 🎒 Backpacking+26% | 🐈 Cats+12% |
| 💵 Cost of living for nomad | $2,042 / month | 💵 Cost of living for expat | $1,385 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for family | $2,258 / month | 💵 Cost of living for local | $645 / month |
| 🏠 1br studio rent in center | $531 / month | 🏢 Coworking | $85 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel (median price) | $1,134 / month | 🏨 Hotel (median price) | $53 / night |
| 🏡 Airbnb (median from 1,001 listings) | $2,232 / month | 🏠 Airbnb (median price) | $73 / night |
The Azores consist of nine major islands, which are clustered together in three different groups. The central group is the largest and includes Terceira, Sao Jorge, Pico, Faial and Graciosa. In the west, you’ll find Flores and Corvo, and Sao Miquel and Santa Maria are located in the east. You need to keep in mind how far away these groups are from each other, and switching between them is not always quick. Most people coming to the Azores will visit more than one island though, as they’re all very different from each other, and it’s worth seeing as many as possible.
Sao Miguel
Sao Miguel is the largest island of the Azores and also the most densely populated, with over 140,000 people living there permanently. Ponta Delgada is the capital city of the Azores and is located on the island. If you’re coming to the Azores for the first time, this is a great place to start as it’s the location of the largest airport on the islands. Sao Miguel has a little bit of everything and is a fantastic place to get an overview of all that the Azores have to offer to both tourists and digital nomads. If internet speed is important to you, we highly recommend staying somewhere close to Ponta Delgada as the connection can sometimes be a bit problematic in more rural areas. Sometimes considered the greenest island of the Azores, Sao Miguel has a great combination of volcanoes, beaches, hot springs and plenty of wildlife. This is arguably the best place for digital nomads on the Azores because of its co-working spaces and accessibility.
Terceira
Terceira is the second most populated island of the Azores. This is probably the best spot for nightlife, so consider staying on Terceira if you enjoy a more lively atmosphere. While you won’t find too many busy clubs on the island, there is an excellent selection of bars and live music venues. Of course, like all of the islands of the Azores, the natural beauty of Terceira is astonishing, and there are plenty of outdoor activities such as paragliding or scuba diving to choose from.
Santa Maria
Santa Maria has the southernmost location of the Azores, which means the climate here is mild, and the scenery looks slightly different from the rest of the islands. It’s a very laid back island with not too much going on, so come here if you value peace and quiet.
Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial
These islands are great for sightseeing and weekend trips and are considered one of the main capitals for sailing pit stops and ocean life lovers. They are very quiet and rural with lots of opportunities for adventure sports and hiking but not much else. The internet has improved drastically here over the last few years and you can now roam the web at as high a speed as any other main city in the world. Faial is also home to one of the more Digital Nomad Friendly environments I have ever come across and includes comfortable co-working and co-living facilities along with restaurant and cafe’s to work from.
If you’re up for a cultural adventure, check out the wine tasting in Pico, a great experience with incredible views!
Corvo and Flores
Corvo and Flores are the western islands of the Azores and are both very small and remote. Only a small number of people actually live here, and much of these islands is a protected natural reserve. Most people come here only for a few days, so they might not be the best spot for digital nomads.
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| ✅ Everyone speaks English | ❌ Hospitals are bad |
| ✅ Very safe | ❌ Many people smoke tobacco |
| ✅ Fast internet | ✅ Spacious and not crowded |
| ✅ Lots of fun stuff to do | ✅ Very easy to do business |
| ✅ Warm now | ✅ Very safe for women |
| ✅ Warm all year round | ✅ Family friendly |
| ✅ Good air quality on average | |
| ✅ Great freedom of speech | |
| ✅ Very easy to make friends | |
| ✅ High quality of education | |
| ✅ Roads are very safe |
Spent 2 years living in Ponta Delgada, one of the loveliest locations I’ve lived in up to now.
The island of Sao Miguel is stunning, and its warm, friendly people, fantastic gastronomy, English speaking (due to influence from the US in the islands) population
Cheap (comparing to Lisbon) cost of living make Ponta Delgada a city which is like no other
https://nomadlist.com
https://digitalnomads.world
Widipedia.org
Expertvagabond.com
DigitalNomads.world
Thrivemyway.com
Abrotherabroad.com
Tomaslau.com
Thepointsguy.com
Websiteplanet.com
How to be a Digital Nomad in Tenerife, Canary Islands
The Island capital– Santa Cruz de Tenerife, lies at the top of the Island– and perhaps, Tenerife’s ‘more conventional’ side.
How to be a Digital Nomad in Tenerife, Canary Islands
The Island capital– Santa Cruz de Tenerife, lies at the top of the Island– and perhaps, Tenerife’s ‘more conventional’ side.
Digital Nomad Trip Packing List Miscellaneous
Sunglasses Notebook & pens Water bottle Duct tape Padlock Headlamp Ziplock baggies Important documents (and paper copies stored elsewhere)
Table of Contents
