Never has it been so easy to become a digital nomad than it has in the past couple of years. With the majority of us now moving away from office spaces to working from the comfort of our home or in a cafe, interests have certainly been sparked in how we can work remotely from let’s say another country!
In this post, we look at the top destinations in LatAm for digital nomads in 2021 that take into account the most important aspects of going remote: wifi speeds, coworking spaces and most importantly. digital nomad communities.
Let’s take a look at what is a digital nomad?
MBO Partners define digital nomads as: “people who choose to embrace a location-independent, technology-enabled lifestyle that allows them to travel and work remotely, anywhere in the world.”
Latin America has an overwhelming amount of places to choose from when deciding where to locate yourself. Select from cosmopolitan cities, Carribbean coastal towns, high up in the mountains, or at the base of a volcano.
Read on for our top 10 destinations for digital nomads in Latin America where you can always find a great connection (wifi and human).
Medellín over the years has been busy transforming itself into the tech hub of Colombia and it is most likely the digital nomad capital of Latin America.
The infrastructure of this city is designed brilliantly for digital nomads, with accessible public transport links, low cost of living, a huge DN community and above all numerous coworking spaces and cafes. You can find fast wifi speeds from between 10 and 20 Mbps, and sometimes up to 100 Mbps. There is also an array of things to do in Medellín when you are not working and nature is only a cable car ride away.
The most popular areas for nomads to live and work in Medellín are El Poblado and Laureles. You can find coworking spaces in Laureles, such as Frenda and La Casa Redonda, which are both popular with creatives. Alternatively, there are a lot of great cafes to work from in this neighbourhood, such as Botanika Lounge, which has strategically placed plug sockets all around this urban oasis.
Mexico City is one of the top destinations in Mexico for digital nomads because of the modern amenities on offer that rival those of other cities like New York or London but at a fraction of the price.
Trendy neighbourhoods like Roma, Polanco and La Condesa are a hub for young professionals and are definitely the best areas to stay as a digital nomad. There is an abundance of coffee shops, coworking spaces and rooftop terraces, all within walking distance or an Uber ride, making it an ideal playground for remote workers.
A benefit of working remotely in Mexico City is that even the Airbnbs and apartments rival the amenities on offer at certain coworking spaces. For those who work better from home, Casai’s apartments are designed especially with you in mind. Located in the trendiest areas of Mexico City, each apartment is beautifully styled with local, artisanal designs and filled with natural light to inspire those creative juices to flow whilst you work from home.
Antigua is one of Guatemala’s top destinations for coffee lovers and adventure seekers. It’s also a very quaint place to set up an office for a month or so, with third-wave coffee shops around every corner and rooftop terraces featuring volcano views. As Antigua is a popular destination for both tourists and DNs – its small size makes it an easy place to become part of the community quickly.
Impact Hub was the first coworking space to call Antigua home. Set in a charming colonial house, it has perfectly created a ‘feel at home’ vibe. There is certainly a small family atmosphere here, making it a great place to network and make new friends. If you prefer to have a change of scenery and bounce from cafe to cafe each day, Antigua has a range of digital nomad friendly spots (internet speeds around 6Mbps) with colonial patios and rooftop terraces, such as Bella Vista coffee and Fernando’s Kaffee.
Food and mezcal capital of Mexico and recently crowned the ‘Best City in the World’ by Travel + Leisure, Oaxaca City is fast becoming a favourite destination for digital nomads. In a relatively small historic centre, and all within walking distance, DNs are spoiled for choice here with an eclectic mix of coffee shops, libraries, cultural spaces and coworking spaces.
A few favourite cafes to work from in Oaxaca City include the elegant patio at Muss Cafe, aesthetically pleasing Marito&Moglie and the trendy, recently-renamed, Onnno Lonchería.
A new co-living space has opened in the vibrant Barrio de Jalatlaco, which has been created with the nomadic generation in mind. The pastel coloured, mid-century modern walls of ALDEA TUYA recreate a “home” environment. There are plenty of workspaces with a strong internet connection (125Mbps), and its prime location offers access to an array of local experiences. Three private rooms are available or if you’re a group of six you can rent the whole house.
Rio de Janeiro is a year-round destination, where jungles and beaches collide. It is the perfect city for a digital nomad and ‘bleisure’ traveller. With coworking spaces and cafes offering fast wifi just minutes away from Copacabana Beach, get as much work done as you can in the morning so you can spend the rest of the day exploring the iconic sites of Rio.
The best areas to stay as a digital nomad in Rio de Janeiro include Botafogo, Lapa, Santa Teresa and Urca. Why not introduce yourself in the foreigners in Rio de Janeiro Facebook group. If you have some vacation days spare, plan your stay around Carnival (usually February) when the whole city comes alive. It’s an unmissable experience.
Tulum has become one of the most popular destinations in Mexico, especially for Digital Nomads who seek sea, sand and strong wifi. Wifi speeds in Tulum are much more reliable in comparison to other beach towns in Mexico. For instance, Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca. The best wifi is in Tulum Town and La Veleta where many cafes offer the perfect setup for remote workers. Expect to see long, communal tables with rope swings or tall coffee bars and connection points for everyone!
Coworking space, Digital Jungle, is exactly how it sounds. Adorned with bamboo structures, bird-nest-esque lampshades, and hanging plants everywhere, Digital Jungle is home to “a community of kindred souls, living in Tulum or just passing through.”
For those who prefer to work from home, Casai’s luxury Getaways in Tulum are all equipped with the fastest wifi available and comfortable work stations. Their apartments are located in the up and coming, trendy zones of Puerta Azul, Luum Zama and Aldea Zama. Situated between Tulum Town and the beach, this safe sanctuary is perfect for those who want to be that bit closer to the beach and be surrounded by nature.
Sitting at 11,152 feet (3,399 meters) above sea level, Inca Capital, Cusco, provides us with an alternative option on this list of top destinations for digital nomads in Latin America. Cusco is becoming a DN hub mainly because of its culinary scene and locally sourced coffee – two extremely important aspects of a nomadic lifestyle.
Three Monkeys Cafe, located inside La Casa Cultural Rica Chicha, serves undoubtedly the best coffee in Cusco (and from a coffee bike). They supply coffee for Virgilio Martínez, a celebrated chef of Central in Lima, who has recently opened a Novoandina restaurant in Moray, Cusco, called Mil. Within the cultural and artistic space, there are long-wooden communal tables to work from.
Bohemian neighbourhood San Blas is becoming a digital nomad hotspot due to its eclectic mix of cafes and boutique shops. Laggart Cafe and L’Atelier Cafe Concept are worth checking out, whereas Café Dwasi Peruvian Coffee near to Plaza de Armas is praised for having consistently fast wifi.
PHOTO: View of Old City walls, Cartagena, Colombia
You may not immediately think of Cartagena as a digital nomad destination in Colombia, especially when we compare it to Medellín. But, with an old city full of cafes tucked away in stone walls that actually provide decent wifi, you’ll begin to see why more and more digital nomads are on their way. Not to mention tropical islands only a speedboat away and tangy ceviche being the local dish.
Folklore Colombian Cafe is a favourite place for digital nomads for spacious tables and nearby outlets and of course, the 40 Mbps internet is a bonus. The design at both of TuWork’s spaces is appealing as it recreates a ‘home’ vibe with comfy sofas and bright colours. They also host networking and socializing events, making it a great hub for you to meet other digital nomads and potentially find work opportunities in the city.
Not everyone loves La Paz the first time they visit. It could be because of the sickeningly high altitude, the disorderly traffic jams or the local buses filled to the driver’s seat that roar passed in el centro. However, by giving it a chance you’ll see that beneath the chaos, this city is extremely rich in culture and gastronomy and in some parts, quite trendy.
Navigate the maze-like streets of downtown La Paz and you’ll be sure to come across some peaceful cafes where you can set up office for the day. Concealed within the Gilbert Bookstore, the Writer’s Coffee features a wall of vintage typewriters and stacks of old books. It’s a hipsters dream! The Wifi available here is strong enough for working on social media or cloud-hosting documents like Google Docs.
Alternatively, most digital nomads choose to live in neighbourhoods away from the frenzied centre, such as Sopocachi. Here you have an array of quirky spots to work from, like Cafe Typica and Café Arte Sultana. As La Paz’s infrastructure rapidly grows to accommodate nomadic visitors, it’s certainly a place to add to your list.
Last but certainly not least, Brazil’s most populous city, São Paulo, is one of the best destinations for a digital nomad in Latin America. Everything you need as a nomad is here – from inspirational coworking spaces, stable wifi connections (average speeds of 40mbps), fenomenal food, to safe and chic neighbourhoods. In São Paulo, most people speak English and as Brazilians are renowned to be some of the friendliest people, they will break any language barrier with a cachaça.
The hipster neighbourhood of Vila Madalena is the ideal place to get your creative juices flowing. Mix with local artists, musicians and of course there’s a huge digital nomad community here. Casai has a selection of luxury apartments in Jardim Paulista and Itaim Bibi – the tech-hub of São Paulo, home to both Google and Facebook, making it an exciting and innovative area to stay.
São Paulo has a collection of very cool coworking spaces that stand out from the others in this list. Designed to inspire rather than create a corporate office feel – every detail has been added to create the best experience for digital nomads. Check out GoUp Cowork, Terracotta, Organico.
Overall, we believe the freedom of being able to work from anywhere you want has fantastic benefits for your wellbeing, happiness and gives you the motivation to thrive so you can maintain your nomadic lifestyle from anywhere in the world.
