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Europe’s First Digital Nomad Village Is Opening in Portugal

Portugal News
by Eben Diskin Jan 13, 2021

Digital nomadism is on the rise as remote work becomes more and more common due to the pandemic. To make things more fun for those who can work from anywhere and want to escape their home, an entire village dedicated to being a haven for digital nomads is opening on the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira.

Digital Nomads Madeira, a joint effort between the government of Madeira, Startup Madeira, and a digital nomad named Gonçalo Hall, will welcome keen remote workers to the village of Ponta do Sol starting February 1, 2021.

According to 150sec, Hall initially presented the idea of a digital nomad village at a conference last year, which was attended by the Portuguese economic minister.

“I told them they should take the opportunity to bring remote workers to the island and make it a source of revenue,” he said. “My proposal did not seem to make much sense at that moment, but the next day I was speaking with the president of Madeira. And I was hired to work with the government there to promote the island.”

Hall’s goal is to bring locals and digital nomads together to create a strong community feel, which also includes events organized for all the nomads to participate in.

“We have partnered with different local businesses such as real estate and rental car companies,” he said. “The goal is to help the local community benefit from the social and economic impact that such an initiative can have.”

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