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Surfing, Coliving and Coworking in the Beautiful Central America

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Wijnand Karsens

Pier from Coworksurf

Hi! This is Pier from Coworksurf. 

I've lived, worked, surfed and travelled for about 8 years in countries like Indonesia, Portugal, Morocco and the States. Like many, I started on shorter, 1 to 3-month remote work trips. Those then turned into 6 to 24 months. It's amazing to live by the waves with other remote workers, so you get as much water time as you can while making amazing friends and who are as ambitious as yourself. Now my travel lifestyle has slowed down, and I've settled down in a Dutch town called Haarlem. 

Travelling and working remotely once or twice a year but mostly stationed here, I still love being part of this community and connecting all you adventurous travellers with the best places and hosts around the world. 

Go make those memories for life! 🙌🌊

Jonatan Ailert

Coworking, Coliving, surfing, and working remotely in Mar del Plata. A digital nomad guide to Mar del Plata - one of Argentina's top surf destinations.

surfing in mar del plata

barrel

mar del plata from above

waves in mar del plata

view from ocean

surfing

With 8 km of beaches separated by dozens of jetties, Mar del Plata delivers plenty of fun beach breaks and perfectly peeling point breaks. 

Since the summertime offers smaller and more inconsistent wind swells, together with the summer crowd, the best time to visit if you’re looking for bigger more uncrowded waves is during the winter months between April and October. But don't fret if you arrive in the summertime, with a bit of dedication you can still dodge the major crowds by heading toward the outskirts of the town. 

To mention a few of the most popular spots, you have the wide beach La Pepita where perfect barrels line up during the right conditions, and Playa Grande, well known for its consistency and regularly organized surf contests.

Surfing in Mar del Plata

Seafood

ocean view

Just 500 km south of the digital nomad hotspot Buenos Aires you find Mar del Plata, Argentina's top holiday and surf destination. 

mar del plata

city from the ocean

Beyond the beach, the city has a rich cultural scene with plenty of museums, galleries, and theatres. It also boasts various festivals, such as the International Film Festival, and the Fiesta International del Mar which takes place every year in February. If you instead want to indulge in a bit more hedonistic cultural experience, the nightlife in the town is very lively, especially during the summer months when all the Porteños (Buenos Aires residents) flock the streets. 

Needless to say, staying in Mar del Plata, you’ll have lots of stuff to do in between surf and coworking sessions.

When it comes to stilling your after-surf hunger, Argentina is a foodies paradise and the food in Mar del Plata is often highly inspired by its coastal location with lots of fresh seafood on offer.

Working Remotely in Mar del Plata

Located 400 km from Buenos Aires you can either catch a bus or a train from the capital. There is also an airport and flights from the capital take under an hour.

Getting There

mate

miramar beach

450 km south of the nomadlist top-ranked Buenos Aires and 50 km south of the number one Argentinian holiday destination Mar del Plata, you find the laid-back small beach resort town Miramar. If you are exploring the Argentinian coast during a Coworksurf trip this is a great stopover.

miramar

remote worker with a beer

Compared to Mar de Plata, Miramar is more about lounging around than partying til dawn, although during high season there are also things going on in Miramar.

 As in other places in Argentina sampling delicious food is a big thing here and the seafood is a must-try.

Among things to do when the surf is too small or the wind gets too intense are sports fishing or paying a visit to the mystic energetic forest.

Working Remotely in Miramar

surfers

digital nomad surfing

amazing surfing

With plenty of jetties sticking out along the beaches in Miramar, there are an array of beach break options up for offer for both beginner and advanced surfers. However, the most popular wave is El Muelle. A long right pealing nicely of the main pier in town during south swells.

If you are not ready for these types of green waves just yet, there are plenty of surf schools around where you can hone your skills.

Besides the surf in Miramar, there are also lots of surf around to explore if you have a car. 

In between Mar de Planta and Miramar, you have the Boheme chic and increasingly popular surf town Chapadmalal, and south of Miramar, there is the picturesque beach town Necochea.

Surfing in Miramar

Miramar has a public airport so you can fly into town, it also has bus lines that stop by. In general, exploring the whole Buenos Aires province coast with a rental car is a great option.

Writer Wijnand

Coworking, coliving, and surfing in Bondi Beach, Sydney -  One of Australia's most iconic surf destinations. The perfect place for remote work and surfing.

A digital nomad guide to Byron Bay. Coworking, Coliving, surfing, and working remotely in Byron Bay. The ultimate place for the perfect work-life balance.

There are regular flights from Sydney and Melbourne going to the Byron airport and several companies offering transfers. Additionally the Cold Coast airport is 1 hour away and the Brisbane airport is 3 hours away. 

If you instead prefer taking the bus there are also several services travelling between Sidney and Brisbane via Byron Bay. 

Gettting There

remote workers on the beach

jamming 

delicious food

Nestled on the easternmost tip of Australia, its natural rural beauty and laid-back atmosphere create the perfect setting for the definition of work-life balance. The lush inland which connects with pristine beaches and a vibrant bohemian culture makes this a beautiful place to visit or base yourself and work remotely. 

However be aware, most people who visit, tend to keep on extending their stay in this warm-weather year-round paradise.

Byron Bay from Above

Amazing waves

Pristine beaches

All though the cost of living in Byron Bay and Australia in general is more expensive than a lot of other digital nomad destinations, it may very well be worth it. After all most leisure activities here are for free or very cheap. How about doing some whale watching? Or throwing on a pair of fins and exploring the beautiful underwater world. That is when you’re not busy in the consistent surf with an always-inviting water temperature. 

Once it's time to unwind Byron Bay is also a mecca for spiritual and healing arts. With plenty of yoga, meditation, and holistic practices to explore. 

If you’re a foodie then that's definitely another reason to work remotely from Byron Bay. Farm-to-table dining is a way of life here, with plenty of free-range meat, organic veggies, and fresh seafood.

Working Remotely in Byron Bay

digital nomad on beach

surfers in water

coliving crew

When talking surfing, Byron Bay is probably one of the most iconic surf destinations around the world. Thanks to being mainland Australia’s most eastern tip it picks up a lot of swell.

 Within a short walk from the town you have several spots to choose from, add 20 min in the car and you have a break buffet together with less crowds. Needless to say, getting a rental car is a great idea.

Just in front of the town you have the main beach which can offer plenty of nice peaks for all level surfers when the sand bank lines up. 

A bit further down the main beach reaches The Pass. An incredible right-hander, which during the right conditions is one of the best breaks in Australia. Hence this break can also get extremely crowded.

Another spot close to town is the popular The Wreck, a shipwreck that has created some nice sandbanks spitting out hollow rights and a bit slower lefts once it's on.

Surfing in Byron Bay

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Coworking, coliving, and surfing in Uluwatu - Bali, one of the top surf destinations in the world. The perfect place for remote work and surfing.

Uluwatu View

Beach in Uluwatu

On the hilly Bukit peninsula on the southern tip of Bali, you find the stunning world-famous surf destination Uluwatu. 

Not as busy as the popular Canggu or Seminyak, Uluwatu is the perfect place to work remotely if you're looking for world-class surf and trendy and amazing restaurants, but a bit more relaxed pace.

As Uluwatu is spread out, the best way to get around here is a rental scooter. And you definitely want to be able to move around and take it all in. 

Start your workday at one of the many hip cafés, and once you're ready for surf you'll cruise by some breathtaking views before descending to a spectacular white sand surf beach. Or if you just feel like chilling this evening, the Single Fin Beach Club is an amazing spot for having a drink and taking in the scenery of stunning surf, far from above. 

Working Remotely in Uluwatu

Surfer getting ready

Surfing Temples

Uluwatu is world famous for surfing, from the perfect Uluwatu main peak Temples, to the friendly barrels of Bingin. Uluwatu offers consistent waves and stunning scenery. 

Although most spots are intermediate to advanced there are also more beginner-friendly surf spots such as Baby Padang. However, to know where to go if you're a beginner surfer in Uluwatu, a surf school or surf guide is recommended.

Surfing in Uluwatu

It's about a one-hour drive from the airport in Bali to Uluwatu. The best way to get there is by taxi or using Gojek or Grab (the Indonesian versions of Uber). 

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Coworking, coliving, and surfing in Fernando de Noronha -  One of Brazil's top surf destinations. The perfect place for remote work and surfing.

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Coworking, Coliving, surfing, and working remotely in Itacaré. A digital nomad guide to Itacaré - Brasilian tropical paradise and top surf destinations.

rainforest

caprinha

Nestled along the shores of the rainforest in the vibrant northeastern region of Bahia you find Itacaré. A perfect destination for combining surfing and remote work.

Amazing beaches, world-class surf, lush trekking possibilities, and Capoeira as a way of life, although Itacaré offers a very laidback atmosphere there is lots of stuff to keep you occupied.

Jeribucacu

beach in itacaré

Once you need to stock up on carbs after all the activities the amazing nature offers, the tasty Bahian cuisine will be a treat to your soul. Acarajé and moqueca are part of the local delicacies that you have to try. If you just want a snack or a delicious dessert, there is always a delicious Acaí stance nearby. And there is really never a time that’s bad for Acaí.

acaí

itacaré beach

When the sun begins to set you should head up to the point overlooking the bay, this is the place to be in Itacaré during sunset. Grab a Capriniha and mingle with fellow digital nomads, locals, and surfers as the day turns to night. And if you don’t have to wake up for work or a morning surf sesh, the night continues in the lively town center.

Working Remotely in Itacaré

Surfer on a brazilian beach

Beautiful beaches, warm water (no wetsuit needed!), and a wide variety of breaks. Itacaré is definitely one of the must-visits if you're exploring the surf around Brazil. All in all Itacaré has a total of 8 surf spots suitable for everything from beginners to pro surfers. 

For more beginner to intermediate-friendly waves Engenhoca Beach is great and also relatively uncrowded if you manage to snag in a sesh before or after the surf schools show up. The beach is a 25-minute bus or car ride north of Itacaré and then a 20-minute beautiful walk through the lush rainforest. At the beach, there are board rentals, a few spots where you can pick up something to eat, and plenty of fun left and right peaks out in the water. 

digital nomad surfer

The most consistent and popular spot in Itacaré is Tiririca. The waves here are fast and at times barreling. Since this beach only is a 10-minute walk from town, it easily gets crowded. Besides surfing this beach is also great for watching surfing, and usually in the evening, there are lots of people chilling on the banks of the beach.

Besides Tiririca and Engenhoca, there are plenty of other breaks to explore. To mention a few you have Boca da Barra (when it's on) one of the longest rides in Brazil, and the stunning Jeribucaçu. It's a 40-minute walk to get to this beach but once there it's absolutely stunning with both lefts and rights.

Surfing in Itacaré

The closest airport to Itacaré is Ilheus and the closest international airport is Salvador. From Ilheus you can go by rental car, taxi or public transport.  From Salvador it's best to take the ferry to Bom Despacho, from there you can drive or take the bus.

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A digital nomad guide to Tofino, Canda's top surf destination. Coworking, coliving, surfing, and working remotely in pristine nature. 

tofino sunset

skating in tofino

bonfire

rainforest path

beautiful nature

Nestled along Vancouver Island's coast, Tofino offers a unique place to work remotely among vast sandy beaches, ancient forests, and smooth blue waves.

When you're not busy working or surfing, Tofinho also has a lot of really tasty restaurants and a vibrant coastal art scene, as well as whale watching, hikes along rainforest trails, and natural hot springs.

Working Remotely in Tofino

waves at tofinho

digital nomad surf girl

surfer

remote worker surfing

on the way to the beach

surf couple

Welcome to Canada's surf mecca. Regardless if you never caught a wave before or if you're a professional barrel hunter Tofino will have some great spots for you. 

The main spot and usually the biggest waves can be found in Cox Beach, while Long Beach usually has more mellow waves. These more mellow waves make it an excellent spot for surf classes, and if you've never surfed before or want some pointers, there are plenty of schools around.

For the highest chance to score the biggest waves, winter is the time to visit. 

Surfing in Tofino

From Vancouver, you take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo and after that, it's a scenic 3 h drive or bus ride. 

Coworking, Coliving, surfing, and working remotely in Barbados. A digital nomad guide to Barbados - Caribbean paradise and top surf destinations.

sunset in the caribbean

bajan beers

Warm weather, clear turquoise blue water, basically a beautiful stretch of white sand beach surrounding the whole island, great internet, and the best surf in the Caribbean. Adding to the above, in the summer of 2020 Barbados became one of the hot new digital nomad destinations by creating a 12-month visa program for digital nomads.

Needless to say, this Caribbean paradise is a great Coworksurf destination. However since the island is small and a lot of stuff needs to be imported, be prepared that Barbados also can be a bit pricy. 

barbados beach

barbados sunset

When you’re not surfing there is plenty of other activities to enjoy. Explore the colorful underwater world surrounding the island by snorkeling and diving, or get some adrenalin in your system by enjoying the excellent wind and kite surfing on the southeastern tip of Barbados. If you're into hiking, the island also has lots of beautiful nature to explore. 

Once the day is over, if you're not exhausted from all the activities, St Lawrence Gap with its vibrant nightlife is the spot to be at.

When it comes to coworking spots there are currently 2  coworking spaces to choose from: the Regus Coworking space and the 10 Habitat coworking space. If none of these are according to your taste, no worries, there are a lot of great cafés and the wifi is usually powerful. A few nice cafes to cowork from are: Surfers Cafe, The Coffee Bean Cafe, Artsplash, and Baby Doll Cafe

Working Remotely in Barbados

barbados digital nomad visa

The Barbados digital nomad visa is called the Barbados Welcome Stamp program and allows people who work online to stay in Barbados for 12 months. To qualify for the program you should earn more than 50 000 USD per year and you can apply in a few minutes.

However, considering the 2k cost of the program makes this more like a great promotional scheme than something that most digital nomads would take advantage of. Especially considering that if you’re just looking to stay in Barbados for a shorter time there is no need for the Digital nomad visa. 

Visitors from Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, the UK, and the USA can stay for a maximum of six months in Barbados without a visa. While other EU nationals can stay for up to three months.

Barbados Digital Nomad Visa

barbados wave

batsheba

Soup Bowl Barbados

surfing in barbados

With a consistent swell almost all year around (the best time for surfing is between Nov-June), a lot of shore wind, and a very nice and warm water temperature, Barbados is a great surf destination. 

Most surf spots are located on the south and southwest coast and this (around Oistins and Hastings) is also a great place to stay if you’re looking for good restaurants and fun nightlife. 

However, if you are 100% focused on high-performance surf and heavy barrels you may also want to consider staying on the East Coast. Besides surfing and hiking, there is not a lot to do here, but the east coast of Barbados does host Soup Bowl - one of Kelly Slater's favorite waves. So regardless of if you don't want to spend your whole time on the East Coast, you should definitely consider paying it a visit. Besides the amazing surf, the nature here is also very pristine. 

bajan surfers

If you are a beginner to an intermediate surfer, your favorite spot will probably be Freights Bay, the longest left on the island, and a longboard and usually very chill surf paradise. Surfing next to giant turtles is not uncommon here.

Besides Freights Bay and Soup Bowl, there are of course also an array of other surf spots on the island. Although it is possible to travel in Barbados with public transport the best way to reach all the spots is a rental car. 

If you are a beginner two great surf schools are Barrys - just in front of a nice beginner spot and Bodies - a mobile surf school.

 For after-surf food, the Oistin Fish Fry is the spot to be on Friday nights and the freshly caught snappers are delicious.

Surfing in Barbados

Since Barbados is a small Caribbean island far off the coast the easiest way to get there is by plane. There are regular direct flights from all major airports and also flights to and from nearby Caribbean islands in case you want to explore some more of the Caribbean. 

If you happen to have a sailing boat, Barbados is also a popular place for stopping by while sailing the Caribbean.

Warm weather, clear turquoise blue water, basically a beautiful stretch of white sand beach surrounding the whole island, great internet, and the best surf in the Caribbean. Adding to the above, in the summer of 2020 Barbados became one of the hot new digital nomad destinations by creating a 12-month visa program for digital nomads. 

When you’re not surfing there is also great snorkeling and diving as well as wind and kite surfing on the southeastern tip of the island. There is also a lot of fun nightlife and beautiful nature to explore.

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Coworking, coliving, surfing, and working remotely in Jacó - one of Costa Rica's top surf destinations. The perfect place for working remotely.

Jacó beach

sunset in Jacó

Located less than 2 hours from San José, Jacó is the closest major beach destination to the capital and one of the most developed beach towns in the country. 

If you're looking to work remotely next to the beach but still want to stay in a place where things are happening, then Jacó is a great choice. 

Sport fishing, surfing, catamaran cruises, zipline tours, beach hopping, snorkeling, rainforest trekking, and even a rainforest tram. The town has an endless list of activities to take part in, and once the sun starts setting, a vibrant nightlife.

Working Remotely in Jacó

Sunset surf

Jacó surf crowd

When it comes to catching waves, Jacó and the area around is one of the top surf destinations in Costa Rica. Just in front of the town you have Playa Jaco, which is perfect for beginners. There are also lots of board rental and surf schools around. 

If you are a more advanced surfer then the world-class surf beach 

 is just a 12 min drive south. Known as one of the most consistent surf spots in the country, Playa Hermosa often hosts surf competitions. And if you're lucky you can snag some nice barrels. 

Surfing in Jacó

Flying into San Jose Juan Santamaria International Airport,  Jaco is only an hour and a half drive away.

Coworking, coliving, and surfing in Manuel Antonio -  One of the top surf destinations in Costa Rica. The perfect place for remote work and surfing.

Coworking, coliving, surfing, and working remotely in Nosara - one of Costa Rica's top surf destinations. The perfect place for working remotely.

walking in the beach in Nosara

howler monkey

Located in one of the world's blue zones (where a lot of people live to the age of 100 and older) the small beach town of Nosara is a surf and yoga Meca. 

In comparison to other popular Costa Rican beach towns such as Tamarindo, Nosara remains charmingly quiet and undeveloped. However, it still has a great social scene, and a welcoming local community. It also boasts a lot of really delicious restaurants and cafés, with plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. 

Although some people may consider Nosara as a bit pricy in comparison with other similar destinations, it may be well worth it.

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