Have you always dreamed of being a digital nomad in Greece, but you’re not sure what destination to pick? Big cities like Athens seem to work, but they are pretty chaotic. Picturesque islands like Paros are amazing, but they aren’t very lively off-season – to put it mildly.
Rhodes, instead, can be considered one of the best islands to work remotely from Greece in any season of the year. Curious to know why? Here are the top 7 reasons.
1. A lively meltin’ pot
If you’re familiar with Greece, you probably know that Rhodes is a very popular tourist destination in the summer – most of its one million yearly visitors get to the island during the warmest season. With its 50.000 residents, though, Rhodes town remains lively and appealing even off-season, between October and May. Actually, anyone who lives on the island for a while prefers those months, because everything is quieter and the quality of life gets better.
And the “long-term” residents of Rhodes are one of the things that make it unique. Of course the majority of them are Greek, but they usually speak good English and they are very welcoming – crowds of foreigners have been coming to their island for decades, so they’re used to that. But there is also a pretty large community of expats: some have moved to Rhodes for love, some for business, others to enjoy their retirement, or to have a semester abroad as Erasmus students. This is an amazing opportunity for digital nomads to be immersed in an inspirational environment where they can meet all kinds of people. No doubt this makes Rhodes one of the best islands to work remotely!
2. Nice weather all year round
Although some digital nomads prefer the winter, it’s a fact that the majority of them travel around the world to follow the sun and warm weather. Remote work in Greece can be a great idea for those who live in Europe and don’t want to travel too far – but still look for better weather than the one back home.
Well, good news for you if you’re one of them: Rhodes is known for its almost complete lack of rainy days in the summer, and for weather that goes from warm to mild all year round. You’ll be able to enjoy the beach and outdoor life from early Spring until late Autumn, and sometimes in Winter too. And who knows – you might find yourself celebrating Christmas with a swim in the sea!
3. Affordable cost of living
Being a digital nomad in Greece is generally quite cheap. Although you might read frightful information here and there on the web, Rhodes doesn’t make an exception.
To give you an idea, you can find long-term accommodation for around 500 Euros per month (the longer you stay, the less you spend) and get a meal for a bunch of Euros (3€ for street food such as pita gyros, around 10/15€ for a meal at a restaurant). Of course, off-season prices are better than summer ones – the accommodation from June to September can get very expensive – even for such things as car rentals.
All in all, we’d say that you can have a very nice digital nomad life in Rhodes spending around 1000 Euros per month!
4. All the perks of a Greek island
Who doesn’t love Greek islands? The pristine blue beaches, the lush nature, the millenary culture, the delicious food and wines, the welcoming attitude of the residents… the list could go on and on. And Rhodes has plenty of all this: that’s why we think it’s one of the best islands to work remotely in Greece.
We particularly love three things:
- the fact that the city is surrounded by beautiful beaches at walking distance, which is super convenient to enjoy even short breaks swimming or watching the sunset over the water;
- the amazing Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, that will leave you speechless with its beauty;
- the traditional cuisine, which goes way beyond the Greek salad that we all know, and that will make your mouth water at every hour of the day.
You’re already booking your flight, aren’t you?
5. Good connections with Europe
Speaking of flights, Rhodes is one of the best islands to work remotely thanks to its easy connections too. Some other islands are beautiful but, let’s face it, reaching them is not the easiest thing to do.
Rhodes, instead, has an airport that is connected with direct flights to and from the whole Europe for around 8/9 months a year – the specific period depends on the destination. During the tourist season, economy airlines are constantly flying straight to the island. Not to talk about boats, connecting it with the other islands of Dodecanese, with other parts of Greece, and with Turkey too!
Even off-season you can still easily fly to Rhodes: you will just have to do a layover in Athens. Or, even better, you could take the chance to stop there for a few days and visit one of the most fascinating places in Greece.
6. The right activity for everyone
As mentioned above, one of the characteristics that make Rhodes one of the best destinations for digital nomads in Greece is its versatility.
Here are just a few examples of what you can do while on the island:
- swim or snorkel in one of its many stunning beaches
- live the beach life, working on your tan or sipping a drink at a beach bar
- fill your eyes with wonderful sunsets on the water
- do water sports such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, sup or sailing
- go trekking or hiking on its wild hills and cliffs
- explore the remains of ancient towns, temples or castles
- roam around the streets of the Old Town and fall in love with its majestic Castle and walls
- visit one of the many museums
- have a stroll on the boardwalk that goes all along the different ports
- listen to some live music in one of the venues in Old or New Town
- go out for a tasty dinner or a well-deserved drink with your friends in the evening
- enjoy a wine tasting in the valley where wine is produced
- feel part of the local community by taking Greek or traditional dance classes
We could continue, but we think you got the point…
7. The digital nomad community
Although Rhodes is not super popular yet as a destination for remote work in Greece, it’s definitely growing. Until recent times, people who work online were scattered around the island, they worked from home or cafes and they barely knew about each other’s presence.
New options have popped up recently, and our favorite is Stay, a hotel with coworking space located right between the renowned Elli Beach and New Town. This place rents rooms (with balcony and sea view!) to digital nomads off-season, and allows them to use the common spaces for free – such as the above-mentioned coworking, as well as the lounge, the shared kitchen and the cinema. A vibrant community of remote workers is starting to revolve around the hotel and the connected hostel: you can meet people coming from all over the world, staying short or long term, and the chances to meet new potential business partners or even “just” friends is very high!
Also, we think it’s pretty exciting to be part of the start of something as powerful as a digital nomad community. If you work remotely from this hotel and coworking space now, one day you’ll have the chance to say: “I was there when the first digital nomad hub in Rhodes was born, I was one of the pioneers that allowed that to happen!”
So, what are you waiting for? Get on a plane to Rhodes, definitely one of the best islands to work remotely in Greece.
