Lisbon, Portugal, is well known for its appeal to digital nomads and other remote workers. Its climate with sunshine almost all year round, reasonable cost of living (for western Europe), vibrant culture, and Government support through tax and visa concessions have all played a part. As a result, Lisbon has developed a strong network of coworking spaces, cafes with reliable wi-fi, and supportive communities for freelancers and entrepreneurs. Following a recent trip to the city, we have put together a selection of ten of the best coworking spaces in Lisbon in this BOLD Awards blog.
With a Portuguese digital nomad visa, applicants can live in the country for up to two years with the option to renew their residency permit for up to five years. After five years of living there, it is possible to apply for permanent residency in Portugal.
Naturally, what suits one person as an ideal coworking space will not suit everyone else. Each remote worker has their own checklist of priorities. For some, the centre of a city is best, others may prefer a more relaxed beach or waterfront location. Some may prefer the communal spirit of a relaxed atmosphere with free beer available, others the more business-like atmosphere of an accelerator hub.
Other factors that will influence personal choice include free access to a printer and refreshments, wi-fi strength and online security, convenience of a location’s distance from a person’s accommodation, the extent of communal and social events, and quality and comfort of the furniture plus seating/desk density. Overall size is another factor, particularly if you want to meet the maximum number of people.
Lisbon’s top coworking space providers
Some of these coworking space providers operate more than one location in Lisbon, so here are actually 17 coworking spaces in or near to Lisbon
Second Home Lisboa Coworking
Second Home describes itself as “A workspace and cultural venue committed to supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, and community.” The company also has coworking places for remote workers and digital nomads in London, and targets an entrepreneurial and creative community with light and airy, and plant-filled spaces.
Access is through taking out a membership. Tiered pricing levels afford either a hot-desking arrangement of a permanent desk. Meeting rooms are available for hire, plus function rooms for parties, reception and launches.
Second Home Lisboa is located in the Case do Sodre district, in a 19th century building above the Time Out food market. It remains open from 8.30am to 10pm. Free tea and coffee are available, plus showers, phone booths for added privacy, and an on-site café and a bar.
Wellness classes are available, and each of the Second Home locations in Lisbon and London host presentations, and other events, featuring personalities from the worlds of art, design, music, food, entertainment, and more.
Avila Spaces
This coworking space provider is the oldest one in Lisbon and it has three locations in the city – Saldanha, Av. República, and Parque das Nações. In 2023, Avila Spaces was awarded the Best Coworking Space in the World at the Global Startup Awards.
It rents private offices for companies of various sizes, coworking spaces, meeting rooms, and auditoriums for events, as well as virtual offices for companies that don’t need a permanent physical space. The meeting rooms have a free videoconferencing system compatible with Zoom, Teams, Google Meet and Skype.
A Thursday evening “Happy Hour” at the bar in each workspace encourages people to get to know each other in a relaxed manner, and meditation sessions are regularly available.
Impact Hub Lisbon
Whilst offering the regular desks and a coworking space, Impact Hub is also an incubator and accelerator for EU startups. So, for digital nomad entrepreneurs starting a company in the EU, these programs may be of interest and benefit.
This is also one of the few coworking spaces in Lisbon that offers a free trial to digital nomads to come and try their services before committing to a membership.
Impact Hub has two locations in Lisbon:
- The 1200 square metre space in an industrial style at Miradouro da Penha de França;
- 700 square metres on two stories of a historic building with wooden floors in the city centre at its Baixa Chiado building.
Impact Hub is actually global network of nearly 25.000 entrepreneurs and innovators in over locations. It has operated in Lisbon since 2016 and has supported the start, growth and scaling of over 700 entrepreneurs, and provided a collaborative coworking space for more than 1,000 members.
LACS
LACS has two sites in Lisbon:
- LACS Conde d’Óbidos is a creative cluster near the river, with coworking spaces plus private offices for four or more people to share.
- LACS Anjos is another creative cluster, this time in the heart of Lisbon. It is a “quirky space with lots of history, a symbol of rejuvenation, transformed from an old labour tribunal.”
Coffee and tea, printing and parking are all available at an extra cost. Event rooms can be hired.
Workhub
Workhub is the perfect coworking space in Lisbon for remote workers and digital nomads who don’t need creative frills but simply want a comfortable place with reliable wi-fi. Its modern décor in a light and airy setting in a 100-year-old art deco wine factory makes it easier to ignore distractions and stay productive throughout the day.
It is located next to Ribeirinho Oriente Park in the relatively quiet Beato district. Workhub provides a central open space for remote workers with small and medium-sized offices available for more privacy, and all are available through a variety of membership options.
This coworking space provider partners with Amsterdam Venture Partners, who can give entrepreneurs and startup founders introductions to investors.
Outsite CoWork Cafe
Outsite Cowork Cafe is an open space with varied seating, meeting rooms and locker storage. The menu is made up of fresh, healthy local options, and all coffee is sustainably sourced.
Opening hours are limited to weekdays from 9am to 6pm. Passes are available on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. It’s easy to imagine the café became popular with remote workers and the owners decided to set up the membership and pass scheme to supplement income from coffee and cake. At the same time, it’s a perfect set up for digital nomads who love working from the more relaxed atmosphere of cafes but get uncomfortable if they feel like they’re overstaying their welcome.
It is located in the Sao Paulo district, on Rue de Sao Paulo
Surf Office
My introduction mentioned the possibility of working by a beach, so here it is. The Surf Office in Ericeira is just a 30 minute drive from Lisbon airport. Facilities at the fishing village include a swimming pool, fully equipped rooms for meetings, training or workshops and a table-tennis table to have some competitive fun while your sub-conscious mind goes to work on your latest challenge.
It is also a venue for company retreats and corporate team building activities provided by Surf Office, which could have an impact on the usual daily atmosphere for remote workers and digital nomads.
IDEA Spaces
IDEA Spaces has coworking spaces in Lisbon in four locations:
- Palácio Sotto Mayor in Av. Fontes Pereira de Melo
- Saldanha in Lisbon city centre
- Parque das Nações, less than two minutes away from the Vasco da Gama Shopping Centre and the Gare do Oriente public transport hub
- São Sebastião, with coworking office space and a café in the top two floors of a 14-storey building. It also has other space in the building, and is right next door to São Sebastião metro station
The main one of the four is at Saldanha. Spread across 10 floors of its building in the bustling business centre of Lisbon, it provides coworkers and startups with a lounge bar, private parking, more than 34 private offices, over 500 dedicated desks, 18 meeting rooms and event areas, a movie theatre, plus an open air 800 square metre terrace.
The space is also equipped with fast wi-fi, and a kitchen. It also has the obligatory meeting rooms and event space that can be rented for workshops, seminars and other events.
Village Underground Lisboa
If you thought a coworking space at the fishing village of Ericeira was a little different, how about Village Underground Lisboa? It has the usual coworking and event space, though in this location they are installed in old shipping containers and double-decker buses in the city’s historic former industrial area. It sits in the shadow of the Ponte 25 de Abril bridge, a suspension bridge which connects the city of Lisbon to the municipality of Almada on the opposite bank of the Tagus River.
It’s possible to rent an individual hot desk, or a whole container if you have a team of your own coworkers. There is 24/7 access, air conditioning, wi-fi, and an on-site restaurant.
Container 8 currently hosts a project that aims to inspire and empower communities to create urban gardens; containers 9 and 10 are home to a music academy; container 11 brings together AI and data science experts to address business challenges; and container 12 is used by a commercial film maker.
By the way, if you think the Ponte 25 de Abril bridge looks familiar, it was based on the same plans as San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
SCAPE
To close, SCAPE is another coworking space near the 25 de Abril Bridge that spans the Tagus River, though this time it’s part of a smart marina complex. In its 470 square metres it has 35 fixed desks, 10 “floating seats,” 4 offices and a meeting room. Two outdoor lounges also make the most of its waterside location.
SCAPE’s aim is to provide a good working environment, though it does not hide its intention to promote “an incredible lifestyle,” surely a plus for digital nomads. Prices are available on request, we doubt this is going to be one of the cheaper locations, though it does have a particularly positive vibe.
Key takeaway
The growth of coworking spaces in Lisbon, and everywhere else, represents a decentralised future of work, in which remote working and gig economy opportunities enable more people to have an income made up from numerous income streams rather than from a single fulltime employer. The prospect of multi-income streams and remote working has boosted the growth of numbers of digital nomads.
BOLD Awards 2025
Future of Work is one of the 33 categories in the BOLD Awards for the digital industries and the tech that powers them. The award will recognise the best companies who are bravely embracing the future of work – whether building and managing remote teams, automating tasks and workflows, or creating new digital tools, and platforms that enhance productivity and employee well-being.
We are proud that our BOLD Awards VI edition ceremony will be hosted in the vibrant city of Lisbon, Portugal on March 28th, 2025. This edition is supported in strategic partnerships with APDC (Portuguese Association for the Development of Communications) and Unicorn Factory Lisboa, two prominent organisations dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurial success.
You can check the full list of categories, and submit your BOLD Awards entry now. You can return and update it as often as you want up to the final submission deadline of December 6th 2024. Be BOLD!
