Embracing Remote Work in the Heart of Greek Culture and Natural Beauty
The rise of digital nomads and remote workers is something that’s been talked about for years now – especially since 2020. Living this lifestyle for 5+ years now, we’ve seen a drastic increase in people looking to work and live remotely and we think this is so exciting!
Because of the increase in people like us working remotely more and more destinations are popping up as ideal digital nomad destinations and we see this as a win/win situation for digital nomads and remote workers alike as well as the destinations that get put on the “nomad map”.
We like to believe that there is a big difference between the standard holiday visitor and a digital nomad who is coming to a new location.
From our experience, a holiday visitor is in a destination for a short period of time to enjoy all the highlights and have a great time. In Greece, we believe this often means visiting nice hotels, enjoying the sunshine, swimming in the pool and the sea, eating lots of good food, and doing their own thing while enjoying the destination.
A digital nomad, on the other hand, is often staying for an extended amount of time (1-3 months or longer) and wants to immerse themselves in the local culture and people and leave a positive impact on the destination while also connecting with other digital nomads in the area.
We’re not saying there’s anything wrong with either type of travelling, we’re simply just saying there’s a difference.
This is where the Peloponnese community can work together with digital nomads and remote workers to create an up-and-coming location for people who want to work remotely and experience the Greek culture in one of the most beautiful and underrated parts of the country.
Why the Peloponnese is perfect for Digital Nomads
The allure of the Peloponnese
As the community of digital nomads expands, the destinations for us (digital nomads) to visit and live in are also going to grow as well. We recently visited Peloponnesus for a month and explored different parts of the peninsula to see what this place has to offer and whether or not it could be a good hot spot for nomads – and we were very impressed with what we found! This part of Greece has so much to offer and we can’t wait to see it as a stable on the digital nomad map.
Scenic beauty
From the sea to the lush countryside, home to the Kalamata Olive, you can’t help but stop and appreciate how beautiful this part of the country is. There are so many hidden gems like the Polylimnio Waterfalls, a stunning coastline with crystal clear water, history that goes back thousands of years in history, incredibly delicious food, and the warmest and most welcoming people we’ve experienced in a long time.
Cultural richness
One thing we absolutely loved about Peloponnesus is the culture and the people. Whether we were walking the streets of Kalamata or exploring one of the coastal towns in the area we saw Greek culture come to life.
At times it feels like you’re taken back in time in this beautiful country that is filled with cultural richness at a time when other countries are starting to let go of their cultures a bit, or at least change the culture as we’ve known it up until now.
It’s admirable to be in a country that has a rich history and culture that is proud to share it.
Historic sites and landmarks
You could spend years in the Peloponnese and probably only see a fraction of the historic sites and landmarks that are found here.
One of our favourite day trips was a visit to the Old Navarino Fortress where we hiked up to the Fortress and got one of the best views of Voidokilia Beach. An incredible mix of history and natural beauty!
This is just an example of the places you can visit because you can honestly go anywhere in the area and be blown away by a historic site or landmark.
Culinary experiences
This one is pretty self-explanatory, right? I mean we all love Greek food, don’t we? Anywhere we went, we had incredible food! From the small town of Marathopoli to Kalamata, we didn’t have a single bad meal. For real!
We also had the chance to go on a food tour with Mama’s Flavors, a local food tour company in Kalamata and the experience was incredible.
It might be because most of the food is locally sourced, made with love, or just straight-up Greek magic but the food just seems to taste better in Greece.
Whatever it is, we’re all for it because every chance we get to try and taste local delicious food, we’ll take it. It’s just another reason to spend more time here in Greece.
Digital-Nomad friendly infrastructure
Co-working spaces
The nomad infrastructure is something that is slowly growing in Kalamata and the Peloponnese as the community sees an influx of digital nomads.
Right now, House by Phaos (a coworking space in Kalamata) is the hub for new digital nomads coming to Kalamata. Nelly has done a great job at providing a space for newcomers and she has already expanded to a second location called Officium.
Both House of Phaos and Officium are Nomad 365 certified. We’re hopeful that this place will start to take off soon as digital nomads start to learn about Kalamata and Peloponnese.
The infrastructure is ready – now we just need the nomads to come! We’re sure this will continue to grow and improve as more nomads arrive and the demand for Coworking spaces increases.
Potential for new spaces
There are also lots of opportunities here in Kalamata for more coworking spaces as well as Coliving spaces to pop up. The same goes for Coliving and Coworking spaces in other parts of the Peloponnese – and that’s exactly why we’re hosting the first-ever Pop Up Coliving in Marathopoli in October 2024! The point of the event is to bring digital nomads together while enjoying this beautiful part of Greece! During the month, over 30 digital nomads will colive and cowork together at the Pop Up Coliving in Marathopoli (there may still be room for you to join!). We’ve already tested the place out ourselves to make sure it’s nomad-proof and we know it’s going to be an amazing experience!
Nomad 365
Speaking of being nomad-proof… Nomad 365 is a great example of the infrastructure and how digital nomad-friendly places are growing in the Peloponnese.
Nomad 365 is basically a platform that issues certifications to places of accommodation that are nomad-friendly. They help make sure places (Airbnb, hotels, and other types of accommodations) are suitable for digital nomads. In order to get approved, the places have to live up to certain criteria such as good, stable wifi, a designated work area, etc,
We stayed at Tiny Apartment in Kalamata and it had everything we needed from a an ergonomic work chair, good wifi, to ring lights to anything else you could imagine you would need while working from your “home”.
Nomad 365 also certifies coworking spaces and cafés so keep your eyes peeled for this as you wander around Kalamata and the Peloponnese so it’s easy for you to find good work spots outside of your apartment
Checking for the Nomad 365 certification is a great way to make sure you always have good internet, comfort, and everything else you need to enjoy working remotely from a new destination.
Cost of living and quality of life
Living expenses
When deciding on a place to base yourself as a digital nomad, the cost of living (as well as safety and good wifi) are usually always at the top of the list. Of course, you want to live somewhere beautiful with good nature, community, and lots of things to do but the living expenses is usually one of the deciding factors.
When you look outside of the typical tourist spots in Greece, the Peloponnese and Kalamata it is quite affordable – especially compared to Western Europe!
From renting an apartment to groceries your money goes a long way when you compare it to a lot of other digital nomad hot spots in Europe. Also, the quality here is really good (both in terms of accommodation and produce!). So you pay less but you also get better quality.
Work-life balance
Work-life balance is an interesting topic because, at the end of the day, it’s up to the individual to create this. But a location can definitely help with a good work-life balance.
For example, in Kalamata if you stay near the coworking space it’s a short walk to work. If you want to go enjoy a nice lunch meal there are plenty of great options nearby. From the city, you have plenty of great day and weekend trips you can do and you can easily walk to the beach before or after work as it is only 20 minutes away.
In general, it does seem like Greek people do work a lot but they also take time to enjoy time with family and friends when they are off.
With good weather, food, and culture you will find yourself wanting to be outside more and spending more time with other people so you can really manage to have a good work-life balance here in the Peloponnese.
Challenges and Solutions
Cultural adaptations
I think one of the easiest ways to feel connected to the locals and the country is to adapt to the culture.
It doesn’t have to be big things but there are little things you can do to adapt to the Greek way to make the most of your time in Greece!
It can be as simple as learning how to say “hello” and “thank you” in Greek. Going for dinner a bit later in the day. Chatting up your local barista while you order a Freddo Cappuccino. Visiting the local market in Kalamata.
One thing we loved about this part of Greece was how easy it was to make local connections. Anywhere we’d go locals would ask us where we were from, what we did for a living, and how we liked their country and food (especially the olive oil!).
If you want to meet and connect with locals, you definitely can!
There are all seemingly small things but they go a long way. The more time you spend in the Peloponnese and Kalamata, the more you’ll get to know the culture and people there!
Language barriers
Like any country, we do believe there can be language barriers at times but from public transport to restaurants and everything in between we were never really in a position where we couldn’t work through a problem.
Most of the younger generation speaks English and so does anyone working in the tourism sector or customer service. And with smartphones, it’s a lot easier to translate when needed.
But we do think there are things we can do as digital nomads to help with the language barrier. If it’s talking slower or sometimes simplifying sentences. Even learning a few basic Greek words goes a long way.
It’s also a good way to immerse yourself in the culture of the country by learning some of the local language!
Future prospect of Digital Nomads in the Peloponnese
Vision for the Peloponnese as a Digital Nomad hotspot
With an airport right outside of Kalamata and a beautiful city, there is tons of potential for this part of Greece to become a new hotspot for digital nomads!
As Kalamata grows in popularity, we’re sure nomads will also find smaller communities along the coast in the other cities and towns in the Peloponnese.
We’ll also be hosting the first Pop Up Coliving in Marathopoli for a month in October 2024 (starting on October 5th)! This will be a good way for nomads to get together and get a taste of this part of Greece.
Potential for growth and sustainability
This is one thing the local government, the municipalities, and the tourism board will have to work together to do. Bringing digital nomads and remote workers to a destination is good if the location is ready for it. That means having the infrastructure set in place for it – both physically and digitally.
Having good public transportation, community managers for digital nomads, and an online platform with information for digital nomads is something that is super helpful and important for nomads in order to consider a destination for their next temporary home base.
Some of this is already set in place in Peloponnese but we do think some improvement can be made. In order for Kalamata to be a sustainable and responsible destination for both digital nomads and the locals, it’s important that initiatives are taken to “protect” the current culture and cost of living.
Especially the latter we think is very important in order for nomads and locals to co-exist and have a positive impact on one another. We’ve sadly seen in a lot of other places that over-tourism mixed with digital nomads (not just one or the other) can negatively impact the cost of living for locals who then no longer want nomads in their city or town.
This is very important because as nomads, we do not wish to have a negative impact on a destination. Quite the opposite.
Putting things in place like price ceilings on rent and setting up events where locals and nomads can mingle are examples of how everyone can benefit from turning a destination into a digital nomad hot spot.
So far this is working really well and we hope the authorities and the tourism board will help continue this so that Kalamata and Peloponnese can continue to be a sustainable destination for nomads.
Get ready to visit the Peloponnese
Resources for visiting the Peloponnese
When it comes to resources and starting out your nomad journey here in Greece and specifically the Peloponnese here are a few links that can really help you out:
Messenia Mobi App: You can check out the Mobi App here. It’s everything from restaurants, attractions, tours, coworking spaces, and a whole lot more. Everything you may need to find in this part of the Peloponnese is in the app!
Red White Adventures blog: You can find all sorts of info from hikes to tours and digital nomad life in the Peloponnese. Our blog posts about the Peloponnese are catered to digital nomads who are looking to get more information about the area, the digital nomad lifestyle there, and get inspiration for fun (and outdoorsy) things to do.
Work From Greece website: This is a website created by Greece catered to everything digital nomad-related in the country! This site is a good place to look for general information about working remotely in Greece as a digital nomad.
It’s not specific to the Peloponnese but many of the insights and information is applicable to the Peloponnese.
You can look at the Work From Greece website here to find more information about digital nomad life in Greece.
Work from Kalamata: Similar to the Work from Greece website, there’s also a site specifically to working from Kalamata. On this website, you can find a ton of information about what it’s like living in Kalamata from things to do there, the cost of living, the best food in town, and everything else that helps nomads get ready for their stay in Kalamata.
Check out Work From Kalamata’s website here.
Mythical Peloponnese website: The Mythical Peloponnese website is more specific to this part of the country. Similar to the Messenia Mobi App, you’ll be able to learn more about what this part of the country has to offer.
From gastronomy to history you can find everything here. It’s a great resource to look at once you’re already in the country and want more inspiration for things to do!
Recap of the Peloponnese and the positive impact of nomads
If you didn’t have the Peloponnese and Kalamata on your nomad radar before, we hope you do now! We really believe that Kalamata and this whole region has great potential to become a future digital nomad hotspot!
From a global perspective, we already know how beautiful this country is, how delicious the food is, and how historic the culture is. Now people just need to learn how cool of a spot it is for remote workers and digital nomads!
If you’re looking to have an awesome work-life balance and affordable cost of living in a sunny and safe place to live, Kalamata and the Peloponnese region is the place to go.
We hope to see you there!
