Canary Islands for Digital Nomads & Remote Working Ultimate Guide

The Canary Islands archipelago is a great place to work remotely, with plenty of sunshine, stunning beaches, and friendly locals. There are plenty of accommodation options, coworking spaces, and Wi-Fi hotspots, making it easy to get settled in and start working.

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The islands’ relaxed lifestyle is the perfect antidote to the stress of city living, and the vibrant nightlife means there’s always something happening.

Whether you’re looking for a permanent or temporary remote working solution, the Canary Islands should be at the top of your list as a digital nomad, and here’s why!

Table of Contents

Why The Canary Islands as a Digital Nomad or Remote Worker?

1. Cost of Living

The cost of living in the Canary Islands is significantly lower than in many other popular tourist destinations.

Expenses such as food, housing, and transportation are much more affordable on the islands than in places like France, Spain, Italy, or Greece.

This affordability makes the Canary Islands an appealing option for those looking to work remotely and on a budget.

2. The Weather

The weather is unquestionably one of the reasons why the Canary Islands are becoming so popular with digital nomads and remote workers.

No matter what time of year you visit the islands, you can expect average daily temperatures of 17 Celsius (62 Fahrenheit).

And expect an average of 6 hours of sunshine plus a day!

3. Coastal and Beach Life

As you might have read in our post on the best beach coworking spaces, it is possible to live and work by the coast and the Canary Islands provide this option for you.

You might prefer city life and being inland, but if you enjoy working remotely in a location where you can take walks on the seafront and spend non-work time on the beach, the Canary Islands are worthy of consideration.

Or even better, a city that is also on the coast, such as Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) or Corralejo (Fuerteventura).

So, let’s look at the different islands in the Canary Islands and discuss what each offers remote workers such as yourself.

Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria is the second-largest island in the Canaries and it’s a beautiful and affordable place to live as a digital nomad.

The island has a great infrastructure for digital entrepreneurs, with plenty of co-working spaces and Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the island.

In addition, Gran Canaria offers plenty of outdoor activities and opportunities for cultural exploration.

Coworking Spaces

The House – Located downtown, this is arguably one of the best coworking spaces in Las Palmas, for getting work done and for meeting others.
Soppa de Azul – is a quirky coworking space that is one of my favorites in Las Palmas. Soppa de Azul is located just past the top end of Las Canteras beach. Popular with artists, expect plenty of free coffee and a lot of artists and digital nomads. This coworking space is well-run by Alecs.
Coolbeans – is a relatively small coworking space located in the lovely downtown area of Las Palmas. It doubles as a coffee shop.
Nucleo – If you are looking for somewhere for a month or more, then Nucleo is an option.
SWAP Coworking – is another downtown option, located in an area with plenty of restaurants and shops.
RePeople CoWorking Space – Whilst smaller than The House, the RePeople space is close to Las Canteras beach (which is a big plus).

Las Palmas Accommodation for Remote Working

Apartments (some good options for a few weeks/month stay)
Facebook Group: Digital Nomads – Accommodation in Gran Canaria
RePeople experience
If on a budget – These youth hostels are good if you don’t mind sharing a room: Aguita House, Little Surf House, and Tamaran House.

Networking and Socialising

Facebook Group: Remote Workers Canary Islands
Meetup Page: Digital Nomads Gran Canaria
Facebook: Gran Canaria Digital Nomads
Facebook: Live it up Las Palmas events

Hiking Routes We Recommend

Cruz de Tejeda to Cuevas del Caballero – a great starter and easy-level hike that you can do in three to four hours. From Las Palmas, a car is the easiest way to get there. Alternatively, you can use a couple of buses to get there.
Caldera de Bandama – is a 3 km hike that will generally take you around two hours and that is good for hikers of all levels. Expect around 200 meters in elevation.

Places I Recommend for Eating

Mazu Cantina – Located a short walk from Las Canteras Beach, this is a very nice Mexican restaurant that is popular with remote workers here.
Bodegon Pachichi – is one of my favorite places in Las Palmas for finding local Canary Islands foods. Also popular with digital nomads and locals alike.

Events & Festivals in Gran Canaria

You might also want to consider being in Gran Canaria at the same time as some of the main events such as:

Festival Internacional de Cine – Normally taking place at the end of April each year, this is the Las Palmas international film festival.

Transport

Bicycle hire – Sitycleta provides a great way for you to hire a bicycle by the half-hour to easily get around Las Palmas. You can also rent the bikes for a week, month, or year.
Taxis – It is incredibly easy to find a taxi and it is incredibly cheap in Las Palmas. From our experience, you can normally hail a taxi within a minute or so without much difficulty and you can get to most places in the central part of the city for 5 Euros.
Airport to Las Palmas – it is roughly 30 mins and around 30 Euros by taxi. Or you can catch a bus for around 3 Euros to downtown or the main bus terminal.

Worth Knowing About

Mercado del Puerto – an excellent food market during the daytime.
Las Canteras beach – the stunning beach in the city of Las Palmas. Enjoy the beach, the mile-plus-long boardwalk, the numerous restaurants, bars, and shops.
Plaza De La Música – live music near the beach.
Cycle & Running routes in Gran Canaria – Very useful site to see the cycle trails such as the 10km Maspalomas to Playa Ingles trail.
Las Palmas Carnival – a month-long festival in February each year.

Main Locations in Gran Canaria

Las Palmas

Las Palmas is the capital and largest city of Gran Canaria, one of Spain’s Canary Islands, and is situated on the north of the island.

The city has a population of over 400,000, making it one of the largest cities in the Canary Islands.

Las Palmas is home to some beautiful beaches (such as Las Canteras beach), interesting architecture, and delicious food.

This city tends to be the most popular location in Gran Canaria for digital nomads because there is just so much to do and see, and you have access also to the beaches.

Maspalomas

Maspalomas is a world-famous tourist destination, located in the south of Gran Canaria.

The area includes expansive dunes and sand beaches, making it a popular spot for sunbathing, swimming, and enjoying the natural beauty of the island.

There are also plenty of bars, restaurants, and other amenities and plenty of nice walks you can do here.

Maspalomas might or might not be your cup of tea in that it is a very touristic location and very much based around holidaymakers.

The great benefit of Maspalomas though over Las Palmas is that you get a lot more sunshine on the south of the island, where Maspalomas is located.

Telde

Telde is located on the east coast of Gran Canaria, almost halfway between Las Palmas in the north and Maspalomas on the southern tip of the island.

With a population of just over 100,000, Telde is known for its beautiful scenery, historical landmarks, beaches, nightlife, and culture.

Puerto de Mogan

Puerto de Mogan is a small but stunning port town on Gran Canaria’s southwest coast.

Although the town only has a population of around 5,000, it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island.

With its whitewashed buildings, narrow streets, and serene harbor, Puerto de Mogan is well worth a visit if you’re exploring Gran Canaria.

Living in Gran Canaria & Working Remotely: Paul’s View

Living in Las Palmas and playing volleyball

Having also lived in a city such as Barcelona, I feel that Las Palmas is so much more relaxed and I just love the atmosphere and ease with which you can get around Las Palmas.

I love Las Palmas and for me, it is one of the best remote working locations worldwide. I am a huge fan and you will often find me there.

For me, the benefits of working digitally from Gran Canaria are:

Beach lifestyle – If you live within walking distance of La Canteras, work during the day and walk on the seafront at lunchtime, play volleyball, or just hang out on the beach in the early evenings and watch the sunset!
Great public transportation – If you are in Las Palmas in particular, it is so easy to get around.
A lively digital nomad community in Las Palmas. Just check the Live it Up Slack and Facebook pages.

Tenerife

If you’re thinking of moving to the Canary Islands, Tenerife is also a great choice.

It’s the largest and most populated island in the archipelago, and it has something for everyone.

Whether you’re looking for a quiet place to retire or a vibrant city to call home, Tenerife has it all. Plus, it boasts a year-round warm climate and stunning scenery.

Coliving Spaces

There are several co-living/co-working spaces that have popped up in Tenerife in recent years and that are worth considering. These include:

Nine Coliving – arguably the most popular and best for socializing and located in the North of the island.
Taoro Coliving – also in the northern part of Tenerife, Taoro is also very popular and an excellent option too, and has a lovely pool area.
Ikigai Coliving is yet another very highly-rated coliving space and a very short drive from Nine and Taoro coliving.
Maraya Coliving is on the East coast of the island and is another co-living space with a swimming pool. The only problem is it’s a little pricer than the other options.
Amarilla Coliving & Coworking – in the south of the island and where it generally is sunnier than in the north.

Coworking Locations

All of the co-living spaces listed above also have coworking areas. If you want a coworking space only, then try:
Coworking in the Sun – a coworking hub located in Puerto de La Cruz. Fairly small but a good place to get work done and has a friendly crowd.

Useful Sites

Facebook – Tenerife Remote Workers

Accommodation

Apartments short & long-term

Paul’s Thoughts on Tenerife for Remote Working

If you prefer city life then you might find that Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, is your best option.

If you love the countryside and small towns and are happy as long as you have a great coliving and coworking space and want to meet lots of people, you cannot go too far wrong with Tenerife.

Given that there are 5 or so great co-living spaces, you can have a great experience working remotely from Tenerife. Indeed, most people I know end up returning!

Fuerteventura

This gorgeous island in the Canary Islands is teeming with things to do, from diving and surfing to hiking and exploring charming villages.

With its gentle climate and stunning beaches, it’s easy to see why Fuerteventura is such a popular destination and increasingly of interest to remote workers.

Coworking Locations

Cofete Coworking – very central in Corralejo and a friendly place to work
CoworkingPunto – also very centrally located in Corralejo

Useful Resources

Why Fuerteventura

One of the best places for windsurfing and home to one of the World Surfing Championships legs each year.

Corralejo is a lovely town with some nice beaches and a cute harbor area with some great restaurants.

Paul’s Thoughts

At the time of writing (and I update this often) Fuerteventura is not really set up for digital nomads quite in the same way that Gran Canaria and Tenerife are.

There are a number of places that promote themselves as co-living and co-working friendly spaces, but there seem to be few that are set up in the same way as you find them in a city such as Las Palmas.

Nonetheless, you can rent accommodation very affordably and, in the right place, you can get high-speed Internet.

This is a lovely island and, in the coming years, it is likely to blossom as a remote working location.

Lanzarote

Lanzarote is another one of the seven islands that make up the Canary Islands archipelago.

It’s situated off the coast of Africa and enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters.

The island is known for its dramatic landscapes, including black sand beaches, volcanoes, and lava tubes.

There’s also plenty to keep you busy on land, with hiking trails, golf courses, and cycling routes all available.

Coliving and Coworking

In truth, Lanzorate is not set up for remote workers in the same way that Gran Canaria and Tenerife very much are.

Coliving

Pitaya Coliving – is the only co-living space we know of in Lanzarote and it is fairly new.

Where to Stay

Apartments and hotels

Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera

The smallest of the seven Canary Islands are Palma, El Hierro, and La Gomera.

Rather than co-living and coworking locations per se, these three smaller islands are more suitable for visiting in terms of sightseeing.

I would recommend basing yourself in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, or Fuerteventura as a remote worker.

Digital Nomad Remote Working Visas

If you’re planning a trip to Gran Canaria, you may need to apply for a visa. The type of visa you’ll need depends on your nationality, the purpose of your visit, and how long you plan to stay.

1. Digital Nomads Visa

There is a lot of talk about the Spanish government introducing a digital nomad visa but, at the time of writing this (and I update this every few months), there is presently no official digital nomad visa.

Do though keep an eye on our dedicated Digital Nomads Visa page here.

2. Visitors from Schengen Countries

Spain (which the Canary Islands are part of) is a member of the EU. Within the EU, some countries, including Spain, have also signed into the Schengen Treaty.

This treaty allows the citizens of these countries to travel between them without going through border controls, and without needing a visa.

However, if your country is part of the Schengen Treaty but you are planning to stay longer than 90 days in the Canary Islands, you will need to apply for the N.I.E. (Número de Identificación de Extranjeros). This is the Spanish equivalent of a social security number.

3. Visitors from Outside the Schengen Area

Many countries from outside the Schengen Area have an agreement that lets their citizen stay in the Schengen Area without a visa for up to 90 days.

The USA and the UK are two of these countries.

Citizens from countries that don’t have such agreement, will need to apply for a Schengen visa to enter the Schengen Area.

If you are from one of the countries that have a visa free travel agreement and plan to stay in Gran Canaria for longer than 90 days, you will need to apply for a visa and for a residence permit.

Best Time to Visit the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands have a subtropical climate, with warm weather all year round.

The average temperature is about 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius).

With this in mind, the best time to visit the Canary Islands really depends on what you want to do while you’re there.

If you’re looking for a beach vacation, the best time to go is from June to August. This is when the weather is warmest and the beaches are busiest.

If you’re interested in hiking or other outdoor activities, the best time to visit is from September to November. This is when the weather is cooler and there are fewer crowds.

The worst time to visit the Canary Islands is during the winter months, from December to February. This is when the weather is coldest and there are often strong winds.

Having said that, I actually really enjoy November in Gran Canaria as it is at least far warmer and nicer than the UK weather and than in many other locations.

No matter when you visit, the Canary Islands are a great place to relax and enjoy the warm weather and beautiful scenery.

Getting Between the Canary Islands

Getting to Fuerteventura

There are several ferry options and a main airport

Fuerteventura’s El Matorral Airport
There are over 30 sailings per week between Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria

Getting to Gran Canaria

You can use inter-islands flights and fly into Las Palmas de Gran Canaria international airport
There are 60+ sailings a week between Gran Canaria and Tenerife
You can also use the ferries between Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura