We have been traveling around Europe visiting and spending time working from various co-living spaces and we are just back from Palma de Mallorca. If you are a digital nomad and are considering Palma then you might find this post useful!
Table of Contents
1. Where Is Palma de Mallorca?
Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands in the southwestern part of the Mediterranean Sea and is situated about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the mainland city of Valencia in Spain.
The island is a popular tourist destination and is known for its sandy beaches, clear waters, and mild climate.
The capital, Palma de Mallorca, enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate, with average temperatures ranging from 18-24 degrees Celsius (65-75 degrees Fahrenheit), between May and October, with the hottest month being August.
The island experiences relatively little rainfall, making it a great destination if you are looking to escape the wetter climates of northern Europe.
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2. The Coliving Options
There are two main coliving spaces in and around Palma and these are ‘Palma Coliving’ and ‘Bedndesk’
i) BedNDesk
BedNdesk is in the Bay of Palma and is in the town of Arenal and this is around 15km and about a 20 – 30 drive (depending on the traffic) from Palma city center.
You can usually catch bus number 23 or 25 from the seafront. The bus fare is only Euros 2 one-way and the trip always took us about 25 minutes.
I naively thought that BednDesk was walkable to Palma centre before we went to Palma.
Having looked at Google Maps I thought BedndDesk would be walkable, i.e. just one long beach walk (before I realized it is 15 km away).
Well – in truth you can walk from Arenal to the center of Palma but it would take you 3 to 4 hours and is not something you would do on a regular basis such as when attending digital nomad meetups in Palma.
Coworking Space
We found the coworking space to be sufficient as there are several desks in the main downstairs area.
It is a bit dark in terms of natural light but this tends to be normal in many coworking spaces and like in many offices.
The WiFi was high-speed as promised and there are large computer screens you can also use if you wish to, by attaching your laptop (they have cables there).
The Social
On the website, it does mention that there are “weekly events (for)… everyone in the community”.
Unfortunately (at least during the two weeks we stayed) there were no organized events, i.e. it is left to you to organize events with the other co-living residents if you wish to.
There is, in other words, no happiness manager (given that this is only a 4-bedroom coliving), and Oscar the owner is rarely there.
When we stayed there three of the four rooms were filled with people who said that they normally stay in AirBNBs and preferred their own living space rather than coliving.
The situation is that, because prices are so high in Palma during the busy season, some visitors were using the coliving space as a cheaper alternative to other accommodation types.
So they were very friendly but less interested in socializing than you would experience in many other co-living spaces such as what we experienced in Mozart House & The Roof in Las Palmas and in Bansko, Bulgaria.
From talking to others who have also stayed at BedNDesk though, many people have stayed when other cool people were there and they’ve had a great time (hence the great reviews BedNDesk gets on Google Reviews).
Pros
- If cost is your prime consideration, then Bedndesk is perfect
- It is literally a one-minute walk to the beach so, if going onto the beach every day and watching the sunset is your thing, this might be the place for you.
- Internet speed is very good
- The owner Oscar is especially friendly and helpful and good to deal with
Cons
- Do remember that this is a co-living space with only 4 rooms, so there is a limit to how many people you will meet here at one time.
- It’s in a very touristy area where German and Dutch tourists come for what is known as Ballermann (party time).
- It’s not really in Palma center and so you need to make a real effort to go to digital nomad events in Palma from Arenal.
You can find BednDesk here on their website.
ii) Palma Coliving
Palma Coliving is really a very different experience from BednDesk in that it is in Palma center (but not near a long and beautiful beach like Bedndesk is) and it is much more expensive but much more social.
Stays at Palma Coliving, especially if you are a couple, is actually really on the high side for a coliving space.
If you have spent any time in coliving places in Bansko (Bulgaria), Bali, or even Gran Canaria, you might find Palma Coliving too expensive.
Feedback from Matthieu, Co-Founder of Palma Coliving:
“If you are traveling solo you can pay an annual membership EUR 195 to get a discount for all https://palmacoliving.co/ destinations.
You can view our membership option here. You can stay for as low as EUR1150 a month (summer price).
For a couple, it’s +30% for the second person who shares the room, hence it starts from EUR 1729 (summer price) with the membership option.
Coworking Space
- There are plenty of areas and spaces to work in the Palma co-living house.
- The WiFi is also fast and perfectly fine for whatever type of online work you do.
The Social
In essence, you pay more at this co-living because you get great social events and organization.
So, if socializing and meeting others every day is important for you in your coliving and digital nomad experience, then Palma Co-living might work well for you.
Events they organize every week include:
- Group meal/dining
- Monday morning breakfast and networking event
- Ping pong (table tennis) competition
- Yoga
- A range of other activities with something happening every day
You can learn more about Palma Coliving here.
3. Networking and Getting Connected
Before arriving in Palma, you probably will not be aware of these groups (you are now though).
These groups are often spread via word-of-mouth and offer you a better chance to network and find accommodation etc. in the city.
i) Palma Digital Nomads Meetup
ii) Palma House/Sharing Group
Because of the difficulty to find affordable coliving in Palma and because it is much more practical if staying longer term, many digital nomads move from the coliving spaces and then into shared accommodation with other nomads after one month.
And this group, the Palma Housing/Shared Flat WhatsApp Group is set up especially to bring digital nomads together in Palma (a group created by the team at PalmaColiving.co to support the co-housing, in addition to their coliving)
iii) Volleyball Palma/Palmanova WhatsApp Group
This is another WhatsApp group you can join as a digital nomad if you want to meet others and also have the chance to play volleyball on the beach.
iv) Living & Working in Mallorca Facebook Group
Another group worth joining to keep an eye on social, accommodation, work, and a bunch of other stuff to do with Palma and other parts of Mallorca, is to join the Living and Working in Mallorca Facebook Group.
v) Events & Social Life Group
There is also the Digital Nomads Mallorca Events & Social Life Group on Facebook that is worth joining (run by palmacoliving.co).
vi) Mallorca Telegram Group
This is a Telegram group for those of you who like to use Telegram.
Here you can find the info for the weekly Tuesday meetup, where you can meet other digital nomads.
This event is quite popular in town all year round and is provided by Palmacoliving.co who support and help you to connect to the local community.
You can find this group here
4. Coworking Spaces in Palma
If you are looking just for a coworking space in Palma, there are quite a few options to choose from, including these:
- Fortuny3 Coworking – Located on Carrer de Can Fortuny, this coworking space is right in the heart of the city center. It is quite small but has fast Internet access and it’s a friendly crowd.
- The Hub Mallorca – Al and the gang here are super-friendly and it’s a nice intimate and pleasant workspace in a good location.
- Palmapolitan – Run by Pilar, expect free tea and coffee and fast Internet, and another super-friendly coworking space.
5. Pros and Cons of Palma de Mallorca for Digital Nomads
If you are looking for some quick guidance and my thoughts on Palma de Mallorca, then let me give you my pros and cons here right now.
Pros
- Plenty of summer sun and access to the beaches
- Fairly easy to get to with Palma International airport just a 15-minute drive to downtown Palma.
Cons
- Too expensive – Palma is really quite expensive compared to other locations in Spain. You can find good places to stay in Las Palmas (Canary Islands), for example, far cheaper and much more easily and there’s a tonne more going on in Las Palmas for digital nomads.
- There is a real lack of choice when it comes to coliving spaces in Palma and the surrounding area.
Palma de Mallorca Travel Resources
I have been traveling for many years and have come to use a lot of travel sites and resources for booking my trips. They represent the companies that I often use and have served me well and they are the first ones I use when booking new trips.
- Booking.com – they tend to provide very competitive prices and the reviews are easy to view, and they normally have something available wherever in the world I am going to. They also now provide airport transfers, local attractions, and flights.
- Safety Wing Travel Insurance – Safety Wing has become one of the leaders in travel insurance, especially for remote workers and digital nomads as they provide cover that includes for long-term stays.
- Get Your Guide – is the site on which I normally book tours (I love to visit the local sports stadia, aquarium, royal palace, and some cultural attractions). With get Your Guide they have excellent customer support and have a wide range of tours.
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