Camille Besnier is a Frenchwoman and freelance graphic designer who found in Colombia the best place to enjoy both of her passions: work and travel.
“I came to Colombia in 2014 with two friends from Paris. I really liked the country, its culture, its food and people. I arrived in Bogota two months ago for vacation, I have visited the Zipaquirá’s Salt Cathedral and Villa de Leyva, but I continue working for my clients in France. I just need a computer and an Internet connection to do my job”, she says.
Like her, many foreigners have come to the country to enjoy a comfortable and practical lifestyle that allows them to do their job remotely, and get to know Colombia at the same time.
Medellin and Bogota, the best cities for digital nomads
Medellin, Colombia, awarded in 2013 as “Innovative City of the Year” by The Wall Street Journal, is well known for its warm climate, beautiful mountains, lush nature, great transport system, low cost of living and unique culture.
It’s also known for its coworking areas and availability of free wifi in public areas and several coffees stores and restaurants. Countless tourist attractions help that position the capital of Antioquia as one of the 10 best destinations for digital nomads, alongside cities such as London, Berlin and San Francisco.
Bogotá, Colombia is a great example too. The capital of Colombia is the cultural and economic center of the country, a cosmopolitan city that allows travelers to enjoy a varied gastronomic offer, attractive nightlife, shopping, business centers and work remotely in coworking spaces.
Two different cities that capture the same essence, as they have all the comforts of a great major city, wide-ranging access to wifi, different spaces for remote work, and places specially designed to work in a comfortable and pleasant way.
Likewise, thanks to the connectivity of the airports in Colombia, it is very easy to move from one city to another quickly. For this reason, if you’re a digital nomad you can take advantage of your stay to explore the country. For example, you can work in Medellin or Bogota and enjoy the weekend in Cartagena, Cali, Bucaramanga or another Colombian city.
Tips for a digital nomad in Colombia
- Share an apartment with a community of entrepreneurs. This will allow you to adapt better during your first months in the country, and at the same time will make your digital nomad community bigger. There are different web sites to access the offer of shared apartments in different Colombian cities.
- Take a look to the offer of coworking spaces or shared offices – places where different people come together to work, sharing a table and space. As a digital nomad,[LA1] this will allow you to meet other people, with whom you will share the same lifestyle and make new friends. Some of the options available in Colombia are Selina, Regus, WeWork, Owlo, Tinkko and Spaces, among others.
- Choose the city where you will set up your remote office. If you love the beach and sea sports you’ll enjoy living in Cartagena or Santa Marta; if you like music and nightlife, you’ll love Cali or Medellin; and if you prefer big cities, you should be based in Bogota.
- Continue to invest in your work and training tools. Whether it’s to further your business, or to continue your own learning and studying, according to your interests. For example, use of education platforms such as Platzi, created by Colombian -CEO Freddy Vega.
- Choose a new way to work remotely. Find new ways to stay in touch with other professionals and companies in your industry. For example, you can try the new professional network for remote and flexible work, called Torre, a Colombian started by Alexander Torrenegra, also an investor of Sony’s television program Shark Tank Colombia.
Startup boosts visa for digital nomads in Colombia
World Tech, a startup well known in programming bootcamps in Latin America, created ePioneers, the first community for digital nomads and remote workers in the region. Inspired by the work of Estonian eResidency, the startup has worked in its new service branch since March 2020, partnering with private and public sector partners. The initiative is expected to facilitate the arrival of at least 45,000 digital nomads to the country in the first 18 months.
Become a digital nomad and enjoy a lifestyle that combines technology and traveling in Colombia, a country that has it all.
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