Fernando Raymond
Looking for the best Greek island to remote work as a digital nomad?
In this post I will share my first-hand experience living and working from Crete.
The Mediterranean island of Crete is the biggest Island in Greece that has a lot to offer such as fantastic places to stay and work from with the convenience of breakfast included or even lunch and dinner, so you can fully focus on your work (and you’re better off renting a car here to remain as flexible as possible).
Plus, most also offer leisure facilities such as swimming pools, gyms, tennis courts, yoga etc. One of the best for me are the all inclusive resorts.
The Filion Resort & Spa near the famous Bali Beach was awesome. Situated in the mountains, yet about a 10 minute drive away from the beach, you can book a whole apartment with a terrace including food and drink all day. Every day you have access to an incredibly versatile buffet in the morning, for lunch and dinner plus snacks and drinks to go. You can choose from healthy salads and fruit platters, meats, eggs, and other Mediterranean dishes plus of course the usual continental type foods.
So, overall good food for a decent price (excluding the main season in July, August) – best to go in April, May, early June and from end of September to October or November, outside of the main season. You’ll face fewer tourists and lower prices then. This resort offers free Wi-Fi access throughout all areas so you can work from the pool area or the bar where you have access to free drinks and snacks all day. You can of course also work from you room or apartment, if you prefer a more quiet workplace.
The Filion Resort and Spa in the Bali fishing village area in Crete was a great deal. You can get a 4 bedroom apartment for up to 9 people all inclusive for £110 per night. Good for group stays, staff meetings and digital nomad meetup and for being active.
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If you land at Chania Airport then finding an accommodation around there is recommended for the first few days as you’ll be able to explore this beautiful part of the island without having to travel far. About 8 km from the airport I found Alianthos Suites in Tersanas near Chania and it situated near the coast so you can get stunning views out to the sea here plus a great breakfast buffet included and access to a pool and tennis court with sea views.
The whole property has free Wi-Fi access available, however, some rooms appeared to have a lower signal than others, so you best let the team there know that you require a good Internet connection when booking. But in the communal areas the signal was fine and you can work from there with a stunning view out to the sea and the mountains.
If you prefer a whole apartment for self-catering, then the Nostalgia Villas will be for you. Attractive prices for a great space catering to up to 8 people with fabulous views is what you get here plus access to a swimming pool and nearby caves and beaches you can reach by hiking for around 10 minutes.
You’ll also have a fully equipped kitchen and a washing machine and the surrounding area is quiet and calm. You can buy fresh fish and ingredients at nearby supermarkets and cook your own meals, if you follow a specific diet for example. And it’s great for hiking with nearby Stavros.
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The Nostalgia Villas property consists of 4 villas altogether, so you could invite family, friends or colleagues and rent out the whole property to use together at affordable rates especially outside of the main season.
For digital nomads and remote workers who prefer a buzzing town and the luxury lifestyle, you can check out the city of Rethimnon between the capital Heraklion and Chania. Here you can find everything from water sports activities such as jet skiing to bars and clubs and a nice shopping area in the heart of the town.
To treat yourself you can book a nice and modern hotel room at the Theartemis Hotel near the main beach. It offers indoor and outdoor pools, a gym, massage chairs and a spa and the buffet there is extensive with fantastic service. No need to mention that the Wi-Fi was speedy and solid throughout the hotel.
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For the ultimate luxury experience, especially for digital nomads who prefer a quiet and calm stay for adults only, the Minos Ambassador Suites are a MUST. Expect a stunning apartment with all mod-cons that you can wish for and an incredibly comfortable bed.
The infinity pool with views of the city and sea was the cherry on the top here and you can work from the roof terrace conveniently while ordering drinks or food from the bar.
For the breakfast and dinner you will not miss a thing with high-quality meats and fish freshly cooked plus delicious and fresh salads, fruits, vegetables and typical Cretan dishes such as fried aubergines, octopus salad and tasty sweet treats such as baklava and different cakes and deserts. Plus the incredibly attentive service of the hotel staff always at hand. You can also access the gym and indoor pool or sauna and hammam for additional wellness and relaxation after work.
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Moving on the east of the island, the Miramare Resort and Spa hotel in Crete in Agios Nikolaos is certainly recommendable.
The picturesque town with stunning sea views and a lake is only a 10 minute walk away from the resort, offering many beachfront fish restaurants to enjoy. However, the resort is so vast, you can swim in 3 huge different pools here, enjoy a big breakfast buffet in the morning with gorgeous views out to the surrounding mountains and sea.
You’ll also have access to the gym and tennis courts. However, the beaches here are not as impressive as on the western side of the island where you can find many white sandy beaches with clear water great for swimming and snorkelling. But the Wi-Fi was solid throughout the whole resort, but the service could be improved.
Overall Crete provides a great coastline with many beaches to swim and relax with public showers, toilets and changing facilities which are usually well maintained and clean. Plus, you’ll always find a little tavern or kiosk to buy refreshments.
Heading back to the western part of Crete the Almirida Bay Resort is a good stopover in the cute town of Almiryda. It isn’t the best hotel room or service experience here, however the pool is good to do a long stretch of swimming and the tennis court is decent.
For the best beaches you should head to Kissamos in Crete where I stayed at the modern Christina Hotel offering a spacious hotel room with a kitchenette and a lovely pool area and lounge with views to the sea. However the bed could be better🙂 from here you can easily reach the stunning Falasarna beach which I felt is one of the best beaches I’ve been to, swimming in the clear waters seeing the white sands and local fish.
Working from the Christina Hotel is good with sea views and a good internet connection. No downtime and also the 4G connections for mobile were at full signal throughout the hotel and outdoors. The pool at the Christina Hotel is great for a super morning and some Yoga by the pool side. 2.8 meters deep pool and small diving board is there.
From the Christina hotel drive to the Elafonissi beach in about an hour – it is an amazing beach to see with turquoise and pink colours. More details and images at https://www.greeka.com/crete/chania/beaches/elafonisi/ and also https://www.cretanbeaches.com/en/sea-tourism/west-crete-beaches/elafonissi-beach
With that being said, I will be going back to Crete and the island will be one of my tops choices for remote working as a digital nomad. I have some plans for the Smart Island show and digital tribe of 100 digitally inspired people to travel each year with me to Crete.
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