Barcelona is becoming a central hive of activity for startups, freelancers, entrepreneurs and digital nomads. It’s one of the top destinations in Europe and even worldwide if you fall within those categories.

Since the city hosts so many entrepreneurial minds it is no wonder that one can find several groups and meetups which can serve as a hotbed for networking as well as making new friends.

If you’re new in Barcelona or new to the networking scene in general, here are a few of the best groups and meetups that are currently active in this city:

Facebook Groups

Barcelona Entrepreneurs and Digital Nomads – One of the biggest groups on Facebook for Barcelona-based entrepreneurs and digital nomads. Recommended for the asking questions about the city, coworking spaces, good cafes, etc.

Meetup Groups

Startup Grind – This is the best entrepreneur meetup in Barcelona in my opinion. It’s very well organised with monthly events featuring high calibre speakers. If you’re into startups this is an essential meetup. Startup Grind is an international organisation and this is the local Barcelona chapter of this organisation.

Digital People Barcelona – This is the number one meetup for digital nomads in Barcelona. Frequent meetups with guest speakers covering interesting topics as well as coworking days and coworkations (yes that’s a thing!).

Barcelona Freelancer Meetup – Regular get-togethers (coworking, drinks, lunches, events) for freelancers, entrepreneurs, developers, writers, bloggers, digital nomads, designers.

Creative & Digital Freelancers in Barcelona – A group that is quite focused on social events and hence a bit more laid back than some of the other groups. Great if you’re new to Barcelona and want to make friends.

Digital Autonomo – Great if you’re well established as a digital nomad or online worker and want some tactical advice to move your business forward.

Looking to save some money and buy second-hand items in Spain? These are the top sites to check out:

• Wallapop.com
• Wallyboo.com – rent or buy second-hand kids’ items in Spain
• Mitrastero.org
• Vibbo.com
• Casinuevo.net
• Tablondeanuncios.net
• Ebay.es
• Anuncios.es
• Re-read.com
• Todocoleccion.net
• Coches.net

If you want to save money but buy new instead, check out my favorite online shops in Spain.

Have I missed out on your favourite second-hand items site? Let me know in the comments section.

After spending several years traveling as a digital nomad in search for an ideal place to settle in, our choice fell on Barcelona.

I think it’s one of the best destinations in Europe for online entrepreneurs, lifestyle designers and freelancers.

This is a subjective post as every traveler and online worker has his own needs and requirements from a place; Barcelona just happens to fit mine like a glove. Here’s why. I will list both positives and negatives. People tend to criticise me for looking negatively at countries or cultures, but I only try to be realistic. If I choose to live here it isn’t because I think everything is perfect, but because the good things outweigh the bad ones in a significant way. That doesn’t mean that I’ll adopt their bad habits myself though nor do I stop wishing that they would change over time.

The Good

Sport is in Barcelona’s DNA

Barcelona is a city where sport is held in very high regard. You can easily practice any kind of group sports, and there are great locations for individual sports too. Do you love running? You have the hills and mountains all to yourself, not to mention the seaside promenade. Beach volley, check. Football, check. Cycling, awesome. Padel, of course! Swimming? At many gyms all year round or in the sea. The list never ends. The only problem I have is deciding what sport to practice!

A big chunk of Barcelona owes its origins to the Barcelona Olympic games in 1992, and today one can still feel that ambiance pervade the city. There are many gyms to choose from at all price ranges, with many of them having an indoor pool. The topology of the city also presents natural invitations to practice sport. There are some awesome hills and mountains to climb if you’re into cycling, or you can head to the beaches for a swim or try your hand at SUP.

When I arrived in Barcelona I also fell in love with padel, and this city, along with Madrid, is the top place to be for any padel amateur or pro player.

One can also find several apps designed to help people access many gyms and sports facilities for one monthly price, which is very convenient.

I don’t need to mention that Barcelona is home to one of the most famous football clubs in the world, Barcelona FC.

[Read more…]

Update 2021: This article was originally written in 2012, and some things have changed since then. I’m leaving this post online as a record of my thoughts back then, but please do further research if you’re interested in Malta as a digital nomad destination. One positive development has been the launch of the digital nomad visa. Whether this is successful long-term is anyone’s guess, but you should definitely have a look if you’re a non-EU citizen.

When embarking on the journey to become a digital nomad, one of the first things we search for is a great place to relocate to. Deciding to become a digital nomad is, often, a direct consequence of a wish to travel and discover the world, and get a break from your familiar surroundings.

As working as a digital nomad becomes more fashionable, we can see a certain list of countries establishing themselves as ideal locations, due to various factors.

Here are some of the cities/countries most cited by bloggers and digital nomads:

• Chiang Mai – Thailand
• Berlin – Germany
• Buenos Aires – Argentina
• Medellin – Colombia
• Davao City – Philippines
• Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam
• Barcelona – Spain

The clear trend is that of moving to places which give you better value for money and an immersion into a new culture. You will seldom find cities in the US or Europe mentioned as ideal choices for a location independent lifestyle, largely because they are too expensive, or they are not deemed to be exotic enough.

Today I am going to bring you one more destination, a place which has been largely overlooked by digital nomads and location independent workers. I strongly believe that Malta is an almost perfect location and has been a well-guarded secret for far too long.

[Read more…]