Guatemala is hot as a backpacking destination. Great news: you can easily linger a little longer here. Antigua has everything you’re looking for in a remote work destination. From coffee shops with fast wifi to cool activities for after work. Dieuwertje is a freelance creative copywriter and shares her tips on this unique destination for your remote adventure.
And we’re not going home yet, not by a long shot
Staying abroad even longer? Yes please. I fully embrace working remotely and have already completed many remote trips. From a work station with thirty colleagues in Valencia to Bologna on my own because I feel like the sun. I often extend my travels by adding a workation to them. That was also the plan in Guatemala. After a month of traveling with two girlfriends, I waved them goodbye and started a new part of the journey for me. My very first weeks as a full-time freelancer started in Central America. Ultimate freedom in every way!
Meeting deadlines with a view of a volcano
Antigua is about a 45-minutes drive from Guatemala City, the place where your plane lands. It is a small town full of colorful streets and colonial buildings. Antigua is at an altitude of 1,500 meters, so it’s never scorching hot. That’s nice for productivity anyway.
Guatemala has 37 visible volcanoes, and the most impressive is near Antigua. You get the picture: the place is crawling with rooftops. The Fuego erupts almost every 10 minutes and you admire each eruption from your workstation. Insane! This alone makes Guatemala a great place for digital nomads. Below are laptop-proof workplaces and practical tips for your work adventure.
Top 8 workplaces in Antigua
In these cafes you tap away undisturbed. They are fine places to work where you can be a digital nomad.
Café Bohème: You can see that volcanic eruption I mentioned earlier from the rooftop terrace of Café Bohème. I haven’t been here normally many times. Delicious breakfasts (tip: get the cocoa bowl!), iced coffee and plenty of places to sit and work for hours. That spewing volcano remains magical!
Union Cafe: Cozy hot spot with lots of healthy options on the menu. Despite the Instagram vibes, it’s always quiet enough here to get nice work done. There were even people sitting in meetings!
Alegria Café: Alegria Café is around the corner from Parque Central in Antigua. A colorful, cozy place with good wifi. Sip on the tastiest Guatemalan coffee and your work will do itself.
Cafe Cafe Guatemala: The very best thing about remote work, as far as I’m concerned, is also trying as many breakfasts and cakes as possible. Then sometimes you also crave something healthy. At Cafe Cafe Guatemala you will find many delicious options that also have some vitamins.
Café Condesa: This place can be a little crowded at times, but it feels just a little less hip than other workplaces. And that’s sometimes welcome, too. Pluses: you sit here nice and outdoors. Walk all the way to the back and find a nice spot in the shade or in the sun. Also treat yourself to something sweet, everything in the display case looks sooo delicious.
Socialtel Antigua: At Socialtel Antigua (formerly Selina), you can co-work for a flat daily fee. You get access to a separate work area where there are no partying travelers. Peace of mind guaranteed! Socialtel is also a super good place to meet people, as the hostel organizes a lot. Need a little more privacy? Many private rooms here have a desk and the wifi is super fast. Great for a busy banging day full of meetings.
Fridas: Secretly this is more of a restaurant, but even with a laptop you won’t be turned away. I tested it out for you! Fridas has the very best tacos in Antigua. At night there is sometimes a line, so smart nomads hop in here for a nice lunch.
Practical tips for your remote adventure
- Plan your meetings conveniently. Personally, I don’t always like meetings from a coffee shop, especially if they are meetings with new clients. That’s why I schedule them very early in the morning (from my hotel room). Or I scheduled them all in one day and made sure I was in a quiet workplace or hotel room with a desk.
- Get an e-sim card. That way you can be sure you have internet in case of an emergency. In all the coffee shops in Antigua the wifi is pretty good though! And free.
- Pick your sleeping spots smartly. Some hotel rooms have desks (Socialtel) or large common areas where you can also work.
- Get a good setup. A power bank can be handy for places with few outlets. A lightweight laptop stand will prevent headaches. You can get them for as little as a tenner!
What about after working hours?
That’s very easy. Laptop off, hiking boots on! In the vicinity of Antigua you will find many fat hikes and in the town itself there is also plenty to do.
- Sample beers on the rooftop terrace of Antigua Brewery Co.
- Climb Volcano Acatenango (and be sure to include the Fuego!).
- As a warm-up, also do the hike to the Pacaya volcano, which is quite short
- Get your hard-working shoulders massaged at, say, Y’SPA (and don’t succumb to the mediocre spas that are massively flyered for)
- Stroll past all the colonial buildings in the city
- Visit the chocolate factory just outside Antigua
- Take a weekend to Lake Atitlan for your dose of zen
- Read a book on one of the many rooftops
Just put Antigua in your calendar
If you love variety, Antigua is totally your destination. You can work (ánd eat) in a different place every day, but also experience the cozy atmosphere of a small town. On weekends you can get out into nature. It is an ideal place if you want to work remotely in Central America. Enjoy!
More tips on unique remote working destinations:
Remote werken in Marokko: de ultieme gids voor digital nomads
