Serviced Offices & Coworking Spaces Portugal

Founded in the 12th century, Portugal is a country located in Southern Europe, bordered by Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. It played a leading role in the great European discoveries. In recent years, it has become Europe's leading destination for tourists, attracted by its varied landscapes and rich culture. If you're thinking of setting up your business in a European country, Portugal is an excellent destination. The country's architecture offers many advantages for business promoters. Find out more about Portugal's most beautiful cities and the country's coworking market!

What are Portugal's most beautiful cities?

Portugal currently boasts over 150 officially recognized cities. The most emblematic are Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, Azenhas do Mar, Evora, Guimarães and Braga.

Lisbon

Nicknamed "the city of many hills", Lisbon is the capital of Portugal. It's a popular destination for nature and water lovers. Indeed, Lisbon is located by the sea. Many people like to go there to :

• admire its beautiful cobbled streets ;
• savour its rich and varied gastronomy;
• discover its remarkable cultural wealth.

Lisbon is one of the capitals with the lowest level of insecurity in Europe. This explains why it is so favored by entrepreneurs traveling with their families.

Porto

Porto is Portugal's most popular city after Lisbon. Every year, it records one of the highest rates of tourism in the country. Here, you can stroll along the banks of the Douro River or visit the Lello bookshop.

Sintra

Sintra is the city of a thousand wonders. Time would certainly not suffice to explore them all in detail. Nevertheless, to say the least, Sintra is home to many renowned historical sites, such as the Pena and Regaleira palaces. The Moorish castle is also a beautiful building to visit in this fabulous Portuguese town.

Azenhas do Mar

Located less than 45 minutes from Lisbon, Azenhas do Mar belongs to the municipality of Sintra. It's a small fishing village built on top of a cliff. It's also a great place to live. If you rent a coworking space here, you'll enjoy superb ocean views. You'll also find restaurants serving tasty local specialties.

Evora

Evora is over an hour from Lisbon. Nicknamed the "museum city", it fascinates tourists with its charm and heritage. Here you'll find emblematic tourist sites such as:

• Evora Museum ;
• the Roman temple ;
• La Chapelle des Os ;
• and Evora Cathedral.

The beauty of its city center has earned it UNESCO World Heritage status. Every year, Evora welcomes thousands of visitors who enjoy strolling through its beautiful streets.

Guimarães

Located 40 km from Porto, the city of Guimarães is known for its rich heritage. Here, you can visit the castle that bears its name. You can also contemplate the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança and admire the beauty of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira.

Historically speaking, Guimarães occupies an important place among Portuguese cities. It was here that Portugal's first ruler, Alphonse Henriques, was born. Like Evora, Guimarães is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Braga

Braga was founded by the Romans over two millennia ago. This makes it Portugal's third oldest city. Here, you can visit historic sites such as:

• the Palácio do Raio ;
• the Tibães monastery ;
• Braga's Sé Cathedral;
• Santa Bárbara Garden;
• the Sanctuary of the Good Jesus of Mount.

Braga is home to a large number of churches. That's why it's nicknamed "the Portuguese Rome". It also boasts one of Portugal's most beautiful historic centers.

In most of the Portuguese cities listed above, the rental process requires very little commitment. For example, you can easily rent a coworking space for an hour, a half-day, a day or a much longer period.

Coworking in Portugal

Coworking is an Anglicism that can be literally translated into French as "espace de travail partagé". Before delving into the coworking market in Portugal, it's important to look at the origins of the concept.

The origins of coworking

To trace the origins of coworking, we need to go back to the beginning of the 21st century, precisely to 2005. That's when Brad Neuberg inaugurated the first coworking space in the city of San Francisco. So, what's the state of the coworking market in Portugal?

State of the coworking market in Portugal

Since its advent in Portugal, the coworking concept has grown by leaps and bounds. The market is expanding, with more and more specialized agencies springing up. Coworking spaces are designed to perfectly meet the needs of all types of workers (entrepreneurs, freelancers or startups) looking for a better alternative to traditional offices.

In Portugal, the expansion of coworking is fueled by changing attitudes and business practices that favor collaboration, innovation and flexibility.

Coworking players in Portugal

Many players are driving the coworking market in Portugal. Some, such as Regus, WeWork, Monday and Unicorn, stand out for their age and professionalism. In Lisbon, there are major players such as Second Home. This company offers innovative and dynamic open-plan offices.

The Portuguese capital also boasts Avila Spaces, renowned for its modern facilities. Porto is home to Porto i/o. This agency provides well-appointed coworking offices tailored to the needs of start-ups and freelancers.

The main local players include LACS, Impact Hub Lisbon and Cowork Lisboa. Each stands out for its creative spaces. Whether you're looking for a flexible office or a private one, these professional rooms are sure to have a space to suit you.

What are the advantages of coworking?

The growth of coworking in Europe is not at all surprising, especially when you consider the many benefits it brings to businesses and workers alike. The major advantages of coworking are as follows.

Guaranteed flexibility

In the past, companies were accustomed to signing an office lease in order to secure permanent occupation of the workspace. Today, things have improved thanks to coworking. Agencies now offer much more flexible contracts.

Companies and workers can choose from a variety of packages. Depending on their convenience, they can occupy coworking offices on a full-time or part-time basis. This aspect is particularly beneficial for structures that make this option, in a context where they may face changes linked to environmental or economic constraints.

Affordable cost

In terms of cost, renting an office in a coworking space is far more advantageous than setting your sights on a traditional office. Very often, office rental rates include access to additional services such as:

• kitchen ;
• printing ;
• meeting room;
• unlimited connectivity.

Sometimes even networking events are included. Coworking can save you a lot of money, which is a big plus for start-ups.

An accessible professional community

Coworking gives businesses access to a dynamic professional network. They benefit from multiple networking opportunities that enable them to promote their businesses.

And that's not all. Coworking agencies regularly organize professional events such as afterwork, workshops and conferences to help members of their network learn from each other.

Improved productivity

Coworking helps workers to be much more productive. The concept creates a working environment that promotes concentration and motivation. Having people around you who are committed to their work motivates and greatly stimulates creativity.

A variety of facilities

Coworking offices are equipped with a wide range of professional facilities. In these professional workspaces, you'll find :

• scanners ;
• printers ;
• kitchen equipment.

Workers can have access to good equipment without having to invest large sums in setting up their own office.

All about corpoworking in Portugal

In recent years, you've probably heard of corpoworking, another concept that's gaining ground in Portugal.

What is corpoworking?

"Corpoworking" is a combination of the terms "corporate" and "working". The concept appears as a variation on coworking. It consists in offering workspaces to workers from the same company or to third-party professionals.

What's the difference between coworking and corpoworking?

Although there are slight similarities between the two concepts, they are very different in practice. Coworking refers to shared spaces where freelancers and small businesses work individually, taking advantage of common infrastructures.

Corpoworking, on the other hand, places particular emphasis on active collaboration between its members. It's a concept that encourages and values partnerships and joint projects.

Roughly speaking, coworking favors professional cohabitation, while corpoworking goes a step further and aims to create a collaborative environment.