Best Locations to Work from In The Winter

If there’s one thing that can be said with certainty, it’s that the world has gone through a remote work revolution - and it’s here to stay. Remote work gives people the luxury of living anywhere they want. Why limit your workspace to the walls of your hometown apartment when you can travel and work all year round? As a remote worker, the world is your oyster when it comes to finding the best locations to work from this winter.

If you have always dreamed about exploring the world without having to worry about returning home to your job, remote work makes it possible. You might wonder: why travel somewhere if you still have to work? Doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of traveling?

The answer is quite simple. While you’re not exactly on holiday, a new workstation gives you a fantastic chance to break from routine, enjoy a change of scenery, and make incredible memories on your days off - all while your income keeps flowing.

Generally, there’s no right or wrong way to live as a digital nomad. However, anyone considering this lifestyle should take a few practical things into account:

1. What kind of schedule your work demands (and the time zone overlap with your team or clients)
2. Internet speed and reliability at your destination
3. Taxes, visas, and the cost of living

The digital nomad lifestyle is not all rainbows and sunshine. As glamorous as it seems on social media, there are challenges to face: occasional loneliness, visa paperwork, and the feeling of never quite having a home base. With the right mindset, though, these are just bumps on the road.

By far the most underestimated challenge is staying safe online. When you work from cafés, coworking spaces, hotels, and airports, you connect through networks you don’t control and can’t trust. Strong unique passwords, up-to-date software, two-factor authentication, and a VPN from a reputable provider such as Le VPN are not optional extras for a nomad - they’re the basic toolkit.

#1 Spain

Multiple things make Spain one of the most popular destinations for remote workers seeking winter refuge. For starters, the Canary Islands enjoy mild, spring-like weather in January while most of Europe shivers. Living costs remain reasonable by Western European standards, and Spain’s time zone makes it easy to keep working hours that overlap with clients in both the EU and, with a little planning, the US East Coast.

Beyond logistics, Spain offers endless culture, music, and phenomenal food. Whether you settle in Las Palmas, Valencia, Málaga, or Barcelona, you will not have a dull moment.

#2 New Zealand

Here’s the trick: when it’s winter in the northern hemisphere, it’s summer in New Zealand. Combining the convenience of city living with breathtaking surrounding nature, New Zealand offers digital nomads the best of both worlds. If your job pays well and you’re ready to splurge a little, Auckland is a city with endless options for lovers of art, food, adventure, and the outdoors - with warm January days as a bonus.

If you’re after something a bit cheaper that still shows off New Zealand’s beauty, consider Wellington. The compact, walkable capital has a thriving café and tech scene, and it’s a very safe place to live.

#3 Portugal

With the infrastructure and amenities of a major European capital combined with affordable prices and a mild climate, Lisbon has been one of the original remote-work winter destinations for years. The city offers fast internet, a huge international nomad community, and winter temperatures that rarely require more than a light jacket. Living costs, while rising, remain gentler than in most Western European capitals - and Porto or Madeira offer similar charm for less.

#4 Argentina

People who have visited Buenos Aires often rank it as their favorite city, and rightfully so. With its mix of South American music, culture, café life, and food - plus full summer weather in January - there’s not much bad to say about it. One thing to plan around is connectivity: internet quality varies a lot by neighborhood and building. If you visit Argentina while working, check the connection before booking accommodation and consider carrying a portable Wi-Fi hotspot or a generous mobile data plan as a backup.

#5 Costa Rica

If you want to get away from it all while still being able to reach clients on a decent connection, Costa Rica is the right place. Conveniently, the dry season runs from mid-December to April - exactly when you’d want to escape winter. Famous for beaches, jungle, mountains, and wildlife, Costa Rica is perfect for outdoor lovers, the cost of living is affordable, and its time zone lines up neatly with North American business hours.

Stay Secure Wherever You Set Up Your Laptop

Whichever destination you choose, the one constant is that you’ll be working over networks you don’t control. That’s why a VPN belongs at the top of every nomad’s packing list:

• Encryption on untrusted Wi-Fi. A VPN encrypts everything between your device and the VPN server, so nobody on a shared café or hotel network can snoop on your work traffic.
• Access to services from home. Banks, government portals, and streaming services often block or flag foreign connections. Connecting through a server in your home country - Le VPN offers servers in 100+ locations - lets you appear right back home.
• All your devices covered. One Le VPN account protects up to 10 devices simultaneously - laptop, phone, and tablet - with apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, and modern protocols including WireGuard for fast connections on any network.

Conclusion

There are many things to weigh when choosing the best location to work from in the winter - weather, cost, time zones, and community. But the most important one is safety, both physical and digital. No matter which city you pick, use a VPN from a trustworthy provider such as Le VPN to protect your connection and keep your online identity private every step of the way. And with a 30-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase, you can try it risk-free before your flight even takes off.