Have you ever considered moving to a buzzing city in Portugal to push your business idea while still enjoying a good lifestyle? If so, Porto may just be the perfect location for you as it offers a mix of history, lifestyle and a booming startup community.
Porto is located is the northern coast of Portugal and you may know its name from the famous Port wine. Yet the history of the city dates back to roman times and as a result of an intense commercial activity it developed quickly throughout the centuries. You can still admire the medieval quarter and the impressive historical monuments. For all this, the city deserved the classification of World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.
In recent years, its industrial and commercial background fostered a vibrant startup community and consequently the appearance of many co-working spaces. Here are some of best coworking spaces of the city for you to consider your next move:
Porto i/o is a major reference among the coworking spaces in the city. It all started with the renovation of a building in downtown, resorting only to the work of local architects, builders and carpenters. Porto i/o regularly hosts events, creating a sense of community and offering a perfect mix of location, space and partnerships. Porto i/o has two different coworking spaces: one is located in the historical centre of Porto, and the another sits by the river side, with fabulous views over the Douro River. 24/7 access is guaranteed for those who decide to have a longer stay.
Address: Rua Cândido dos Reis, 81 and Rua do Infante Dom Henrique, 73
Prices: Range from €12,50 (per day desk) to €130 (monthly workspace)
OPO Lab: This coworking space opened in 2010 with a clear focus in the areas of Design, Marketing, Digital Fabrication, Architecture and Engineering. Its mission is to sensibilize the general population to the benefits of the use of digital technologies, help them materialize their ideas into locally produced products and boost the local economy. It has a Fab Lab fully equipped with 2D CNC / 3D CNC machines and many other equipment. Furthermore, it offers creative consultancy with professionals specialized in areas such as computer aided design, digital manufacturing, electronics and multimedia tools. So, if you are in the creative industry, check this coworking space.
Address: Rua D. João IV, 643
Prices: Start at €10 per day
CRU – Cowork: The CRU Coworking is another interesting space for creative industries freelancers as it operates both as a coworking office and an urban design store. CRU Coworking provides the usual facilities of other coworking spaces, as well as photo studios and a screen-printing workshop, attracting photographers, handcrafters and illustrators/designers. And because it is located near the famous Rua Miguel Bombarda, known as the “Art Street” or the Port Art District, it offers a unique environment for creators, artists and entrepreneurs.
Address: Rua do Rosário, 211
Prices: Monthly prices range from €40 to €130
Typographia Cowork: This coworking space is very popular as it offers a great location and quite large areas that make it perfect for people who prefer to work in a more relaxed and quiet atmosphere. Typographia is more than an office, it is a space for sharing knowledge and a reflection of the city and its recent dynamics of social and economic regeneration. It is located in Cordoaria, a century’s old building in the heart of the Historic Centre, offering a dedicated area for meals, lounge area, communal spaces and an outdoor patio with a privileged scenario of inspiration and contemplation of the city.
Address: Campo Mártires da Pátria, 144-A
Prices: Prices start at €25 and go up to €115
Facts Coworking offers an excellent location, next to the metro station of Casa da Música. It is ideal for those who prefer to stay away from the downtown bustle. This coworking office has a meeting room, a kitchen that doubles as a lounge space, and also showers, which is particularly useful if you bike to work or like to go to the gym during lunch time. In addition, there is a ping pong table for those times when you really need a break. Additionally, they have free coffee so check them out.
Address: Rua 5 de Outubro, 156
Prices: Prices from €12/day
Cool.Office: If you are interested in coworking spaces outside the city centre, Cool.office is a great option. It is located between Antas and Areosa neighbourhoods, with easy access for those who come by car but also for those who arrive by public transportation. Set in a historical building, it was totally refurbished and it aims at entrepreneurs, freelancers and small companies. It is located near the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Economics, so you also get some student vibe. It regularly organizes workshops and has a full calendar of events that range from photography to drawing.
Address: Rua de Costa Cabral 2075
Prices: Starting from €8 per day
Uptown Guest Office: If you are looking for a quieter and relaxed space, the Uptown Guest Office combines the ambience of a coworking with the intimacy of a private office. It is located in the heart of the city and it aims to provide a certain peace of mind and quality of life to its users. So the mission of the Uptown Guest Office is to provide the quality of a private office combined with a very intimate environment. And you even have some extra services, such as the possibility of the use of the showers.
Address: Rua Sá da Bandeira 612
Prices: Longer stays are preferred so check the available spaces and get a quote.
Muratto Open Space Porto: Muratto is a design company that offers an open space tailored for designers, architects, and artists. With an irreverent, stylish and comfortable environment, it is a space for creation, communication and cooperation. It offers different areas within the open working space that have been carefully designed and decorated with materials of the Muratto brand and partners.
Address: Rua Pedro Homem de Melo 242
Prices: Prices, starting as low as €3.50/day
WOW – Work On Wood is a space with a differentiating philosophy and it can be considered an “Interpretation Centre of Wood”. It is a generator of solutions and contents, with a concept that was born from the careful listening of all the different audiences involved, throughout the 15 months of its construction. Finsa, as a reference company in the industrial timber sector, has taken on the challenge and a didactic responsibility, proposing to provide content, knowledge and to generate dynamics of cultural impact of evident interest to its sector of activity. Ran in partnership with NOW_ In Office Work, this is a unique space fordesigners, stylists, decorators, makers and the general public. A concept where the environment and the dynamic is different from all other coworking spaces.
Address: Bairro do Amial, Estrada da Circunvalação 9543
Prices: Monthly prices start at €150
Office Lab: Just on the other side of the river, you’ll find Gaia and the famous Port wine caves. Office Lab is located there but it is easily reachable by metro and train, and you’ll find a large and modern coworking space and a full set of services. The team behind Office Lab offers assistance and allows further support and spaces as your company grows.
Address: Rua Dr. Ferreira De Macedo 42
Prices: Monthly prices start at 103€
You can find many more options in Porto so pack your office and enjoy the sun and the city. Check all the essential info about it in this cool interactive map created by Scale Up Porto.