Revealing Mexico’s most underrated beach destination for digital nomads

Mexico is teeming with attractive destinations that suit the liberating lifestyle of digital nomads.

Whether it’s colonial gems, massive metropolises or of course beautiful paradise beaches, digital nomads can literally ‘eeny, meeny, miny, tired’ a map of Mexico and be completely satisfied with where they end up.

According to a new insight guideThere’s one unsuspecting beach town that’s still considered a hidden gem, even for Americans craving new vacation experiences beyond Cancun and Cabo, and even more so for digital nomads who may be put off by luxury resorts along beautiful coasts, thinking it will break their tight budget.

The good news is that that is not the case.

The “Santorini of Mexico” is truly a diamond in the rough, offering an affordable lifestyle for those willing to let it go in perhaps one of the country’s best-kept secrets for foreigners looking for a new home base.

Discover Mexico’s secret whitewashed beach paradise

Put digital nomad hotspots like Puerto Escondido on the back burner and embrace the lesser known.

It’s not just regular holidaymakers who are getting tired of the same vacations, they’re also digital nomads – hence less-visited countries like Moldova are embracing the remote working craze by issuing a digital nomad visa.

As popular as Mexico may be for the aforementioned ‘nomads’, there is much more to discover than simply following like-minded crowds into already established communities.

ManzanilloConsidered the country’s ‘Santorini’ for its picturesque cityscape of whitewashed buildings along the coast, it has become a surprising base for expats with more and more digital nomads trickling in.

While fancy resorts may not appeal to most digital nomads who may be on a budget and have a freelance workload, that has long been their only claim to fame until now.

Why digital nomads will fall in love with Manzanillo

Let’s unpack why Manzanillo offers much more than the ultimate Pacific getaway for a luxury beach vacation.

Manzanillo is ready to embrace a new type of audience: those who like to live out of their suitcase with their laptop in tow.

According to Mexperience, digital nomads would fit seamlessly into what has become a growing community of expats, largely from the US and Canada.

Considering the following highlights, digital nomads will quickly realize what they’ve been missing:

• Quiet, authentic coastal town without an abundance of tourist crowds
• Low cost of living – housing and groceries much cheaper than major beach hubs
• Everyday necessities: beach cafes serving as ‘offices’, markets and affordable healthcare
• Well connected modern highways and an international airport (ZLO) serving the US and Canada
• Close to Colima (1.5 hours) and Guadalajara (4 hours) for city breaks (although Colima is a ‘Level 4’ destination according to the US Department of State)
• Modern co-working spaces such as LOCAL workplace solutions (with unlimited coffee!)

Most notably, home prices are not nearly as high as what you would expect in a beautiful resort oasis.

According to our friends at ExpatExchange“The average cost of housing in Manzanillo is usually in between $200 and $800 USD per month“.

At the higher end you can expect unparalleled ocean views for a fraction of the more popular locations which are much busier.

The bottom line is that Manzanillo is a great choice to enjoy authentic Mexican culture, top-notch food, amazing landscapes, pristine coastlines and very affordable housing – you may never want to leave!

If so, prepare to have one maximum 6 months as a standard tourist with the possibility of extension.

Addressing Manzanillo’s safety concerns

No matter your profession or what type of traveler you are, everyone wants to feel safe at night when they rest their head.

Manzanillo is a tricky one because it is a “diamond in the rough,” as mentioned earlier.

You see, Colima is a city And state in Mexico – Manzanillo is in the latter.

The US State Department essentially says all of Colima is a no-go zone due to concerns about kidnapping, crime and terrorism. exception of Manzanillo.

In their own words: “Only travel to the central tourist and port areas of Manzanillo. Primary tourist areas include the historic city center and Malecon, the Hotel Zone, the Santiago Peninsula or Las Hadas, and the Club Santiago Peninsula”.

Sam Sears

Sam, our lead writer and San Diego-based journalist, has visited 36 countries and written more than 1,000 articles with an emphasis on sharing his own travel experiences and highlighting lesser-known gems.