Workation Village Italy: May 2024
Live and work for one month in an authentic Italian village in Puglia, South Italy
The perfect combination of remote work, co-living, co-working, and being on vacation.
Live in your own temporary home, and experience this small Italian village like a local. During your work vacation, you get to know the locals and their way of life. A unique and authentic experience, without any hassles. All the important arrangements have been made for you in advance for your remote work vacation, such as accommodation, Masterminds, inspirational workshops, co-work sessions, excursions, and various meals and drinks.
With plenty of space for you to find your own rhythm. You can work in your own apartment, in a café or in a co-working space. If you want to take a break, check the group app to see who else is up for a cup of coffee, to have lunch, or just to go for a walk. Enjoy each break, like you are on vacation.
Need feedback or assistance with your work? In our Workation Village, you can find inspiration while having fun (or co-working) with other digital nomads, entrepreneurs, and remote workers. This group is a 30-day living Mastermind, all within walking distance of one another, in a unique and inspiring environment, in a forgotten part of Italy.
About Ceglie Messapica
My village has a rich history and has been continuously inhabited for 3000 years. Life here is relaxed and stress-free, making it a great place to remote work and vacation. The locals like to chat while they enjoy their ‘caffé’. There are hardly any tourists, so you will also attract much attention of the locals. Hardly anyone speaks English: it would be best to practice your ‘DuoLingo’ Italian before the event.
Ceglie Messapica is the culinary capital of the region; it has only 20,000 inhabitants, but there are almost 100 restaurants! There is a bar on every corner where you can drink the best espresso for €1. Small shops sell delicious local cheese, bread, wine, vegetables, and meat; these shops will give you the feeling that you have stepped back in time. Oddly enough, the internet is reasonably fast and good in the village making it great for workations or those keen on working remotely and traveling. There are several cafes and spaces suitable for working and co-working. One of them is the castle dating back to the year 1000: can you just imagine the view?
During your time off, we’ll do some exploration of the village and I’ll take you on some sightseeing of the surrounding areas. Trust me, you’ll really feel like a local for a month while you are on your adventure. But don’t be satisfied with a whistle-stop tour of the villages and sights in Puglia − immerse yourself in this unique work-play experience and escape your daily grind. By the way, the month of May already feels like summer by day, while it is pleasantly cool in the evenings.
“Esther took us to a unique part of authentic Italy.
The food, the people, the nature, and of course the impressive trulli have always been close to my heart.
If you have the chance to join the next trulli trip, I would say: do it!”Ilone Tijseling
“We did a lot: we walked and cycled through the olive groves, did an olive tree adoption ceremony,
saw how olives become olive oil, learned how to make orecchiette pasta (and eat it!),
and met beautiful people. What a fantastic trip!”Sylvia Koomen
“It was a very nice long weekend. Esther has a really cute Trullo, the cutest ‘on the block’.
It was an intensive adventure that left me wonderfully detached from home.
I returned home with a suitcase full of inspiration. And I will continue to chart my path.”Danielle Hoogendijk
“The trip was super complete; a diversity in impressions, meeting interesting fellow travelers, picturesque views,
getting to know locals and their customs, a large culinary feast, and much more.
I also got to hug and bless my adopted olive tree and witness the process to the beautifully canned end product.”Sasha Jacobs
Who is this workation for?
This workation package is ideal if you want to:
Discover remote work, but don’t want to do it alone.
Experience life in an authentic Italian village.
Seek new inspiration, and want to meet inspiring people, while on a remote work vacation.
Grow as an entrepreneur, and learn from others, in a co-living experience / co-working space.
Spend time with other like-minded people with a can-do mentality, while you work and play.
Combine being extremely productive with gaining inspiration, additional experience, and having fun.
Consider starting your own business or even becoming location-independent. This workation can be your springboard!
Spend time with Esther, become inspired by her lifestyle, entrepreneurship, and ‘no excuses’ energy.
Find out more about creating a ‘passive’ income by investing in real estate, maybe even a plot of land or an apartment in Puglia.
You may simply want to get away from it all – to have fun, experience freedom, get inspired, have beautiful encounters, feel the sun, and enjoy delicious food.
You just want to have a great month, and be open to adventure.
“Esther took us on a well-planned and all-inclusive trip to the beautiful South of Italy. And when I say all-inclusive I mean ALL-inclusive.
Apart from the occasional souvenir and a coffee at the airport I didn’t spend any extra money.”Brunhilde Albers
“I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
AMAZING!”Malinca Verwiel
“It was an amazing trip! Thanks for sharing your hospitality and this wonderful place with us.
I recommend joining Esther when she returns to Puglia!”Ilone Tijseling
Investment
The price for this co-working month is €3250 for the whole month of May! The first five registrants will receive an early-bird discount of €500, making the payment €2750 only.
Read below what is included in this workation deal (it’s a long list!)
Because this concerns business activity, this workation is tax deductible. Read some workation tips in my blog.
Want to bring my partner/friend to share a one-bedroom house? Receive an extra €350 discount, each!
What is included with this remote work vacation?
Your own mini-house, apartment, or studio in the village to do your remote work, with a vacation feeling.
Every apartment is unique. All are located in an authentic street less than 5 minutes walking distance from the village square. All accommodation has a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. Some have extras, such as an oven, balcony, or roof terrace. Most have Wi-Fi; others have good 4G coverage – perfect for remote work. The allocation of the apartments is on a first-come-first-served basis.
You can choose your favorite apartment yourself − the earlier you sign up, the better the selection to choose from.
All additional costs of the accommodation, such as gas, electricity, water, electricity, and cleaning at the end of your stay are included.
The following meals and drinks are part of the package:
Welcome dinner
Welcome pack in your apartment with wine, local delicacies and snacks, and breakfast for the first day(s) of your workation.
The most delicious ‘Tiny Trullo’ olive oil!
4 x typical breakfasts in local cafes
4 x authentic Italian lunches in local restaurants, including water/wine/coffee
4 x Puglian dinners at local restaurants, including water/wine/coffee
4 x coffee in one of the many cafes on the village square
4 x ‘aperitivo’ on the square, including an Aperol Spritz or another cocktail and local ‘tapas’ snacks
Inspiration
An orientation briefing about what to expect of this workation, an introduction to the village, and to the other remote workers.
4-8 workshops on topics that help you with remote working and/or entrepreneurship (both the work and private aspects). For example, ‘how to live, work & play as a digital nomad’, boost your productivity by hiring a virtual assistant (VA) and enhance how you work with your employees, investing in real estate abroad, visibility on social media, writing a book, energy management, how to turn anything into a business, etc. You can suggest topics yourself, and possibly also offer a workshop to showcase your expertise.
You can participate in Masterminds (hot seats), in which you can present a situation, question, or problem to others, and receive instant advice or feedback.
Italian lesson to master the basics, so you can order your favorite coffee and exchange pleasantries
There is a WhatsApp group for all participants in this co-working retreat.
The group will be between 5 – 15 inspiring, enterprising individuals.
The following excursions are included:
Cooking class by a local woman, followed by dinner
A history walking tour in the village with a guide
Orientation walk in the village to get to know my favorite restaurants, cafes, and other attractions.
What and where: the best places to shop for breakfast, lunches, and dinners you want to prepare at home
4 excursions (during the weekend) to other villages, beaches, or places of interest
Visit my 200-year-old trullo, tiny house, and olive orchard.
A walk through the countryside with plenty of olive trees and authentic Trulli to view, visit, and take photos
Visit an olive oil press, with olive oil tasting
An afternoon swim in a beautiful private pool or on the beach
Visit local markets
Not included in the workation:
Your travel ticket to Bari or Brindisi
Transport to the village
All meals and drinks that are not mentioned. FYI: Most restaurants are much cheaper than in other places in Europe: you can eat out for €10-15. You often have enough for two meals.
Your own groceries: FYI: prices are generally lower than in other European villages or cities. If you buy mostly local fruits and vegetables, food becomes much cheaper.
Local transport (you can walk everywhere in Ceglie; there are buses to the nearby villages, and I will arrange transport and information for the excursions and trips to another location).
Souvenirs.
Esther took care of everything, she took us to lovely restaurants where we were welcomed by the most charming people.
We had a pasta workshop at a local family, we went trulli hunting with professionals and so much more!
Esther goes the extra mile to make sure everyone is enjoying him/-herself whatever their reason for participating.
I enjoyed it so much that I wrote a blog about this inspirational trip.“Brunhilde Albers
Travel info
You only need to book the indicated ticket to Bari (example from 2023 provided, flight schedule for 2024 will be added as soon as it becomes available). I will provide connecting transport from Bari to our village Ceglie Messapica. If you arrive at a different time, or at Brindisi airport, you must arrange your own transport.
Will I see you in Puglia in May?
Workation Village Italy
A whole month for €3250
Now with €500 ‘Early bird’ discount
