GG11

We’re a young couple looking to escape the cold in Europe and find a warm beach from which to work remotely during the next 1-3 months. I’m pretty open to any global destination, but when the choice is that wide, I’m having trouble finding an Airbnb or hotel that suits.

I’m hoping to stay under $1,500/mo but could stretch to $2k for more luxury (excluding flights). Wifi, kitchen, and a view plus close proximity to nice beaches are key.

Are there any covid deals out there? Any hidden gems that are typically overlooked? Many listings I see seem overpriced for what you get (nice view but not modern or vice versa).

I’ve considered the following so far:
- Canaries (volcano)
- Bali (closed)
- Phuket (ends up too costly with 4 PCR tests each + expensive flight)
- Cuba (not many listings)
- Rest of Caribbean (need to look into)
- Cape Verde (might be eventual choice)

Has anyone gone through this exercise? Any deeply discounted resorts or other good deals/ideas out there? Would love to hear everyone’s experiences!

seigex

Don't forget resorts in Mexico. Lots of them, fully open. I haven't been, but one of my buddies is on his 4th trip there this year.

invisible

Barbados (?) some time ago had introduced visa for living/working there allowing you to stay for a year. It was not cheap, like $2000 per person for a year but probably worth to check.

Diplomatico

Cabo San Lucas/San Jose del Cabo, Mexico.

StartinSanDiego

Your budget is fairly tight for many of the destinations usually considered top of the list, but there's always lower cost options. For $1500 a month, your best bet is longer term stay, perhaps a housing swap or simply finding a house that's not usually operating as a short term rental. I'm thinking something like a Snow Bird's vacation house that would be sitting empty. Often, the owners of a second home would welcome the chance to offset their expenses, but they're not interested in high turnover short term rentals for their unit.

Or try off season, like January or Feb, when business is slow. A STR host renting by the night might be hesitant to commit to a long rental that doesn't maximize his/her nightly return in any peak or shoulder season.

Baja California, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and other Central American countries have good resources for the expat communities and usually somewhat low priced to begin with.

GG11

I thought I’d update with what I ended up choosing. We chose month-to-month WFH staycations in various locations:
- Cancun
- Cape Verde
​​​​​​- Dominican Republic

Each had good deals for housing, well-priced flights, beautiful beaches, and they’re new for us. Many Airbnbs are negotiable if you ask nicely, and now our winter won’t be too cold 😁