After spending a month in mainland Greece we heard about a coliving experience in a local village in the Crete mountains and thought it would be fun to go see what it was all about. So that’s what we did!
The experience is called Avnea and this “nomad village” is located in the small mountain town of Zaros and is run by a friend and fellow digital nomad, Lotus! This experience is perfect for anyone looking to spend time with like-minded people and learning about the local, Greek way of life while exploring the beautiful island of Crete!
We just spent a month a month there, and weβre excited to share what it was like β and what you can expect at one of Avneaβs Colivings here in Greece!
Disclosure: This post has been created in collaboration with Avnea. Everything in this post is based on our personal opinions and experiences. The post also contains affiliate links which means if you decide to use the links and make a valid purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Why we stayed at Avnea Coliving in Crete, Greece
We were lucky enough to meet Lotus (the founder) at Bansko Nomad Fest in the summer of 2024 when a mutual friend and digital nomad introduced us β and that’s when we learnt she was hosting Athens Nomad Fest and created Avnea!
What’s so special about Avnea is that they are hosting coliving experiences in multiple locations around Greece! The one here in Crete happens twice a year in early spring and late fall β and itβs quite cool because Lotusβs partner George is actually from Zaros, the town where all this happens.
The concept of Avnea is that everyone stays in the village, and then come together at what we call “The Hub” to cowork and hang out. This is actually Georgeβs mom’s restaurant (which is shut down for the season) so it really is an authentic and local experience!
Weβll dive more into what the day-to-day looks like below…
If you want to explore Avnea for yourself, you can get 10% off your experience by using the code ‘RWA10’ when you sign up!Β π©πΌβπ»
A typical day at Avnea
The fun thing about coliving is that no day looks the same β but below we’ll map out an example day that we had during our time at the nomad village so you get an idea of what a typical day in Zaros might look like.
(Later you can also read more about some of the different activities and day trips we did).
These coliving experiences are (up to) a month long so there’s plenty of time to both get yourself into a good routine and to try out different things and visit different places. It depends on what you like to do and what your intention is for the month β and on the other people who join the experience as well!
This is honestly why we love colivings so much β because of the people that you get to meet, the connections you form during this month!
Having Lotus and her community manager, Elena (who’s amazing by the way) run and organize everything with input from the community is a really good set up and it makes it easy to just show up and participate in the community.
π©πΌββοΈ Is your trip insured?
SafetyWingβs Nomad Insurance is a travel medical insurance for nomads made by nomads. Feel safe during your travels around the world π©πΌβπ»π
Mornings in Zaros with the Avnea crew
Honestly, the sunny mornings was one of the best parts of a day in Zaros because it meant we could go outisde every morning to do some sort of workout or activity. The variety of group activities we did during the month was awesome!
Most mornings were quite similar in the sense that there was always some sort of (voluntary) group activity going on which we absolutely love. This one of the main reasons we choose to stay at colivings and join communities like this.
Itβs cool to realize that you donβt need much when you have a good group of people with different skills and interests they want to share with you… Some of the morning activities we did were:
Runs and workouts: Some mornings we would walk to the local soccer (football) stadium and do a workout/run and it was awesome. This seems to be the sunniest part of Zaros and most mornings we had clear skies, incredible mountain views, and good workouts. We love starting our days like this!
Group walks: There are some beautiful country trails around the olive tree groves near Zaros. Some mornings we’d go for 30-60 minute walks around them or go up to Zaros Lake which is really nice. We’d usually bring a cheeky coffee from the creperie next to “The Hub” which is delicious.
Masterminds: Some mornings people would also do masterminds which is cool if feel a little stuck or have a new cool idea you want to run by a group of people. We actually didn’t join any of these because the timing didn’t work well with our work schedule but they did hosted 2 or 3 during our time there β and the other people loved it!
Yoga with Lotus: Every few days we would do yoga on a rooftop with Lotus. This was probably one of our favourite activities β both because of the setting and because Lotus is a really good yoga teacher. You just can’t beat a good yoga session with views like this (sometimes we’d also get a visit from Snow, the local cat, who’s super cute).
Coffee at the Creperie: This may sound silly but the coffee next to the Avnea Hub is amazing! There is free black coffee and tea available at The Hub but we love supporting small businesses and next door there is this cute little creperie coffee shop we would go to most mornings because they make the best coffee.
PS: You have to try a Freddo Cappuccino at the Creperie! It’s one of the best ones we’ve had in Greece! (We usually get it without sugar and with chocolate on top, but you can get it as you like) βοΈ
Starting the work day the Avnea Hub
After a nice morning activity, most people get to The Hub to start the work day. As we mentioned, The Hub is actually a restaurant which belongs to Georgeβs mom. During the Avnea experiences in March and November, they convert it into a little cozy coworking space.
Weβll be honest and say itβs not the comfiest place to work for 8 hours a day β but it does do the trick and the internet is really good. During the workday we’d often start the fireplace to warm up the place and make it super cozy. November can be hit or miss, and while we had sun almost every day, some days it was really warm while others were quite chilly.
You have the option to work from your hotel room/apartment, the lobby of the hotel (inside and outside), as well as the Avnea Hub. We love the community aspect of the hub so we worked from there pretty much the entire time.
Make lunch at the Hub or grab something local
One of the main advantages of The Hub is that it has an actual restaurant kitchen that you can use with proper cooking equipment and appliances! This was really nice because this way, you donβt have to use the small kitchen in the hotel room (not all rooms have kitchens) or go out for every single meal.
It does tend to get a little messy from time to time with so many people cooking and using the kitchen but it also does get cleaned fairly frequently by a local cleaning lady which was nice.
After a few months without one, we loved having a proper kitchen with all the kitchen appliances you could imagine.Β Saying that we did end up eating out quite a bit still because there are a few local spots nearby that have quite affordable Greek food.
Most of the time we would order takeaway and then eat it outside in the sun in front of the Hub. A good way to save time on a busy working day and also a great way to support the local businesses in town.
Afternoons at Avnea
The afternoons are fun because thereβs often a good variety of things going on. This totally depends on your work schedule of course, and there were definitely days we weren’t able to participate β but for us, the afternoons usually consisted of a mix between work, networking in the sun, and doing a fun excursion.
Some of the afternoon activities we did during our time in Zaros were olive harvesting, a wine tour, afternoon hikes, a trip to an olive oil factory, and more!
The best way to put it is that afternoons are super casual and flexible and it depend on the group’s dynamic and what people’s schedules are like.
We found ourselves working a lot while we were there just because we had a lot to catch up on after our wedding and hosting our own coliving, but we would always try to find at least one day a week to get out and explore around Zaros.
One of our favourite activities was actually when we drove to Matala, a beautiful hippie beach town on the southern coast of Cretem where we went to cowork from one of the cafes by the water. We spent a few hours coworking, hanging out by the beach, and swimming in the water. It was such a good day!
π By the way, this was November in Europe and we were swimming in the sea. You canβt beat that!
Dinner in Zaros
Another great thing about community is that, if you don’t want to, you never have to eat dinner alone. On any given night in Zaros, we would cook together at the Hub, order take-away food from one of the local places, or go out for dinner.
We found that it’s a great way to wind down and socialize after a full day of work and meetings. Dinner is a nice time where people come together and chill out. Especially in November and March (when Avnea takes place in Crete) itβs usually quite dark by dinner so it cozy hanging out at The Hub with the fire.
The evenings are definitely more chilled and laid back here.Β
Chill evenings and games
A typical night at Avnea consists of either games, food, or music β or all three! Some nights youβll have Lotus behind the DJ set spinning some beats while everyone is chilling or dancing. Other nights, we play Werewolf, Codenames, or Ticket To Ride. It totally depends on the crew but itβs a lot of fun!
We love game nights and feel like it’s a great way to bring people together. Most nights thereβs always at least a handful of people that are up for a game. Some nights, we’d also all join in on a round of Werewolf!
We also had days where we did special events like a Friendsgiving dinner and a Christmas dinner where we did “Secret Santa”.
In general, nights are typically spent in The Hub and most people would stick to around till 10-11 pm depending on the night.
So thatβs what a typical day at Avnea in Crete looks like! As you can probably tell, every day is going to be slightly different and the group dynamic and the community will also make each experience at Avnea different. But at least you have an idea of what a βtypicalβ day can look like in Zaros.
There are so many different activities and things to do on the island too. Within a month if you want to explore around you will also be able to see a lot! In the next section, you can find a list of some of our favourite experiences.
π Want to save money on your data while travelling? Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store with eSIMs for over 200 countries and regions starting at $4.5 a month!
Fun things we did at Avnea
What we love about being digital nomads is that, although we spend a lot of time working, we also get to “live” in the coolest places around the world! We get to slow-travel around a specific destination, experiencing the best of what each location has to offer, and see what it’s like to live there from a local’s perspective.
There’s a ton of fun things to do in Crete, but we want to highlight a few of the fun experiences we did that you can also do if you end up staying at Avnea. Some of these we did during the weekdays and others on the weekend. All of them are within a 30-minute drive from Zaros.
The best way to get around is by having a rental car. We paid β¬3.3 a day for our car rental (!) plus insurance. It was crazy how cheap it was. (This is where we booked our car rental).
Some of the fun experiences we did during our time in Crete were:
- Wine tasting at Zacharioudakis
- Visiting an olive oil factory in Zaros
- Local farm visit (we saw how Cretan cheese was made!)
- Exploring Matala and Red Beach
- Hiking Rouvas Gorge (one of our highlights)
…just to name a few! The list is endless and you could honestly do some sort of activity every day during the month and still not see everything. These were just some of our personal highlights from our time at the coliving!
You may also likeβ¦
- 5 Colivings in Tenerife: Where to Stay as a Digital Nomad?
- World Nomads vs SafetyWing: Which Health & Travel Insurances is Best?
Recap of our month-long stay at Avnea in Crete
Our month at Avnea was filled with coworking, all sorts of different activities, and delicious Greek food and Freddo Cappuccinos!
No matter where and what type of coliving experience it is, the community aspect is usually one of the most important factors for us! Lotus did an amazing job organizing and bringing people together. She really brings the best in people and makes the community a warm and fun place to be!
Weβll definitely be joining Avnea somewhere else around the world again wherever that may be! If you end up staying at Avnea too, make sure you use the discount code ‘RWA10’ to get 10% off your experience! Maybe we’ll see you there π
π Found this post helpful? Save it for later & share it with a friend
π©πΌββοΈ Is your trip insured?
SafetyWingβs Nomad Insurance is a travel medical insurance for nomads made by nomads. Feel safe during your travels around the world π©πΌβπ»π
