pop-up coliving Review
Amantea - italy
Mate coliving
Looking for an honest Mate Coliving Amantea review before you book? Here’s what a two-week pop-up workation in Amantea, Calabria was really like: a small, easygoing group, a program that bent around our schedules, and a fantastic team that made everything run seamlessly.
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Why Amantea, why Mate Coliving?
Mate Coliving runs pop-up colivings and workations that move from place to place instead of settling into a single venue. I joined their pop-up coliving in Amantea, Italy, a quiet seaside town in Calabria, from September 19 to October 3, 2026.
Timing was perfect. I wanted to make the most of a summer in Europe by going back to Italy and exploring new cities and regions. Mate’s offer came along at just the right moment, fitting neatly into a six-week trip across the country. By late September the summer crowds had gone, the sea was a five-minute walk away, and the sunsets were spectacular.
It was my second pop-up coliving experience, after the Alt x Kotori pop-up in Kotohira, Japan, in April 2025.
Mate workation - How it works:
Mate partners with a local venue for each edition - here the hotel Villa Mariotta - and handles everything around it: planning the outings, booking restaurants and activities, setting up the work areas and keeping the group connected. The team is Federica and David, a couple who run the coliving together. Amantea is Federica’s family village, so she knew the region, the local life and the best addresses from the inside.
ORGANIZATION
program
Community
Value for Money
Connectivity & Work Setup
Mate comes prepared for every configuration. The hotel has several internet boxes and networks in the main room and on the first and second floors. When the signal was a little weak, Federica and David brought their own router to keep the connection stable in all circumstances. I had no connectivity issue during the two weeks.
The hotel’s dining room was turned into the coworking space. Mate added a large shared work table on top of individual tables, plus comfortable ergonomic chairs. There were other places to work too: a relaxed lounge with a big sofa, good for calls or lighter sessions, and a rooftop, mostly used for sunbathing but perfectly workable when you feel like it.
With participants from the USA, Canada, Brazil, Ireland and elsewhere, working hours varied a lot. It was never a problem: the work room stayed calm and rarely crowded, and those who weren’t working respected those who were.
Accommodation & Comfort
Villa Mariotta is a quiet hotel spread over three floors, with bedrooms and a shared area including a kitchen. My room was one of the largest, a double with a big private bathroom (toilet, sink, large shower), a balcony, a TV, a wardrobe and a small desk. The other rooms share the same configuration. Everything was comfortable, well laid out and silent, with no noise from neighbors. Each room had a mini fridge, wardrobe, TV and a desk to work from the room.
The second floor has a lounge with a large sofa and a bookshelf, and a patio with a small room holding a self-service washing machine. A staircase leads to the rooftop, open to everyone, to watch the sunrise and sunset or sunbathe. Coffee, tea and a few snacks were offered on the kitchen.
Good to know: kitchen is small with few utensils. It never blocked us. We cooked and ate there for two weeks, alone or together.
Setting of this edition: this coliving in Amantea is 5min on foot from the beach, 10min from the nearest supermarket, 15min from the town center and 20min from the train station, with more supermarkets nearby. Everything was walkable, ideal for a break between two work sessions.
Mate chooses different venue for each edition, so your accommodation will differ if you join another workation.
Community & Social Life
From the first pizza dinner on day one, conversations flowed naturally. We were a group of eight participants aged 28 to 60, a wide mix that never got in the way. The good mood, jokes and laughter were there right away, between participants and with the organizers.
The profiles were varied: digital nomads, but also people discovering the concept for the first time, or taking time off to explore the area and mix it with some social life. That created two natural rhythms: those who worked all day, and those who preferred a walk and joined the group for dinners and activities in the evening. Federica and David also regularly invited expat friends living in the region to workshops, evenings and day trips, which grew the group and added to the atmosphere.
We started as strangers and left like a family, ready to meet again somewhere else in the world.
Program & Activities
The program is well thought out and thorough. Some days looked light, others packed, but it suits people who have work to do: nobody expects you to fill every hour, and you choose what you join.
Workshops and discussion sessions are part of the concept, in the spirit of brainstorming, feedback and personal growth, without the pressure or the presentations. We talked about content creation and how to perform on TikTok and Instagram, and each of us introduced our work, our plans and where the others might be able to help.
Around that, there was something for everyone: watching a chef make pizza dough in Fiumifreddo, a walk through the old town at sunset, bowling and paddle, yoga classes in English (added on request), barbecue at the beach, cooking nights (carbonara, pumpkin risotto, empanadas and tiramisu, with everyone pitching in), plus restaurants, bars and cafés…
On weekends we explored Calabria by car, with a beach day in Scilla, a day in Tropea with a boat trip, and a few charming villages picked by the team. There were always vegetarian and alcohol-free options, and choices to suit different budgets.
Worth knowing: the program flexes around the group, which is a strength but also means it isn’t set in stone. A pasta-making class was dropped because the timing didn’t suit everyone, and a sunset barbecue took its place, which was exactly what people wanted. In the second week, a few workshops and sessions didn’t happen as planned, between everyone’s work schedules, other commitments and the tiredness that builds when activities pile up. That may disappoint some people, but it’s part of living in a community: staying flexible and adapting to what everyone feels like doing is what makes it work.
Organization & Team
Communication was excellent from the start. Federica emailed several times before the pop up coliving to answer questions, explain how to pay and send the invoice. A WhatsApp group opened about ten days before the start, so we could get to know each other and share our arrival times. Once we were there, it became the hub of everything: questions, meeting points, changes of plan, and polls to find a time that worked for everyone or to choose between two options. Nobody felt left out.
The team was around every day, from breakfast at local cafe to dinner and a late drink. Federica was a good listener with sound advice on the workshops, and David was always up for a paddle session, cooking for everyone or a game of Uno. They responded quickly to any practical need, and I’d happily join another coliving run by them.
Value for Money
I paid $980 (€845) at the early bird rate for the two weeks, which gets you a comfortable private room, reliable internet, a well-equipped shared workspace and a team that plans and books everything for you. That planning is where the real value lies: the outings, restaurants and day trips are all organized, so you simply show up, and enjoy the group. A shared room is also available at a lower price.
As with most pop-ups coliving, meals, drinks, cars and boat trips aren’t included, which makes sense: everyone spends as they please, and group costs are split fairly.
For two weeks of great company, a calm seaside town and a stay that left me inspired for my work, it’s excellent value.
What Works / What to Know Before You Go
- A warm, diverse group and a team around every day
- Quiet, comfortable rooms with a private bathroom and balcony
- Good work setup and stable internet
- A flexible program that adapts to the group’s schedules and budgets
- Location - Walking distance to the beach, supermarket and old town
- Early communication and a useful WhatsApp group
- Location - The kitchen is small with few utensils
- Meals, outings, cars and boat trips aren’t included in the price
I came for two weeks of work by the sea and left with a new family, a second wind for my work, and a team I’d happily follow to the next one. I couldn’t have hoped for better: so much laughter, silly moments and good times, deep conversations as much as inside jokes, and an amazing team who made every single day a joy.
Practical Logistics
What you need to know before traveling to Amantea, Italy for Mate pop-up workation.
Italy is part of the Schengen area, and citizens of many countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can stay visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, so a two-week pop-up doesn’t require a visa. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond your departure.
The nearest airport is Lamezia Terme, around 20 to 30 minutes from Amantea by taxi (ask the organizers for a contact), with buses and trains also available. Amantea is easy to reach by train from larger Italian cities such as Rome or Naples. I both arrived and left by train at Amantea station and walked to the coliving along the beach promenade, a pleasant 15 to 20 minutes. A taxi is an option if you’re carrying a lot of luggage.
As a French resident, I used my own mobile plan. If yours doesn’t cover Italy, an eSIM from an app like Airalo or MobiMatter is the easiest solution, and you can set it up before you land. The coliving’s wifi was reliable, so mobile data mostly came in handy on day trips.
Amantea is easy on the wallet. A coffee runs about $1.50 (€1.20 to 1.50), a pizza from a snack bar about $6 (€5), and a good sit-down meal at a quality restaurant $12 to $17 (€10 to 15). A bottle of wine will set you back around $29 (€25), depending on your pick.
Who is Mate Coliving & Amantea for?
For nomads who want the right balance of work and social life
A workation in Italy, Calabria, where focused work time and shared moments fit together naturally: the team handles the planning and the group energy, and you keep the freedom to work when you need to and join in when you feel like it. It suits first-timers as much as seasoned nomads, and anyone who’d rather spend late September in a calm seaside town than in the summer crowds.
Mate Coliving is a great choice for those who want to discover the digital nomad life industry Italy and take a first step with a pop-up coliving, just as much as for long-term nomads looking to explore a new destination as part of a tight-knit, friendly group.
Mate Coliving is a great choice for those who want to discover the digital nomad life industry Italy and take a first step with a pop-up coliving, just as much as for long-term nomads looking to explore a new destination as part of a tight-knit, friendly group.
Booking details
Edition tested
Amantea workation at Villa Mariotta.
Calabria, Italy, September 19 to October 3, 2026
Calabria, Italy, September 19 to October 3, 2026
Format & duration
Two-week pop-up coliving and workation, eight participants plus two organizers
Room type tested
Double room with private bathroom, balcony, TV, wardrobe and small desk
What’s included
Room, internet, a dedicated workspace, access to the hotel’s small kitchen, coffee and tea, and the organizers’ planning and bookings.
Not included: meals, drinks, car rentals, boat trips and activity costs....
Not included: meals, drinks, car rentals, boat trips and activity costs....
Price
Early bird: $980 (€845) for a private double room, or $920 (€795) for a shared room (2 or 3 single beds). A $405 (€350) deposit secures your spot, with the balance paid later.
Website & Booking
More information about Mate Coliving.and next workations.
Transparency
I paid for this stay in full, at the early bird rate available to anyone booking in that period. No special rate or compensation was involved.
Next editions
Morocco, November 8 to 22, 2026 (from $920 / €795); Sri Lanka, February 1 to 14, 2027 (from $1,000 / €865)
