You can be paid to live on an idyllic holiday island with 300 days of sun as remote workers offered parties & FREE rent
AN IDYLLIC holiday island with 300 days of sun is offering parties and free rent to anyone who chooses to live there.
A village in Sardinia, Italy, is inviting remote workers to make the move to the picturesque island as part of a new initiative.
Ollolai is seeking working professionals to move into their community and share their knowledge through presentations and classes in exchange for an almost free stay in the stunning village.
The initiative, named Work From Ollolai (WFO), will see successful applicants staying in the historic village for a month – and all for the price of 86p.
“You’ll also experience close proximity to untouched nature, savor delectable cuisine, and explore the incredible nearby beaches,” the WFO wrote on their website.
According to Sardinias – a holiday guide to the island – the weather is perfect for those who want to soak up the sun.
The south of Sardinia reaches up to 303 sunny days, with up to eleven hours a day of sunshine.
Professionals and entrepreneurs with expertise in fields ranging from media to architecture have been strongly encouraged to apply to the initiative, as well as professional artists, scientists, and academics.
Guests are able to call the incredible island home for an entire month but can request longer stays if desired.
The adventurous guests pay just one euro (86p) for the rent of the house for the month, as the municipality of Ollolai covers the rest.
They also cover utilities, bills, and service taxes for the nomads but guests will be responsible for any other expenses including food and travel.
Those who decide to take the plunge are offered private housing – and depending on the number of people – could be provided a one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartment.
The WFO explained that the accommodations are not Airbnbs or hotels, but authentic houses.
The first remote worker to take advantage of the offer was Clarese Partis, a 39-year-old software designer from Los Angeles.
She packed her bags and boarded a flight from the US to the island, and has called Ollolai home for two weeks now.
Clarese explained that she felt she needed a change of scenery from the hustle and bustle of her current work life.
“Not a touristy one,” Partis told Euro News, but one “surrounded by nature, fresh air, mountains, beautiful beaches, where I could find more solace, peace, and a slower-paced lifestyle.”
During her stay so far, she has experienced picking up fresh ingredients from a local farmers market and said the “food is amazing”.
Ollolai is also tempting people to make the move with locals regularly inviting guests to experience the village’s local fairs, festivals, and parties.
Italy has been battling to save Ollolai’s dwindling population for several years and has now deemed the issue a national emergency after seeing an all-time low in population growth in 2022.
The country has since been trying to entice visitors – both short and long-term.
Their “buy a house for €1” initiative enticed residents from all over the world which encouraged Ollolai to participate – hoping foreigners would invest in revamping its old district.
“That was a major success — many foreigners bought and restyled dozens of forsaken dwellings,” Mayor Francesco Columbu told CNBC.
The Work from Ollolai program plans to transform the location into a digital nomad hub, with £17,000 of investment set aside to make it happen.
Hopeful applicants must apply online before the end of December.
It comes after a small village in the Spanish countryside offered Brits free rent for three months if they made the move there.
A couple said it felt like they had won the lottery after being picked to live on a remote Irish island rent-free and decided to move there permanently.
And an incredible private European island is available to rent for just £73pp a night.