Working with a sea view - Sybilles Workation in Spain
22. Mai 2025
After work comes...the beach! At least for Sybille, Marketing Manager at BFS, because she spent two weeks on Workation in Spain. In this blog post, she tells us what workation actually is, how she liked it and what she experienced.
Can you briefly explain what Workation is?
Workation is a combination of the words "work" and "vacation". When friends have asked me what workation means, I've usually explained it like this: "Workation is like working full-time from home, only not at your usual desk at home, but with a beautiful sea view". So you go about your work as normal, but you can end your working day with a nice vacation feeling.
Why did you decide to do a workation and how did you choose the location?
Workation was first offered at the BAUR Group a few years ago during my time as a working student, although I was unable to accept the offer at the time for labor law reasons. However, when I started my job as Marketing Manager at BFS about a year ago, I knew immediately that I wanted to take up the offer at the next opportunity.
I quickly found a country, as I had been wanting to go to Spain for a long time to brush up on my Spanish. And so I first went by car to Empuriabrava in the north of Spain. I then went to Barcelona over the long Easter weekend to explore the city and enjoy the cultural highlights. Finally, in the second and last week, we went to a small town above Valencia.
Did you have to organize your tasks differently than in the office or home office to stay productive?
I would say that in my case, I didn't have to organize myself any differently than in a normal home office. I just brought forward the start of my working hours a little so that I could finish work earlier. After all, the beach is waiting. 😊
What did you particularly like during the workation?
Waking up every morning and knowing that you are in a different country was already the biggest highlight! I also particularly enjoyed the alternative program to the usual after-work activities: Jogging on the beach, refreshing in the sea, strolling through unfamiliar alleyways and eating authentic Spanish food are not normally part of everyday life after work. Despite the regular work, there was still a real vacation feeling - especially in a workplace with a sea view.
Were there any difficulties during your workation? How did you solve them?
Of course! Otherwise it would be boring. 😊 There were actually two situations. One night before my arrival in the first week, when I was looking for the booking confirmation, I noticed that the accommodation had to be canceled at short notice. Luckily, I noticed this in good time, otherwise I would have had to spend my first day of workation literally on the beach... However, I quickly found alternative accommodation and was able to start work without any problems.
Another situation didn't happen to me, but to my friend who was working in Spain at the same time as me. Although many people warn you and prepare you accordingly, it often happens quicker than you think - and suddenly your wallet is gone! This happened to us during the Easter holidays in Barcelona. Fortunately, nothing else happened to us (apart from a small sum of money) and we quickly got over the shock.
Did the environment you were in influence your ideas and motivation?
Definitely yes! Overall, I was much more balanced during the two weeks, which was also noticeable in my motivation. It makes a clear difference whether you spend your breaks in familiar surroundings or on the beach. I felt much more refreshed and was able to continue working with more concentration.
What advice would you give to others who also want to plan a workation? What should they bear in mind?
When booking accommodation, I would definitely make sure that the internet connection is rated positively and is stable at all times. In general, make sure you use secure networks and establish a VPN connection to protect sensitive data. Also keep your devices and valuables in a safe place to protect them from theft.
If you have any further tips or questions, please get in touch! 😊
Your workation summarized in 3 key points:
- Vacation feeling despite full-time work: CHECK!
- More balance and therefore a positive influence on motivation and concentration: CHECK!
- Repeat workation in another country? SO WHAT!
Thank you for sharing your experience with us Sybille! 😊
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My name is Lara, I'm 22 years old and I'm currently supporting the HR Marketing team as part of my internship in Corporate Communications.
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