5 Unique Workations to Find Work-Life Balance
Merge work and play with one of these unique destinations, perfect for the digital nomad at heart.
If you’ve got itchy feet after months of staying home, a “workation” might be just what the doctor ordered. The idea of combining work and vacation is a relatively new concept for most, but as more companies shift to a remote-work approach, taking the opportunity for a change of location can be a surprisingly productive way to gain some new perspective.
So if you want to find the ultimate work-life balance, Origin’s here to help you combine work and play. Read our top picks below and get in touch to request your own personalized workcation today.
Located just three hours north of Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende is a world away from the commotion of Mexico's capital. Nestled in the Bajío mountains of Central Mexico, for decades it was where Americans chose to spend their retirement years exploring the cobblestone streets and colorful buildings.
Over the past few years, the town has started to attract a new crowd, like young families who are charmed with the idyllic lifestyle, incredible schools, and the safety of San Miguel de Allende. As remote work becomes more commonplace, this has only accelerated and it's now proving to be a hugely popular home-away-from-home for digital nomads, where they can work while the family plays.
Working remotely from Cape Town, South Africa, means the ocean, vineyards, and local organic food are all within reach. Boasting a Europe-friendly time zone, it offers plenty of spaces to work during the day, including many co-working spaces with meeting rooms, cafes, shared communal spaces, and some even with a production studio.
On evenings and weekends, you’ll find crowds catching a wave on the beach or on the terraces and patios of the local bars and cafes. Explore Cape Town’s vibrant dining scene or visit the Winelands, a one-hour drive away from the city for wine tasting and picnicking in a picturesque vineyard.
Pick up your laptop and head to one of the many beautiful riads that come with rooftop terraces, courtyard pools, and cozy corners to enjoy a Morrocan mint tea while working. It feels far away and exotic, but you’re just a short flight away and in the same time zone as most of Europe to simplify work affairs.
Morocco is famous for its diverse landscapes in a relatively small geographical area (the whole country is roughly the size of California), and since it’s easy to get around the country, weekends offer no end to the incredible activities on offer. You can be in the snow heli-skiing down the High Atlas Mountains one afternoon and learning to surf on the Atlantic Coast in Essaouira the next. For something more romantic, watch the sun as its rises over the Sahara Desert before flying off to Casablanca and seeing it set into the ocean as you dine.
Less than three hours from both Vienna and Munich, Salzburg's central location in Europe and the Alps makes it a perfect home base for a workation—one full of alpine meadows, towering mountains, and hearty cuisine.
Salzburg is the perfect size for casual exploration, managing to find that sweet spot between too big and busy, or too small and sleepy. It means there are enough sights to fill your time between meetings, but not so many that you'll feel like you're missing out if you need to hop back on a call. When you're ready for a screen break, there are easy strolls along the river, simple hikes through the surrounding hills, several cozy restaurants for a bite, and picturesque squares to roam around for a bit of people-watching.
If Iceland and Hawaii were combined into one dream destination, we're sure it would look something like these incredible Portuguese islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Full of lush forests, natural thermal pools, waterfalls, and stylish villas and beach lodges, the main island of São Miguel offers the perfect combination for a workcation on the Azores.
The Azores are at GMT -1, so they're an excellent location for those doing business in European and U.S. Eastern time zones. On weekends, São Miguel is a haven for any ocean enthusiast interested in surfing the North Shore, embarking on a sailboat for a dive tour, or swimming with dolphins. Enjoy a thermal spa relaxation weekend with steamy waterfalls or feast on food prepared under the earth and heated by hot springs.
Don’t let planning your workation become another thing on your to-do list. Origin will do all the heavy lifting so you can be a digital nomad in no time. Request your trip below.
Cover Image: PhotoSunnyDays/Shutterstock. Image 1: Rubi Rodriguez Martinez/Shutterstock. Image 2: Sandra Mori/Shutterstock. All other images courtesy of Unsplash.