Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Al final de la jornada me gusta descansar en casa con mi familia. - At the end of the workday I like to rest at home with my family.

a el final de la jornada → al final de la jornada
Saying a el final is grammatically wrong; the contraction is obligatory in standard Spanish.
So al final de la jornada literally means “at the end of the workday / day”.

What’s the difference between al final de and al fin de or finalmente?

All are related to the idea of “end,” but they’re used differently:

al final de + noun: “at the end of …” (time or space)
- al final de la jornada – at the end of the workday
- al final de la película – at the end of the film
al fin de + noun: exists but is much less common, and often sounds more literary or fixed-expression-like (e.g. al fin de sus días = at the end of his/her days). In everyday Spanish you mostly say al final de.
al final by itself: “in the end / eventually / after all”
- Al final no fuimos. – In the end, we didn’t go.
finalmente: “finally / in the end” as an adverb
- Finalmente decidí quedarme en casa. – I finally decided to stay at home.

In your sentence, because there’s a specific noun (la jornada), you need al final de la jornada.

What exactly does jornada mean here? How is it different from día?

In Spain:

jornada often refers to the working day or a day’s session of something:
- jornada laboral – workday / working hours
- jornada escolar – school day (as a schedule/block of time)
día is more general: a calendar day, 24 hours, “today,” etc.

So:

Al final de la jornada usually suggests “at the end of the workday” or “after a day’s work,” not just “at the end of the calendar day.”
If you say al final del día, it’s more like “at the end of the day” in a broader sense (physically or metaphorically).

In everyday peninsular Spanish, jornada here gives a slight nuance of work or busy day, not simply the passing of the clock.

Why is it la jornada and not just jornada with no article?

Spanish normally uses a definite article where English might not, especially with time periods that are specific in context:

la jornada – the (particular) workday we’re talking about (usually “today’s” workday)
al final de la jornada feels like “at the end of the (typical) workday.”

Al final de jornada without the article can appear in headlines or shorthand (e.g. in timetables, notices, or business writing), but in standard, full sentences, al final de la jornada is more natural and grammatically complete.

Why is it me gusta descansar and not yo gusto descansar?

The verb gustar works very differently from to like:

Literally, gustar means “to be pleasing”.
The person who “likes” something is an indirect object, shown with an indirect object pronoun (me, te, le, nos, os, les).
The thing that is pleasing is the subject.

In your sentence:

me = to me (indirect object: the person who experiences the liking)
gusta = is pleasing (3rd person singular, because what is pleasing is the action descansar)
descansar en casa con mi familia = what is pleasing (the subject idea)

So the literal structure is:
A mí me gusta descansar… = Resting… is pleasing to me.

Yo gusto descansar is incorrect; gustar is almost never used with yo as a straightforward subject like that in modern Spanish.

Why is descansar in the infinitive? Could it be descansando?

After gustar, Spanish normally uses:

a noun
- Me gusta el café. – I like coffee.
or an infinitive (verb used as a noun)
- Me gusta descansar. – I like to rest / I like resting.

Descansando is the gerund (like “resting” in “I am resting”), but:

After gustar, the natural form is the infinitive: me gusta descansar, me gusta leer, me gusta viajar, etc.
Me gusta descansando is ungrammatical in this sense.

So descansar is in the infinitive because it’s functioning like a noun phrase: “the act of resting.”

Why is it en casa and not en la casa?

Both are correct, but they don’t mean exactly the same:

en casa (no article) usually means “at home” in a general or personal sense – not just any house, but “my/our home.”
- Estoy en casa. – I’m at home.
en la casa (with article) is more literal: “in the house”, as a physical building, often specific:
- Estoy en la casa de Juan. – I’m in Juan’s house.

In your sentence, descansar en casa is about being at home (your own home), so the bare casa without article is the natural choice.

Why isn’t descansar reflexive here? Could it be descansarme?

Descansar is generally not reflexive in Spanish when it simply means “to rest”:

Necesito descansar. – I need to rest.
Voy a descansar un rato. – I’m going to rest for a while.

There is a reflexive form descansarse, but it’s:

much less common
often regional or slightly old-fashioned
sometimes used with a nuance like “to take a rest for oneself” in certain dialects

In standard contemporary Spanish, especially in Spain:

Me gusta descansar… is the normal, correct form.
Me gusta descansarme… may sound odd or too dialectal in many contexts.

So descansar is used non‑reflexively here because the basic meaning “to rest” doesn’t need se.

Can I move al final de la jornada to another position in the sentence?

Yes. Adverbial time phrases are quite flexible. All of these are grammatically correct, with small differences in emphasis:

Al final de la jornada me gusta descansar en casa con mi familia.
(Sets the time frame first; then what you like.)
Me gusta descansar en casa con mi familia al final de la jornada.
(States what you like first; then specifies when.)
Me gusta, al final de la jornada, descansar en casa con mi familia.
(More marked, with pauses; stylistic, slightly more formal or “written.”)

The most neutral versions for speech are the first two. Word order here is a matter of style and focus, not basic grammar.

Is this sentence specifically “Spain Spanish”? Would people in Latin America say it differently?

The sentence is perfectly understandable everywhere, but:

In Spain, jornada is very common with the meaning “workday,” so al final de la jornada sounds very natural.
In much of Latin America, people might more commonly say:
- Al final del día me gusta descansar…
- Al terminar el trabajo me gusta descansar…

So:

In Spain: Al final de la jornada… feels especially idiomatic for “at the end of the workday.”
Across the whole Spanish-speaking world, Al final del día… is also widely used and understood.

What is the tone or register of this sentence? Is it formal or informal?

The sentence is:

Neutral and standard: neither especially formal nor especially colloquial.
Completely appropriate in:
- everyday conversation
- a personal email
- a simple written text describing daily routine

To make it a bit more formal, someone might say:

Al finalizar la jornada laboral, me gusta descansar en casa con mi familia.

To make it more casual, you might hear:

Cuando termino de trabajar, me gusta descansar en casa con mi familia.