With the fun of the festive season well and truly over, and the long, cold, dark nights of winter stretching before us, thoughts are turning to warmth and holidays. And if, amongst your resolutions for 2024, you have promised to be more mindful of your wellbeing and set aside time to nurture yourself, mind, body and soul, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect place to include in your travel plans than Ibiza’s Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel.
Set in 13 hectares of natural rural beauty, bursting with fragrant orange groves, palm trees, herb and vegetable gardens and vibrant flowers, this spirit-lifting haven of tranquility, situated just outside the laidback town of Santa Eulalia, has its 20th anniversary this year - a milestone that will be marked in memorable style. But as with everything connected to Atzaró, the celebrating will be done with respect for its cherished history and an authenticity that has cemented its status as one of the White Island’s most highly-regarded holiday and spa destinations.
Cool and luxurious without being remotely "try hard", the beating heart of the place – which has welcomed such starry guests as pop's Rihanna and Shakira, actress Kate Hudson and fashion heiress Paola Fendi, who chose it as the setting for her wedding reception two years ago – remains the 300-year-old family farm that generations have tended with passion and pride, and which continues to supply the lion’s share of the produce for the hotel’s exquisite locally-sourced menus, as well as for its divine spa products. "Less a destination, more a sensory journey" is how one previous guest described Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel. I soon understood why.
From the moment my daughter and I stepped out of our taxi, following the 20-minute drive from the airport, we were hit by the most delectable aroma; orange blossom tinged with… what is that? A note of lavender here, a whiff of basil there… "Mmm, that smell!" my daughter and I enthused in unison. It would become a common refrain during our magical three-day mini-break, which more than delivered on delighting all the other senses too.
After the warmest of welcomes, we were shown to the Rubi suite, our home for the duration of our stay. Tucked away in an especially quiet corner of the estate, it boasted a generous private terrace awash with tropical plants and a large day bed, perfect for those who enjoy an afternoon siesta in the great outdoors.
And to the rear, we were thrilled to find that a smaller terrace housed an outdoor rolltop bath. How decadent! Though in all honesty, so eager were we to enjoy all that Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel has to offer, we never did take the plunge (maybe next time!). Having dumped our belongings and done a quick change, a walk around the sprawling grounds to acclimatize ourselves to our surroundings led us to the original, three-centuries-old family house around which the chic Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel that stands today has been sympathetically modelled.
Featuring a giant stone hearth and oven, above which ancestors would sleep to keep warm, the white-washed walls are hung with touching family photographs depicting its intriguing history and vividly capturing the fierce sense of pride that remains to this day. Having worked up an appetite exploring, my daughter and I took lunch at LaVeranda (all utterly delicious, but a special shout out to the Atzaró orange pie, which is simply heavenly) before relaxing on one of the gigantic daybeds that surround the hotel’s iconic 43m freshwater pool (one of nine) ahead of a busy afternoon at the spa.
Day visitors come from all over the island to experience Atzaró’s "treatment temples". It’s not surprising. I had the much-lauded Atzaró Integration massage, a blend of Swedish, Balinese and Thai techniques using lavender and chamomile oils, courtesy of the magic hands of Nicolas. It’s no exaggeration to say I felt like a new woman afterwards and floated back to our room. After dinner that evening under twinkling fairy lights and vines at the ethereal Orange Tree courtyard restaurant, my daughter and I both slept like babies, waking relaxed and
No visit to the Balearics is complete without sampling some paella – and the seafood one at Atzaró Beach was worth the flight from City Airport alone. Nestled on the sands at Cala Nova, just a short drive from the hotel, this bustling bohemian restaurant has an expansive decked area laid out with day beds – the perfect spot for people watching – as well as a generous and stylish dining terrace. (Not surprisingly, beds need to be booked well in advance during peak season and likely tables too, as, even end of season, it was buzzing).
After nipping ‘home’ to freshen up, we spent our final evening enjoying the country-chic ambience of Aubergine by Atzaró, the newest addition to the Ibizan portfolio, which we’d been told was a "must do". We’re so glad we took note. Offering healthy and wholesome farm-to-table dishes in a warm, relaxed and rustically romantic setting, both my daughter and I agreed it would make the most perfect place for boho brides to get hitched.
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We packed a lot into our three days, me and my girl, but our Atzaró experience left us feeling truly rested and reinvigorated and was a mother/daughter bonding treat we will never forget. As for that divine aroma, we just wanted to bottle it and take it home. Word on the grapevine is a bespoke fragrance might be on the cards as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations. If so, I’m bagging one for sure. Although as Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel has shown would-be imitators, you can’t beat the real thing.