Ibiza's Hidden Gems: Hacienda Na Xamena

If there's any advice we can offer for anyone visiting Ibiza for partying purposes, its that you should always leave a few days for relaxation and discovery of the island. Many clubbing tourists leave Ibiza without ever visiting the North of the island. This is a great shame as it is here you will discover the ‘real’ Ibiza, with sleepy villages still steeped in tradition surrounded by mountains and stunning scenery.

One such place is San Miguel, an area full of hidden gems in terms of beaches, caves, coves, retreats and spas. If you want to combine a day of experiencing the North with some relaxation and rejuvenation, then we can highly recommend a visit to Hacienda Na Xamena in San Miguel.

Hacienda is a luxury hotel perched on a cliff edge 180m above the ocean, boasting breathtaking views out to sea. It also has a fantastic spa and restaurant that are open to the public, so it’s a great place to take a day trip during your holiday. We recently decided to visit this little slice of paradise for a special anniversary and had the feeling that we really wanted to ‘escape for the day’.

We were most interested in experiencing the ‘Cascadas Suspendidas’, a Spa therapy consisting of a series of interconnected outdoor pools looking out over mind-blowing views of the Mediterranean. So we booked a package that included this and a meal in the restaurant for €77 each, which we felt was good value.  

The journey to Hacienda was an adventure in itself.  Driving up winding roads through the pine covered hills and rock faces of a protected national park, it felt like we’d entered another world.

Arriving at the Spa we were greeted with a warm welcome and escorted to the restaurant by very polite and attentive staff - we found this to be the case throughout our visit.  The restaurant is made up of of pretty terraces at different heights, looking over the hotel pool and out to sea. The view really is impressive and the vibe there was totally tranquil.

Our meal comprised of a starter sharing plate, a main of chicken and fish and a gorgeous dessert tray full of colourful mini cakes and sweets.  The presentation was artistic to say the least and although the portion sizes were small, the food was excellent quality and probably just the right amount considering we were about to go for a Spa treatment. 

The ‘Cascadas Suspendidas’ is an outdoor thalassotherapy circuit and was a truly rejuvenating and enjoyable experience. Thalassotherapy is a term used to describe treatments that use seawater and marine minerals and is good for skin tone, circulation, muscle stiffness and detoxification, the perfect antidote to a week of hedonism!

We moved through a series of eight pools, each one timed to start as the other finished, so it was easy to just follow the bubbles. Each experience was completely different - some of the pools had light, fizzing bubbles while others had high pressure jets coming down from above, the latter we found particularly good for releasing the tension in our stressed out shoulders.  

Experiencing all this on the edge of a cliff overlooking the bright blue ocean felt really special and our desire to ‘escape from it all’ was being well and truly met. The treatment lasted 45 minutes in total and was a lot of fun.

Climbing out of the pool we were greeted with fresh fruit and shots of healthy elixirs waiting for us on a four poster bed for us to stretch out on.  We can honestly say that we felt amazing after this treatment, the Thalassotherapy definitely did something that left us feeling calm, clear, balanced and relaxed with super soft skin to boot.

We then decided to sample one of their treatments, opting for a back massage which was €65 for 25 minutes. The masseuse was incredibly sweet and put us at ease immediately.  She showed us the different essential oils, selecting a lavender helped to continue with the sleepy sensations. Her massage style was more soothing than pummelling and given our serene states, that was exactly what we needed. 

Later we crashed out with cups of herbal tea in the bar at the top of the hotel, taking in those jaw dropping views one last time before we had to leave. This place really is an oasis and we're already planning our next visit. Thank you Hacienda!