How Aguamadera is leading the charge for a new Ibiza
Long before the electronic-pulsed nightlife and celebrity-laden beach clubs brought the high voltage (and high price) energy, the Balearic beauty of Ibiza was known as an escape route for free-thinkers and creatives, a laid-back island where the natural beauty and easy (read cheap) living brought hippies from around the world.
It’s a vibe that’s getting plenty of airtime once more on Ibiza with a renewed emphasis on wellness and spirituality within a holistic lifestyle. Aguamadera is a delightful 12-room and suite agrotourism in 11 hectares that fits seamlessly into this Zen aesthetic.
It opened in June 2023 under the ownership of Iria Urgell, co-founder of Pacha, Ibiza’s original nightclub, and cabaret club Lio. In opening Aguamadera Iria has proved she can turn her skills to a quieter and unshowy alternative island style. Welcome to the restorative next-gen Ibiza.
Where?
Aguamadera is down a lumpy, bumpy track on Ibiza’s quieter east coast, 25 minutes from the airport, 20 minutes from Ibiza Town and 12 minutes south of Santa Eulària des Riu. The coast is less than 10 minutes away with nearby restaurants including beachfront Amante in Cala Longa. This is an intensely green and wooded part of Ibiza, agricultural, natural and superbly peaceful.
Style
Monastic simplicity is the order of the day but done with an unerring eye for beauty that will make you want to box it all up and take home. Built originally in 1888 as a finca – farmhouse - and private home, the style is faithful to the building’s heritage with open fireplaces, white-washed walls, rough linen curtains, rush matting and exposed beams.
Colour comes mainly from the gardens, a dense jumble of bougainvillea, olive trees, medicinal plants and flowers with various dining and seating areas hidden among them. Furniture is a carefully curated mix of antiques, wicker and pine benches and purchases from Zara Home with linens from Seville and pottery from UK-based Sarah Jerath.
Facilities
El Salon is a wellness pavilion offering natural treatments and massages using herbs from the gardens, and there’s a large and appealing pool surrounded by sun loungers. Aguamadera claims to “light up the opportunity to open new paths of healing and awareness” through holistic, non-invasive and regenerative practises – yoga classes three times a week for example - and there are regular sleep hygiene, sound healing, psychedelic breathing and Ayerveda workshops.
Cultural events and pop-ups showcase local and international artists and craftsmen and women. The biggest and best facility at Aguamadera however is undoubtedly the grounds, 11 hectares of flowers, vineyards, vegetable and fruit gardens and medicinal plants that provide the scenic backdrop to finca life.
Extracurricular
The White Isle awaits. The clubbing scene is still the draw for many along with the beaches but they are joined now by an intense focus on wellness with a boom in juice bars, yoga classes and sound healing sessions. Take a tour of Juntos Farm too, an inspirational community-focused farm based on regenerative agriculture co-founded by a former London-based Swede who swapped City finance to invest heavily in this project (and who is equally evangelical about psychedelics).
Food & drink
Aguamadera takes the island’s increasing focus on health and locally-sourced produce and runs with it beautifully. Regional ingredients cooked over an open fire produce a menu packed with flavours: white asparagus with smoked eel, mussels, ponzu and lemon drop chili, black rice, cuttlefish and saffron aioli. Breakfast, included in the room rate, is equally impressive.
Which room?
Six rooms are in the main finca and six in converted outbuildings, Los Corrales (the stables), most with some outside space. My favourite was 8, a generous suite in an outbuilding with a large shower. In the main finca, rooms 3 and 6 get good sunset views.
Best for...
Guests include creative couples – painters, photographers, antique dealers among them - of all ages who revel in peace, nature and unfussy design while singles in need of restorative R&R should also find Aguamadera fits the bill. It’s an easy place to either enjoy total solitude or get talking to fellow guests. Despite being open for only one year, there have already been several repeat guests.
Details
Nightly room rates start from €200 including a very good breakfast. aguamaderaibiza.com
