I hung out at the secluded mountain hideaway in Ibiza that's hosted celebs like Rihanna and Kate Hudson, and it feels worlds away from the hard-partying coast

Harrison Jacobs

Sep 14, 2018, 01:14 IST

I hung out at the secluded mountain hideaway in Ibiza that's hosted celebs like Rihanna and Kate Hudson, and it feels worlds away from the hard-partying coast

Rihanna KateHudson Ibiza Spain Atzaro (36 of 36)

Ibiza's Atzaró Hotel and Spa is an agrotourism resort hidden in the northern countryside of the island.

While Ibiza is known as a party capital of the world, many wealthy and famous head to the lesser-known pastoral north of the island to relax.
One of the most luxurious and secluded resorts on the island is Atzaró Hotel and Spa, an agrotourism resort where Rihanna, Shakira, and other celebs have stayed.
I recently spent the day at Atzaró to see what it's like to live like a popstar. The food was good, the drinks were strong, and the grounds were stunning.

The Spanish island of Ibiza is world-famous as a vacation and partying hotspot for the wealthy and the famous.

Every summer sees the usual influx of actors, billionaires, and models and their entourages flooding in for wild parties at the island's bumping clubs and beautiful beaches.

But what if you are looking for something a bit more secluded, classy, and chic? Ibiza has that, too.

Enter the Atzaró Hotel and Spa, an agrotourism resort hidden in the northern countryside of the island. Considered one of the more prestigious hotels on the island, the resort opened in 2004 after being converted from a 300-year-old traditional farmhouse into the lavish 10-acre estate and gardens it is now.

The hotel's hidden, serene location has made it a favorite of celebrities ranging from popstars Rihanna and Shakira to actress Kate Hudson, among others.

I recently visited Atzaró Hotel and Spa on a recent trip to Spain. Keep reading to see what it's like:

Getting to Atzaró is a bit of a schlep. Located near Santa Eularia des Riu in the north of the island, it was a 30-minute ride from Sant Antoni de Portmany, one of the major towns on the island. It's about the same distance from Ibiza Town.

The drive there was gorgeous. The ride revealed a lush, green countryside that I didn't even know existed on Ibiza. Located down a small country road, Atzaró is named after the mountain behind the property.

The property was originally a finca, or Spanish farmhouse, built some 300 years ago, that served as the family home of owner and CEO Victor Guasch.

There are photos of Guasch's family dotted throughout the finca, a warm reminder that Atzaró is the creation of a local Ibizan family.

Since the property opened in 2004, Atzaró has been wildly successful, expanding into a beach club, a restaurant, and a luxury yacht.

The family was originally orange farmers. Atzaró has maintained that tradition on the property with an expansive orange grove that provides oranges for the company's house-made orange blossom oil and Orangello liqueur.

When the property first opened, Atzaró was designed to evoke the jungle estates of Bali. The serene, thoughtful arrangement of foliage and huts calls that image to mind.

But the property was redesigned and revamped over the last year to highlight the property's authentic Ibizan heritage with a style it calls "natural luxury."

It's a beautiful place to spend the day, which is what I did on a recent trip to Ibiza. The property has 24 rooms and suites to rent, but you can come and just eat the restaurant or do a "spa day" and enjoy the facilities.

I didn't get a chance to stay in one of the rooms, but this is what one of the bedrooms looks like. The rooms are designed with local wood beams, olive wood ceilings, rustic fittings and stone, and terracotta tiled floors.

But I planned to spend my day by the 141-foot freshwater pool made famous by thousands of Instagrams. It is lined with sun beds, palm trees, and orange trees.

First, I headed to the spa to check in for the day.

The spa has a sauna, hammam (steam room), gym, yoga pavilions, outdoor sauna, and gardens to lounge in. There are also private cabins for an every kind of beauty or relaxation treatment you can imagine.

I headed into the spa changing room to slip into something a bit more comfortable ...

Atzaró provided a robe, a towel, and flip-flops so that I could lounge properly during the day.

I headed out to the property to find a sun bed to use for the day. I was spoiled for options. Though the hotel was booked solid, there was no shortage of sun beds.

I debated taking this bed, which has a perfect view of the famous "Love" sign that has made the hotel a sensation on Instagram.

But I am allergic to sunlight — note: I am not a vampire — so I took this shaded sun bed. It felt soft and luxurious to the touch. A good place for an afternoon nap.

But first I had to experience all that the property had to offer. Like this outdoor sauna in the middle of a vegetable garden. It's a lot more fun to get your steam on when you can look at the property.

The property has a vegetable garden that provides most of the herbs, veggies, and salad for the on-site restaurant.

It doesn't get much more farm-to-table than this ...

Anything not taken from the vegetable gardens is sourced from farms within a mile of the hotel.

There's a nice boutique at the property that features local Ibizan designers and brands. It has a diverse selection of clothing, jewelry, and bath products.

Atzaró's aesthetic has become so popular that the hotel even has its own design service that the well-to-do can hire for their own villas, on Ibiza or off. Everything at Atzaró is bespoke designed for the property.

From the choice of plants and foliage ...

... to the more secluded second half of the property only open to those staying at the hotel.

Located away from the main restaurant and pool, this other half of Atzaró is where celebs like Rihanna, Shakira, and Kate Hudson have stayed.

It's easy to see why paparazzi-hounded pop stars would pick Atzaró for their vacation. I don't think any paparazzo can get past security to this secluded pool.

Much of Ibiza is see-and-be-seen types of places. Atzaró is much more live-and-let-live.

The back area of Atzaró also has a communal pool and a bar, but it seemed like all the guests were hanging out at the main restaurant and pool. That leaves lots of privacy.

I had a lot of options for where to swim.

Dining is a major selling point of Atzaró. The Veranda restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a rotating menu of dishes.

After checking out the property, I walked over to the restaurant for lunch.

The restaurant is surrounded by vines, gardens, and a beautiful pergola.

I started off with a passionfruit mojito. Given the chilled out, vacation vibes, it shouldn't be a surprise that the drinks lean towards the fruity and the frozen.

I started off with burratina with pesto and tomatoes from the garden and calamari. The burratini was creamy and the tomatoes could not have tasted fresher or more fragrant.

For my main, I tried the Chinese-spiced pork with nuts and pickled vegetables. It was fatty cut of pork dressed in a sweet sauce.

The fideuà, a Spanish pasta dish similar to paella, was creamy, like a mac and cheese minus the cheese. But only three shrimp ... Come on.

After lunch, I headed back to the sun bed for a much-deserved nap.

But not before ordering a frozen margarita. Because what is relaxation without a little tequila?

At the end of the day, Atzaró is a serene, luxurious place to spend a day, or three. I can see why the stars like the secluded spot.

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