Aguas de Ibiza: A Luxury Family Escape to the White Isle

Getting to Aguas de Ibiza, our home for the stay, was surprisingly effortless. Our hotel arranged a private transfer, whisking us straight from the airport to Santa Eulària des Riu in the south.

Set on the eastern coast, this laid-back, sophisticated town served as a wonderful foil to Ibiza’s famed party hubs, and made for the perfect base from which to explore the island. 

Contemporary Rooms

We stayed in a Junior Suite Pool View which proved to be spacious, light, and beautifully understated. It had a calm, contemporary feel, teeming with natural textures and soft, earthy tones typical of Ibiza. There was a huge, exceptionally comfortable bed for us, while the children slept beside us on a sofa bed. Even with both beds made up, there was still plenty of room to move around. Among the thoughtful touches was a private terrace which overlooked both the pool and marina. It quickly became a wonderfully relaxing retreat to return to for a morning coffee or an aperitif as the sun went down. 

Reset & Revive

The clue is very much in the name: Aguas de Ibiza translates as “water of Ibiza”, and water is at the heart of the hotel’s experience. The hotel is home to one of the island’s largest spas, a sprawling 1,500-square-metre space designed around relaxation and wellbeing. The highlight is the extensive water circuit, complete with a series of pools, baths and showers. Access is included in every room booking. 

During our stay, I booked in for a full-body massage, which proved to be the perfect tonic after extensive travelling. The treatment room was an oasis of calm, enabling guests to relax and push pause. My therapist deftly worked out all the knots and tension, targeting every spot that needed attention. It was wonderfully soothing without feeling rushed, and by the time I left the spa, I felt completely serene and, importantly, firmly in holiday mode. It’s the kind of spa you can easily lose a few hours in, whether you’re looking for a proper treatment or simply want to switch off and recharge in the water circuit. 

Elsewhere, the pools at Aguas de Ibiza offer plenty of space for guests to seek out their own patch of sunshine without the atmosphere ever feeling crowded. There’s a lovely main pool surrounded by comfortable loungers, while the rooftop pool—which is adults only—is the perfect place to soak up the views, drink in hand. 

Coastal Location 

One of the things we loved most about the hotel was its location. The marina is just a five-minute walk from the hotel, making it incredibly easy to head out for a wander, stop for lunch, or explore the waterfront. There’s a small sandy beach nearby, along with plenty of restaurants, cafés and bars. Guests have everything they need in easy reach, without the constant hustle and bustle of a busier resort. 

The coastal location naturally feeds into the gastronomy, with fish taking centre stage on most menus. One evening we wandered along the palm-lined promenade to Yellow Fish Restaurant, just a few minutes from the hotel. Perched on the beachfront, it has that effortless Ibiza boho-chic feel, with a lively but relaxed atmosphere and the sea just metres away. The menu focuses on Mediterranean flavours and local produce, with plenty of fresh fish and seafood. Opt for the seafood platter which paired particularly well with a glass of something cold and the sound of the sea swirling in the background.

Mediterranean Menus 

Food is a big part of the experience at Aguas de Ibiza. Breakfast at Oligo was a lovely way to start the day, with an extensive buffet of fresh fruit, breads, pastries, local produce and all the usual breakfast favourites, alongside an à la carte menu should you prefer something more substantial.

We also enjoyed lunch by the pool at Alabastro, where the menu is Mediterranean and light, with plenty of salads, fresh fish, carpaccio and dishes made using local ingredients. Highlights include the Asian noodles with peanut, chilli and sesame sauce, topped with fresh prawns, and the tagliatelle with shrimps, an American-style sauce, prawns and chopped parsley. Kids, meanwhile, can tuck into classic plates such as chicken strips with chips and chocolate ice cream.

Beach Haven

Just a 10-minute taxi ride from Aguas de Ibiza is Cala Nova, one of the most beautiful beaches on Ibiza’s north-east coast. Known for its sweeping stretch of golden sand and large waves, it is also home to Atzaró Beach, somewhere I was particularly keen to visit. My husband and I had stayed at Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel the previous year, but bad weather meant we never made it to the beach club, so this time we were determined to experience it. And it certainly didn’t disappoint. Atzaró Beach is a beautifully understated beach restaurant and club, with spectacular views across the brightest turquoise water, natural bohemian interiors and an effortlessly laid-back atmosphere. It feels quintessentially Ibiza, relaxed, stylish and completely at one with its surroundings.

As soon as we arrived, the children couldn’t wait to run down onto the soft sand, while we settled into a comfortable day bed overlooking the bay and ordered a couple of cocktails. With the turquoise water stretching out in front of us, it was the perfect spot to while away the afternoon. 

The restaurant's menu is wonderfully varied, with plenty of healthy and vegetarian options alongside fresh salads, seafood, paella and other Mediterranean favourites. There’s a real emphasis on fresh, locally sourced ingredients, including organic vegetables grown in the Atzaró Vegetable Garden.

Setting Sail

No trip to Ibiza feels complete without crossing the water to Formentera. The smallest of the Balearic Islands, it sits just south of Ibiza and feels a world away from the island’s more energetic side. Life here moves at a slower pace, centred around beautiful beaches, impossibly clear turquoise water and long, lazy days by the sea.

There is a regular ferry from Ibiza Port, but we decided to make the journey part of the experience and treated ourselves to a private RIB, arranged at the very last minute by the wonderful Mark at Ibiza Yacht Rental. We had only contacted him the day before, but he pulled out all the stops to find us the perfect boat for our family and budget. A quick taxi from the hotel and, within around 25 minutes, we were at the marina and ready to set off for our Formentera adventure. It felt like the ultimate way to start the day, just us, the sea and the promise of some of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean.

After a few stops along the way, giving the children plenty of opportunities to jump from the boat, explore the sandy beaches and run into the waves, our skipper took us to our lunch destination, Juan y Andrea. I have to admit, my expectations were high. A friend had already told me that this was his favourite restaurant in the world, so I was intrigued to see whether it could possibly live up to such an impressive recommendation.

A small boat came to collect us from our RIB and dropped us directly at the restaurant’s little stretch of beach, an arrival that immediately set the tone. Located on the sand at the beautiful Playa de Illetes, the setting is every bit as spectacular as you might imagine, with impossibly clear water, white sand and the restaurant’s distinctive palm trees making it instantly recognisable. The restaurant has been family-run since 1971, when it began life as a tiny beach bar serving the fish caught by its founder, Juan, and has evolved into one of Formentera’s most famous beach restaurants.

The location certainly didn’t disappoint, but the first thing I noticed when we arrived was the sheer number of staff. There seemed to be people everywhere, welcoming guests arriving by boat, looking after tables and ensuring that everything ran with an impressively slick efficiency. Despite its glamorous reputation and A-list clientele, there was nothing stuffy about it; the atmosphere was lively, relaxed and quintessentially Formentera, with tables spilling onto the sand and boats bobbing in the turquoise water just offshore. 

I enjoyed a zingy margarita before opting for rosé which paired especially well with the Meagre Fish and Prawn Ceviche, served with leche de tigre, chilli, watermelon and pomegranate. For our main course, we shared the salt-baked sea bream, which arrived beautifully presented and was the perfect choice for a long, leisurely lunch by the water. It's easy to see why Juan y Andrea might be classed as someone's favourite restaurant in the world.

An Ibiza Tradition

Aguas de Ibiza resort is also perfectly positioned for exploring more of the island, and no visit to Santa Eulària would feel complete without making the short 10-minute drive to the famous Nikki Beach Club.

The setting is effortlessly stylish, with an expansive wooden deck, plush daybeds and relaxed lounge areas overlooking the sand and sea.

Lunch at Nikki Beach was exactly what you would hope for from a beach club, fresh, colourful and made for sharing. For lunch, we started with the lobster tacos and Burrata, before moving on to Nikki Beach’s famous chicken satay - served with Asian vegetables and spicy peanut sauce - and Spaghetti Vongole.

The afternoon slipped by effortlessly - a blissful mix of snoozing on our beach beds, refreshing dips in the sea, and savouring our cocktails with the hum of the resident DJ drifting across the beach. It was the perfect balance of relaxation and Ibiza energy,  and exactly what we had hoped our first family beach club experience would be.

Final Verdict: 

Five days ago, I never imagined that Ibiza would become one of our favourite family escapes. From lazy days by the pool and afternoons on the beach to boat trips across to Formentera, long lunches and our first taste of beach-club life together, it showed us a completely different side to the island. It was relaxed, beautiful, effortlessly stylish and, most importantly, somewhere we could all enjoy together. It turns out Ibiza isn't reserved solely for the party crowds; it's a remarkably lovely backdrop for a family holiday, too.

Kerene was a guest of Aguas de Ibiza.