The 7 best spas in Barcelona

Located right at the top of the Hotel Arts, on the 43rd floor no less, the hotel’s spa enjoys incredible views of the beach. There are two areas – one for women and one for men, although mixed couples can ask to be together when making the reservation – with a hydromassage pool, a hammam and a sauna in which to sweat to your heart’s content while gazing at the horizon. The spa offers beauty treatments from Spanish skincare brand Natura Bissé, as well as massages: put yourself in the capable hands of the expert therapists, and you’ll believe you’ve made it to heaven.

At Rituels d’Orient, a subterranean palace just off Diagonal with all the classic elements of the hammam, including two steam rooms and a cold-water pool with salts, a sepulchral silence reigns. Take the plunge and finish off with an Oriental exfoliation with a horsehair glove and black eucalyptus-scented soap. Under that rough surface you’ve been calling ‘skin’, there’s another layer that’s as smooth as velvet. For an authentic Moroccan experience, add a 40-minute massage with argan oil. It’s more expensive, but definitely more pleasurable. 

A gift card to Barcelona’s Ancient Baths is one of those reliable presents that never disappoints. Few places can compete with facilities like these: saltwater, icy, cold, warm, hot and bubble pools, plus saunas and a hammam in a setting that honors Barcelona's ancient and medieval history. It’s so popular that booking can be difficult and, unlike other spas, there’s a time limit on your stay: two hours. 

The facilities here are more modest than some, but they do have a Jacuzzi, a hydro-massage shower, a dry sauna and a steam sauna. Plus there are four massage cabins, one single and three doubles, in case you want to take a friend or special someone. They're big on packages for couples, like the 'Romantic spa' one, where can book the spa area for an hour exclusively for you and your plus-one, and you get a bottle of cava and a fruit tray.

Though it's located in the basement of Hotel Diagonal Zero, there's plenty of natural light and views over a small patio at Spazio Wellness. The spa offers everything you need to relax at a competitive price: admission to the water circuit – which also gives you access to a fully equipped gym – costs €15. They also do massages (for couples, if you want) and beauty treatments.

Down-to-earth Barcelona is connected to Eastern luxury by a short walkway, and it’s the one that separates Passeig de Gràcia from the Mandarin Oriental, a temple to the concept of pampering, whose facilities, obviously, include a spa. And what a spa! After relaxing on a mosaic-encrusted recliner while your pores open up, and cruising a length of the 12-metre spa pool, a therapist will help you find your ideal treatment. Their signature service is the Oriental Essence, an ultra-relaxing massage during which you're daubed from head to feet with Quintessence oil, made with mandarin, ginger and frankincense – a luxury that will set you back €190 for 80 minutes.

The first boost to your general well-being hits you on the way up to the Hotel Miramar’s lofty location, high up on Montjuïc. The spa’s most spectacular feature is an indoor pool – including waterfall – illuminated by natural light from a huge window. They also have two separate spa circuits, for men and for women, with a hot tub and dry and wet saunas. One of their more popular treatments is the Mediterranean Voyage which includes a 45-minute body scrub and a 60-minute full body massage for €160 that is guaranteed to leave you in a state of bliss.