The 10 best spas in Barcelona

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. 

We're not all about awards, but something has to be said for the fact that Mayan Secret Spa has been crowned the best luxury historic hotel spa in the World Luxury Spa Awards every single year for five years. People love this place, and we can see why: Mayan offers facials, Maya-style massages, body treatments and more, and the building is worth a visit in itself. 

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.

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. Pricey, but worth it. 

It's good to be king. The spa in the Rey Juan Carlos I Hotel is just as prestigious and luxurious as the hotel itself, from the spacious and well-lit facilities to the charming staff. Once in the spa you'll see they've got it all: sauna, caldarium, cold and heated swimming pools, mild steam sauna, pressure showers and more. The décor harks back to the Roman origins of the public baths. Chill in the spa, get a massage and enjoy full use of its gym – or if you prefer, you can lounge in the pool with the Mediterranean as a backdrop.

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. 

Take a breather after a maddening trip to Ikea. Located in the middle of nowhere near the new Europa del Hospitalet square (in the Gran Vía 2 shopping centre), the Fira Congress is one of the luxury hotels that serve users of the new trade fair complex on Montjuïc. Its modern facilities include a hydromassage pool, warm hammocks, steam bath and gym, just make sure you book in advance. Entrance to the hydro centre is free when you take a treatment.