Spas in Barcelona: massages, relaxation and well being
Visiting Barcelona can really take it out of you! If you need to recharge, then a little spa trip is always a good idea.
Spa: Aire de Barcelona
Pools, ponds, hammams and massages
Aire de Barcelona is probably the best known Barcelona spa for tourists. Located beneath underground stone vaults, it has a lot of charm.
The principle is that you enjoy at your own leisure an aquatic stroll of an hour and a half. Between the ponds of salt water, cold water, warm water, the Jacuzzi, the pool and the hammam, you will have plenty to do! A rest space is also available with warm stones, where you can enjoy a mint tea.
The spa is quite large and operates on a turn basis. All participants begin at the same time. It’s not a nuisance as the space is big enough and silence is required (staff come to remind you if you raise your voice too much). After an hour and a half you will hear a little bell which means the tour is over.
- If you have booked a massage it is normally done after the tour (except the 15 minute massage which happens during the tour).
Useful Information
- The aquatic circuit on its own costs around €30. A 15 minute massage costs €15, and 30 minutes is €30. Aire de Barcelona offers a whole range of massages of different styles.
- The spa is open every day of the year from 10am to 11pm, except the 25th of December and the morning of the 1st of January.
- Booking is required (and will also mean you can get a space at the time you want). Click the banner below:
- Be careful to arrive 15 minutes before the beginning of your session.
- If you do not have a bathing suit (for women a two-piece is recommended if you are going to have a massage), the spa will lend you one free of charge. A towel and anti-slip slippers to keep throughout the circuit are provided.
- Changing rooms are large and everyone has their own locker. Hair dryers are available.
- Minimum age is 16
- Aire de Barcelona is not advised for pregnant women or for people suffering from cardio-vascular illnesses.
Spa: Rituels d’Orient
Treatments and massages
Rituels d’Orient is a totally different kind of spa to “Aire de Barcelona”: it is small, intimate (appointments are allocated so that you cross paths with as few people as possible), and more focused on massages and treatments than on thermal therapies.
For certain treatments you are required to go through the hammam first (for example exfoliation or a clay wrap) to prepare your skin. The treatment takes place in a small space equipped with hot stones and a basin of cool water.
Rituels d’Orient offers massages, body or facial treatments as well as Eastern hair removal. Great attention is paid to the quality of the products used (they are all natural). The spa is also quite high-end and is recommended by the Louis Vuitton guide.
Useful information
- Treatment prices vary a lot but the cheapest is around €50 for a hammam and scrub session. For this price we recommend the thermal treatment at Aire de Barcelona, which is longer, together with a 15 minute massage. At Rituels d’Orient, we recommend one of the excellent treatments that doesn’t require a hammam session in advance.
- The spa is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 9pm, and until 10pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
- All clients have access to a relaxation room that is particularly cosy and prettily decorated in Moroccan style. You can really relax and take your time in there, and you can stay as long as you like.
- Arrive 10 minutes before the start of your treatment equipped with a swim suit if you are going for the hammam. A robe, sarong, towel and slippers will be provided.
Hotel spas and gyms
If you are staying in a luxury hotel, it will probably have a spa. This is the case, for example in the Barceló Raval or the Axel hotel. However they are often small and sometimes require you to pay a supplement.
Other hotels offer a massage service in your room, such as the Ofelias or the Cram. Some also offer free access to a gym with a spa, like the Boutique hotel Pulitzer.
A top tip to finish up…
- Take a look at the sites Let’s Bonus and Groupon, they often offer good discounts on numerous activities including spas, massages and other well being experiences.
Not bad to treat yourself sometimes, so just relax and enjoy!
