I had no idea that I had stumbled upon Barcelona’s best kept secret. After pulling open two massive wooden doors, what I discovered inside blew me away.
I had traveled back in time to Moorish Spain or even this Spanish city’s Roman era within the lively, medieval neighborhood of El Born.
We’d been tearing through this Catalan city, touring Gaudi’s legacy of parks, historic houses and the Familia Sagrada Basilica. We shopped on Las Ramblas and dined and wined until midnight on paella and cava, a Spanish sparkling wine.
After a morning in the Picasso Museum, foot-sore and weary, I craved transportation beyond a busy European city to a more tranquil time and place.
An ancient place where history comes alive, sensually and meaningfully.
Seeking Serenity and History at Aire de Barcelona
I sought the serenity and history of the spa Aire de Barcelona, located inside a 17th century warehouse on the Passei de Picasso. Beyond those heavy doors awaited subterranean baths fed by wells dating from Roman times when Rome occupied what they called Hispania.
A legacy of 80 years of Moorish rule, Arab baths still exist today in many Spanish cities.
While checking in, I found that the staff spoke no English but they did have our couples massage reservation, booked by our hotel.
After changing into our bathing suits and the spa-supplied bathrobes and slippers, a guide led us down stairs into total darkness.
Inside An Atmospheric Subterranean Spa
Soon an atmospheric, subterranean cavern revealed itself, lit only by candles and lanterns. Deep inside the earth, soft water sounds occasionally broke the profound silence as light and shadow played upon the rough texture of the brick walls. Through arches, blue pools glowed and steam wafted, rich with the scent of aromatherapy.
Before our tour, our guide whispered, “Silence is encouraged for your complete relaxation.”
A Spa Just Like Ancient Roman Baths
She showed us the Vaporium (a steam room with aromatherapy) and the nearby Balonium, a bath with 1,000 jets.
We stepped around columns to view more thermal baths:
- the Flotarium (salt water heated to 96ºF for floating)
- the Caldarium (a hot bath at 102ºF)
- the Frigidarium (a cold bath at 57ºF)
- the Ice Bath (a frigid 50ºF)
- the Tepidarium (a warm bath at 97ºF)
Soaking in these baths feels like stepping back in time to ancient Rome.
Our tour ended in a relaxation area where we could sip tea or water while lounging in bathrobes upon warm marble.
Inside our thermal paradise, we soaked at our leisure, circulating among the baths, steam room and lounging area before our massage. Soon, an attendant summoned us to massage tables hidden within tall drapes for our couples massage.
Aire de Barcelona offers a wealth of massages, some with argan or olive oils or an exfoliating massage with Himalayan pink salt.
There’s a Vegan Experience, a 45-minute massage using myrrh, chamomile and buchu mixed with sweet almond and olive oils.
Or, since we’re in Spain, spa goers can partake in a Wine Bath Experience.
You soak in a 17th century marble Venetian bathtub in water enriched with the polyphenols of red grapes grown in the Ribera del Duero region. The ritual includes grapes and a glass of Matarromera Crianza red wine. The experience includes a head massage and a 45-minute massage.
After our massage, I savored the quiet while floating on salt water and closed my eyes. Suspended underground in darkness and silence, disconnected from reality, I pondered that, perhaps, time didn’t really exist.
Perhaps, above me Romans march on the street. Or a Muezzin sings the call to prayer from a mosque.
Breaking my reverie, my husband beckoned me to emerge from the water and dive deeply again into Barcelona.
For all Barcelona’s wonders of psychedelic Gaudi architecture, potent red wines and delectable tapas, I think its best kept secret lies serenely underground in a cavern flickering with candlelight.
If You Go To Barcelona
Visiting Aire de Barcelona
To visit Aire de Barcelona, you can use the baths only, the spa charges 55 Euros ($60USD) per person. Or, if you wish, combine your bathing with a massage, prices begin at 90 Euros ($97USD) per person and up.
Spa tips: Bring a bathing suit as they are mandatory; if you don’t have one, the spa will lend you a suit free of charge. The spa provides towels, robes, mandatory water shoes, toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wipes) as well as hair dryers and straightening irons, all available in the locker rooms.
Please note that cellphones and cameras are not allowed.
This co-ed spa is open by appointment only. Hours: 10am – 7pm weekdays, 9am – 9pm weekends.
Website:
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Address:
Passeig de Picasso, 22
08010 Barcelona, Spain
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Visiting El Born in Barcelona
Stylish, historic and affluent, El Born is a small pocket within the neighborhood of La Ribera Quarter. This chic quarter is alive with boutiques, vintage and specialty shops and fashionable bars and cafes. Just a short walk from Les Rambles in the city center, located between Barceloneta and Via Laietana. It is accessible by the metro stops Jaume I and Barceloneta on the yellow L4 line.
Also, be sure to check out:
Santa Caterina Market
El Born’s best market, Santa Caterina Market has food stalls teeming with fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood under an undulating awning with a colorful mosaic design by artist Toni Comella. Find great local food products as well as tasty tapas here.
Visit the Picasso Museum
Pablo Picasso spent his youth and adolescence in Barcelona and the Picasso Museum is the living testimony of the city’s influence upon him. A permanent collection of more than 4,000 works highlights his formative years until his Blue Period. Here, you can view his series ‘Las Meninas’ (1957) along with an extensive print and lithograph collection.
