Spa in Huesca: from the Barceló Boltaña to other resorts in the province
Information
Visiting a spa in Huesca is an experience that brings you closer to nature and to yourself. Spa tourism is becoming increasingly popular, especially for short breaks. Spending a weekend in thermal waters, receiving massages and other treatments for the body and mind. It’s a well-deserved rest that allows us to return to the hustle and bustle of everyday life with our batteries fully recharged. The province of Huesca, with a long tradition of spas and located at the foot of the Pyrenees, offers some unbeatable options for relaxing and forgetting about everyday problems.
The spa at the Barceló Boltaña Hotel
The spa at the Hotel Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña is the best option to surrender body and mind and find total calm in the province of Huesca. Located in the heart of the Pyrenees, the combination of the serenity of the mountains and the magnificence of the hotel, in the former Monastery of Boltaña, makes it an ideal destination for a spa getaway.
The spa at the Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña features a large hydrotherapy pool with geysers, a counter-current swim pool, bubble massage beds, and three clover-shaped pools at different temperatures. There are also Turkish and Roman baths, as well as sensory showers with aromatherapy.
The Spa of the Hotel Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña
Out of the water, there’s a relaxation area with heated loungers, and a tea area where you can enjoy a tea or infusion, with a Balinese-style bar. It also has an area with oriental designs for short treatments and a fitness room, as well as children’s areas.
Its Aguas del Ara circuit pays tribute to the river of the same name that runs entirely through the province of Huesca. It begins in a glacier on the southern slopes of the Meillón peak and flows into the Cinca river, passing right next to the hotel. The circuit covers all the spa’s facilities over the course of an hour.
As for the treatments offered by the spa at the Hotel Barceló Boltaña, there are facial and full-body treatments. The offer is rounded off by different types of massage inspired by oriental techniques: Ayurvedic, Tibetan, Wangi, Kualani, Lomi Lomi, and a special hydro massage.
Spa facilities at the Barceló Boltaña Hotel
A monastery in the middle of the Pyrenees
The Hotel Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña is brimming with personality, which is an increasingly valuable and appreciated quality in tourism nowadays. Travellers are looking for hotels and restaurants with unique characteristics, which have a history, rather than identikit establishments.
The hotel occupies the former Virgen del Carmen Monastery. Originally, in the 17th century, it was just a house and a hermitage donated to the order of the Discalced Carmelites. More and more monks moved to this valley, attracted by its tranquillity and natural beauty, and it was extended until it became a monastery in its own right. The Carmelites retained ownership of the building until the confiscation of Mendizábal, between 1836 and 1837. For a time it was used for agriculture and livestock farming, until 1910, when it was bought by a surgeon, who converted it into a medical spa. It then became an inn, which Barceló acquired and restored, to open it as a five-star hotel in 2005.
Massages at the Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña
The hotel has 96 rooms and 40 villas with views of the Pyrenees and the Ara river. As part of its facilities, it boasts a terrace with solarium and an outdoor swimming pool, open in summer, as well as a 17th-century church where weddings are often held. It also organises many adventure activities such as canyoning, rafting, and horse riding.
Other spas in the province of Huesca
With its abundance of water springs coming straight down from the Pyrenees mountains, Huesca has plenty of options for a day or two in a spa. Here are some other spa locations in the province:
- Panticosa Spa: historic spa that has been in operation since 1854. It has two different areas. The oldest is the Quiñón Spa, which is essentially medicinal in nature, as it was when it began operating as a spa. The most modern is the Tiberio Thermal Baths, a building designed by two renowned architects, Belén Moneo and Jeff Brock, which has a more recreational nature. There are two outstanding ski resorts nearby: Panticosa, smaller and more family-oriented, and Formigal, the second-largest ski resort in Spain, which is very popular with young people due to its party atmosphere.
- Benasque Baths: a paradise for lovers of nature and peace and quiet, in the heart of the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park. It’s also just six kilometres from the Cerler ski resort, which, with 70 kilometres of slopes, is one of the best ski resorts in Spain, so you can combine relaxation with sport. Another great thing about this resort is how close it is to the Aneto mountain.
- Vilas del Turbón: this spa opened in 1934 and didn’t have much luck to start with. During the civil war, it had to cease its activity in order to take in children affected by the conflict. Three years later, it was able to resume its activity, which has continued to this day. As is usual in Huesca, it’s in the midst of an impressive Pyrenean landscape. In the surrounding area, you can go hiking in the mountains and take part in adventure sports.
Views of the Hotel Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña
How to get to the Hotel Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña
The Hotel Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña is located in the municipality of Boltaña, about 100 km from Huesca and about 110 km from the airport. It takes approximately an hour and a half to get there by car from the capital of Huesca. Take the A-23 towards Jaca and turn off onto the N-260 at Sabiñánigo.
If you’re coming from Barcelona or Lleida, take the A-22 and turn off at Barbastro onto the A-138, which takes you to Boltaña.
