Can Fuster

The hotel is a stone’s throw from the quiet little village of San Juan, home to a handful of shops and restaurants and a market that takes over the main street on Sundays. Ibiza Town and the airport are around 40 minutes away by car, so don’t stay here if hustle and bustle is high on your list. Instead, be prepared to exchange it for sunkissed days spent at some of the island’s more remote northern beaches and lazy evenings lounging in relative solitude, and sloping home from a nearby bar.

Tradition rises up through the foundations at Can Fuster, where the original, 150-year old farmhouse once served as a carpenter’s workshop for the owner’s grandfather. There are nods to his craft everywhere, with disused equipment hung theatrically on walls and the reception area acting as a sort of museum of his work. Elsewhere, twisted juniper-beamed ceilings have been conserved and intricately woven kilim rugs top terracotta floors – décor is simple but homely, testament to the hotel’s down-to-earth, low-key vibe. It’s Ibiza but old school, and there aren’t very many places like that around anymore.

Outside, it’s well worth taking a sunny stroll through the grounds, where the fragrant smell of fruit trees wafts through the air with intoxicating effect. At the end of summer, larger than life pomegranate trees come into bloom – ask nicely and perhaps you can pluck one fresh off the branch.

Having been a family enterprise for generations, there’s a certain amount of care that goes into the service here – it’s a labour of love, so no request is too big or too small. There’s an inviting swimming pool for cooling off in the height of the midday heat and dinner can be prepared on request.

There are eight rooms in total, each with oodles of space, tiled floors and a private terrace, where it’s easy to spend hours in a suspended chair, gently swinging to the tune of nature’s hum. Beds are extremely comfortable and charmingly adorned in linen you’re probably more accustomed to seeing at your grandma’s house. There’s a television and a minibar, and some rooms have sofas. Bathrooms are basic but comfortable, with a shower and a bath. It's traditional, with no-fuss décor. 

Breakfast at Can Fuster tends to consist of goodies grown on the hotel’s grounds, so you can always count on juicy, seasonal fruits (nispero, anyone?) as well as croissants, yogurts, eggs and delicious tostadas dripping in fresh tomato and olive oil. It’s all served al fresco beneath cream-shaded parasols and surrounded by exotic plants, a great spot for whiling away the early morning hours.

Come evening, the owner’s wife whips up dinner using whatever’s fresh and available on the day. When I stayed it was salad followed by very tasty sea bass and washed down by one glass of hierbas, which inexplicably gave me a headache the next day. Don’t say I didn’t warn you and make sure you pre-order at breakfast if you want to tuck in. 

Rates start at €115 (£104) in low season, and from €195 (£176) in high, including breakfast. Free Wi-Fi. 

Not currently.

Children are welcome.