House Pacha Formentera. Three words, not one more, not one less, are enough to present the place that, without knowing it, we were looking for so much.
Our subconscious was looking for it: an oasis of peace where we come across ourselves. A refuge where the first thing we see when we open our eyes is the sea, where time stops challenging us to impossible races and becomes our ally, where luxury is housed in the details, letting simplicity take care of the rest.
And in the end we find it: at the end of one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, that of Migjorn; in an insignificant point in the middle of the Mediterranean, which despite its size, shines like no other pearl in the sea.
House Pacha Formentera
Grupo Pacha decided to make two trips: first went back to his origins , specifically to July 1973, when Ricardo Urgell came to Ibiza and he decided to open a club in a house in the middle of the field.
The second trip was shorter, about half an hour, the time it takes to travel the ten nautical miles that separate Ibiza and Formentera. The cherries had reached the small of the Pitiusas.
The result? A house –that you will feel yours as soon as you walk through the door and take off your shoes–, a story, that of Pacha –so fascinating that every corner of the hotel will wink at you in the form of vinyl records, photographs and advertising posters of parties– and Formentera, for many, the best island in the world.
Wood, linen, rattan and esparto grass: the textures of Casa Pacha.
THAT IBIZA
We often hear that "any time passed was better" , that such a thing is no longer what it used to be, that cars are not manufactured like the old ones, that we stopped writing letters a long time ago, that there are no songs left for romantics... And it may be true.
The businessman Ricardo Urgell set foot in Ibiza when the nights on the island were still for sleeping; when no one paid attention to words like loudspeaker, club and dance; when there was nothing there. In fact, Pacha was the first of the many nightclubs that would later dot the Ibizan countryside.
What many do not know is that the first Pacha did not open in Ibiza, but in Sitges . The year was 1967 and it was called that because Urgell's wife suggested that name: "You will live like a Pacha," she told him, using that expression that means living in luxury and opulence.
But let's go back to Pacha Ibiza, to those 70s and 80s that saw the island night vibrate with the music of the Flower Power parties, to that sensation of freedom that seized all those –celebrities and anonymous, hippies and children well– who crossed the threshold of this temple to let the music mix and possess them.
That nostalgia, that way of life, that desire to live –and dance– now, without thinking about what will happen when the sun rises, make up the foundations of Casa Pacha Formentera.
Pacha Ibiza, 1973.
RETURN TO THE ORIGIN
As we advance along the road that crosses Formentera from end to end, we gradually strip off all those things that had accumulated behind us throughout the year, and were already heavy.
The sea breeze and the aroma of the junipers enter through the car windows , and when they leave, they take with them a handful of those worries and thoughts that squeeze and sometimes also drown.
our destiny is Es Arenals beach, located in the southeast of the island , on the coast of Migjorn. A curve to the left and we are almost there: Casa Pacha awaits us after crossing the pine forest and a few farm fields.
Migjorn beach, Formentera.
Why house and not hotel? Because it is about making the guest feel like a home . And that is what we experience as soon as we enter: instead of a typical counter, a wooden table serves as reception.
In front of her, a huge mirror rests against the wall . Together with him, a table full of vinyl from the 70s and colorful flowers , an African-style rug and on the back wall, a great black and white snapshot of that little house that became Pacha's first home in Ibiza.
Return to the origin.
After the “reception”, there is Tatiana, who welcomes us and introduces us our room: The Full Moon.
Each of the 17 rooms of Casa Pacha, spread over three floors (plus the attic), bears the names of events, figures and icons from the history of the group: Las Cerezas, El Pachacha (the Latin music room of the Ibizan club), The Hippie, Las Dahlias (the emblematic market), Paula's (the boutique that revolutionized Ibiza in the 70s), Mess (the exclusive cabaret club located in the port of Ibiza) or Sitge 67 (the place and year of foundation of the first Pacha nightclub) are some of them.
Our “Full Moon” alludes to the party that Pacha celebrated on the island of espalmador on the occasion of the lunar phase that takes place when our planet is located exactly between the sun and the moon.
Casa Pacha and nothing.
PRIMITIVE LUXURY
“Casa Pacha is a totally new concept led by the Pacha Group. A concept in which luxury and nature are in harmony in an idyllic setting such as the beach of Migjorn in Formentera”, he affirms Nick McCabe, CEO of Pacha Group.
The interior design is signed by the studio of Patricia Galdon , who has devised an accommodation where contemporary luxury and design are infused with the relaxed, mediterranean essence of which the whole island boasts.
In the whole hotel dominates a color palette inspired by nature which has as protagonists the neutral tones, earth, sand, cauldron and, of course, the occasional blue brushstroke that seems to have been taken directly from the ocean.
Polished concrete floors, whitewashed walls, natural woods , flax, tropical plants, ceramic objects, rattan screens, esparto baskets... everything here blends in perfectly with the environment and results in a feeling of absolute calm.
Calm.
WITHOUT LOSING SIGHT OF THE SEA
in all rooms the beds are facing the sea , perhaps the most important element of the room despite being outside of it. All of them also have private terrace and small details that will reveal to guests the history of the Pacha brand.
The most basic are the rooms Double Sea View , 15 square meters, which do not stop having views of the sea and all the comforts you can imagine.
The Premium Seaview They have an area of 37 square meters and a comfortable bed where you wake up and face the sea when looking straight ahead , as if it were an oil painting –hopefully we could take it with us to hang at home–. It also has a couple of rustic chairs, wooden stools and yes even from the shower, you can also see the sea.
Good morning Mediterranean.
The feeling of freedom and primitive luxury continues in the Grand Premium Dunes –also 37 square meters and without losing sight of the blue Formentera– and in the room Casa Pacha Sea View , a good option for family and friends since it is made up of two suites with bathroom connected by a private lounge.
But let's not stop, let's see what awaits at the bottom of the ladder –murals dressed in collages of vintage Pacha posters mark the way–.
A collage of vintage posters accompanies us as we climb the Casa Pacha staircase.
At the top of the building we find the Roof Top Suite, called Ricardo (in honor of the founder of Pacha), which has a terrace of 195 square meters where you can feel the sea breeze, inhale the aroma of salt and foam and look around you to discover the best kept secret of Formentera, the reason for all those who come to this piece of paradise every year: the luxury of being an islander.
Looking around you and only seeing dunes, pine trees and sea (not a block of flats, not a bus stop, not a shopping center), that's the essence of Formentera: the power of nothing, the luxury of feeling that you already have everything.
The terrace of 'Ricardo', the Roof Top Suite.
THE RESTAURANT
Located on the beachfront, Casa Pacha's restaurant It could remind us from the outside of one of the many beach bars that dot the Migjorn coast, but nothing is further from the truth.
“This is a gastronomic experience in which the local products they merge to awaken unique sensations”, says McCabe.
With a spacious kitchen completely open and directed by Pau Barba (executive chef of the Pacha group), and a simple yet delicious proposal , Casa Pacha's restaurant is open throughout the day, although breakfast is reserved for hotel guests only.
Every morning, a continental breakfast awaits at the table, served in the best of settings: a backdrop of sand and sea in the background. Local cured meats, fresh pastries, granola, yogurt, fruit and homemade jam complete the good morning at Casa Pacha, where you can also order hot dishes as well as smoothies and juices that they prepare for you on the spot.
The Casa Pacha restaurant.
At lunchtime, the mediterranean commands , like the seasonal product. In the starters section we find cold options such as oysters, peeled tomatoes with arbequina olive oil and spring onion or long lettuce leaves with three dressings.
Hot starters include seafood delicacies such as grilled crayfish from Formentera, red prawns with garlic, the mussels with sobrasada and fregola or the clams in green sauce.
Let's get a little more serious, because now comes the most difficult part: choosing the main course. The fish of the day (baked or grilled) is a sure hit, but so is opting for Formentera lobster or blue lobster (in stew, grilled or fried with eggs).
And not only does the beach bar live from the sea, there are also dishes for the most carnivorous, such as the steak tartare of veal tenderloin and the medium loin of purebred beef.
Still undecided? start to share a sticky rice with lobster either fried eggs with crayfish: Eden (culinary and Formentera) was this. Leave room for the cheesecake – you have been warned.
The restaurant also offers snacks and picnics that you can take to the deckchair , in addition to an extensive cocktail menu.
Fried eggs with crayfish.
MIGJORN: THE REFLECTION OF PARADISE
In case someone - who has never been to Formentera - is wondering, the hotel does not have a spa: what crazy person would want to get into a spa with one of the most beautiful beaches in the world literally thirty seconds from our bed?
The Migjorn coast offers more than four kilometers of sand and rock where, despite being quite crowded in some sections (especially in July and August), you will find your little piece of paradise, bathed by waters so crystal clear that you will not be able to stop looking at your feet.
The best? A pedestrian walkway runs along the entire coastline so you can move as you please. From west to east, these are the beaches and coves that make up Migjorn: Es Mal Pas, Es Ca Marí, Racó Fondo, Es Codol Foradat, Es Valencians, Es Arenals (where Casa Pacha is located, which offers complimentary sun loungers for its guests) and Es Copinar.
If you continue walking a little further, passing the mythical Bartolo kiosk, you will find Es Calo d'Es Mort , a small cove that, out of season, is a mini-paradise within the Pitiuso paradise.
It is Arenals, in Migjorn.
To explore the surroundings (slowly and feeling part of nature), the best means of transport is undoubtedly the bicycle, which you can borrow at the hotel.
On the way back, after a day at the beach and green paths –or why not, in the morning to start the day with maximum fullness– take a look at the wellness section of Casa Pacha, which offers massages in the shade of the pines (or in your own room with the sea in the background), sessions with a personal trainer and outdoor yoga and pilates classes.
At this point, it is clear what Casa Pacha is: a return to the roots, a trip in which to get rid of everything along the way –starting with the shoes and ending with the watch and the mobile–, a change of perspective.
Because, whether from the land or from the sea, here, one feels that things are just that, things, and that therefore, they can be left behind, that we do not need so much weight. What we did urgently need was to feel free.