Thinking about exploring the island of Ibiza?
There’s one place that needs to make it on your list, and that’s the Abandoned Hotel situated in the beautiful cove, La Cala d’en Serra.
Why is there an abandoned hotel in Ibiza?
Situated in the North of Ibiza in Cala d’en Serra, the luxury hotel complex was designed by the acclaimed Catalan Architect, Josep Lluis Sert. He was exiled at the time in the US, and his clerk, Antonio Ferran, had signed off on his projects because Spain’s fascist government prevented Josep Lluis Sert from being accredited as an architect in the Catalonia & Balearic islands region. The building project started in 1969, and the work was well underway when it was put on hold just over a year later.
Unfortunately, he died of lung cancer in 1983 and the project was abandoned. Apparently, there were discussions on whether the hotel should be completed (or demolished!) but it was simply just left as it was.
The main structure and the room layouts were all completed, including a couple of large terrace areas looking out to sea, and an empty pool area. You can see some incredible views out across the cove, surrounded by tall cliffs. The juxtaposition between an urban landscape covered in graffiti, engulfed by nature, with trees growing through the building and the beautiful sea views out really is something to experience.
Cala d’en Serra was actually once named one of Europe’s best beaches!
How to Find the Abandoned Hotel in Ibiza
Cala d’en Serra is located in the North of the island, not too far from Portinatx if you wanted to make a day of it. You will need access to a car to get here, or to any of the little coves, as they are quite remote.
Driving along these roads you’ll see some beautiful views though, so it’s well worth planning a road trip around the island of Ibiza. The navigation is quite simple using Google Maps, and although the roads are quite winding, they are good roads to drive on if you’re not used to driving on the right-hand side of the road.
Once you arrive, it is recommended to park on the tarmac road at the top and then walk down the hill. You are very likely to see other cars parked up here. There is then a road leading down towards the hotel, which is wide enough for cars to get down but is very rocky and unsuitable for most – you’re very likely to do some damage if you try to drive all the way down.
The walk only takes between 5-15 minutes depending on your ability and speed, but it should be noted that you are walking downhill, and so will have to walk quite a steep uphill on your way back to your car. It would be tough at the hotter points in the day!
Access to the Abandoned Hotel in Ibiza
Once you walk down the hill, you’ll come to the first section of the hotel that you can get into. There are buildings in front, some to the right, and then if you follow the path round to the left you’ll end up walking around the building and into a courtyard of sorts. There’s so much to see, it’s hard to know where to begin!
Access to the hotel is fully open, and you can easily walk around the different rooms and floors. Of course, it should be noted that this is all done at your own risk, and you must be cautious as you explore the area. It is an abandoned building after all, so it isn’t managed for safety. There are broken walls and steps, big drops from the sides and the upper floors do have holes in some spots.
Exploring an Abandoned Building
There’s something quite eerie about walking around a building that is in such a state of disrepair.
When we visited there were a few other groups of people also wandering around, but because the complex is so large and you’re surrounded by nature, it was still so quiet. There are a lot of rooms you can look in, all at different stages of being built so that’s interesting to see.
Timing-wise, I would allow for up to two hours to explore the abandoned hotel site, as there is a lot to walk around and take in, especially with all the graffiti that continues to be added to. You can see it in less time, but there would definitely be areas that feel rushed. We enjoyed just slowly taking it in and enjoying the quiet. There is also a small beach with beds in the cove, so you could make a day of it and have a swim in the sea whilst you’re there.
Ever been to Ibiza?
It doesn’t take long to drive across the island. We hired a car from Motoluis to do a road trip around Ibiza and it was well worth it to see quiet coves like this!
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