When I decided to spend five days in Ibiza, shortly after booking my flights back to the UK, I was determined to find somewhere on the white island that would appeal to my abiding appetite for books. And after trawling the internet for more hours than I care to admit, I stumbled across Cas Gasi, a hidden gem beloved by the Ibizan in-crowd and anyone after an opulent stay on the island. A beautiful boutique hotel housed in a 19th century farmhouse, Cas Gasi is a former family home that provides guests with an idyllic retreat away from the island’s heady hedonism.

Location

Cas Gasi is nestled in the heart of the island, in a picturesque valley, surrounded by pine forests, olive groves, thriving vegetable plots, almond and carob trees and a wide expanse of bright sunflowers. Just a fifteen minute drive from Ibiza’s beautiful beaches, the hotel offers guests an ideal base for exploring the surrounding countryside – though whether you will ever want to leave is quite another matter entirely.

Rooms

Boasting ten rooms and two suites at this former family home, we stayed in one of Cas Gasi’s stunning deluxe suites which featured a private library complete with traditional writing desk, an enormous dressing room lined with built-in wardrobes, the main bedroom overlooking the hotel’s decadent drive, a mosaic-tiled bathroom, and separate walk-in shower and toilet. Each of the rooms are uniquely decorated, with flashes of floral furniture, nautical stripes and the type of old school charm that perfectly aligns with the heart of the hotel. Rich with character and beautiful decor, the rooms manage to fuse an opulent edge with a wonderfully homely quality. The bath robes are fluffy; the tub a generous size, and each of the rooms are bathed in beautiful Ibizan sunlight.

Food and drink

With an onsite thriving vegetable plot, it’s little wonder that the food at Cas Gasi is wholesome with a healthy twist. The breakfast includes everything from organic acai bowls to smashed avo and scrambled tofu – perfect for any plant-eating guests – while the drinks menu offers everything from chilled prosseco to delicious superfood smoothies, ideal for thirst-quenching after a day spent in the sun.

Literary links

In addition to the private and wonderfully curated library in one of the hotel’s two stunning suites, Cas Gasi is a true treasure trove for anyone with a penchant for books. With bookcases dotted throughout the communal spaces, alongside coffee table tomes and piles of thick, glossy magazines, there’s certainly no shortage of reading material. We were lucky enough to stay in the suite that featured a private library, and it was as dreamy an abode as ever I’ve seen. Complete with writing desk, floral furniture and more books than even the most dedicated reader could possibly get through in a decade, it was as if the dream living quarters of an ardent bookworm had manifested into reality. With everything from F Scott Fitzgerald classics, to modern memoirs from Patti Smith and contemporary offerings by AJ Pearce and many, many more, I would have been quite content to while away the rest of 2019 within the four walls of the library with nary an intention to leave.

Worth staying in bed for

While not an obvious locale for bookworms, there are a number of book choices for anyone holidaying on the white island after some local literature. A Valley Wide by Alexis Brown is a memoir that follows the writer as she moves with her husband and two young children from the comparative sophistication of Formentera to a remote part of Ibiza, while The Road to San Vicente is a book by Leif Borthen about life in the tiny village of Sant Vicent de sa Cala in the far north east of the Spanish island of Ibiza, and will certain provide some food for thought for any would-be island dwellers wanting to relocate to Ibiza.

Useful information about Cas Gasi

Address
Camino Viejo de Sant Mateu, s/n, 07814 Santa Gertrudis de Fruitera, Spain

Location

Website

https://casgasi.com/

Price
Suites at Cas Gasi start at €675 per night.