A holiday haven – Can Vistabella
Spend the holiday season feasting with friends and family at this beautiful Benimussa boutique hotel.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Can Vistabella, the beautiful boutique hotel in the rolling hills of Benimussa. After a brief winter break, manager Zuzana Floreková and her dedicated team have returned to their home away from home and are now ready and waiting to welcome friends, old and new, along with their chosen families for festive feasts and sunny winter breaks. Inside the cosy quarters, the halls have been decked with charming and rustic Christmas decorations, the traditional fireplace is constantly crackling and the underfloor heating is on, and stockings have been hung by the chimney with care – it’s a magical setting in which to spend the most wonderful time of the year in Ibiza.
Like-minded guests seeking a relaxed holiday haven make their way to Can Vistabella from across the globe, travelling from chillier climates like England, Switzerland, France or The Netherlands (among other far-flung places), to seek solace and sunshine in the Balearics. The hotel is made up of 15 independent residences, including family-friendly bungalows that sleep up to four guests, and charming studios that have been designed with couples in mind, and Zuzana says most guests who check in over the holiday period tend to settle in and spend their entire break within the grounds of Can Vistabella – despite the fact the best of Ibiza is right on their doorstep – a testament to the warm and welcoming environment she has created.
Can Vistabella boasts halls decked in festive finery, a toasty, crackling fireplace, winter-warming menus and a family friendly ambience.
The hotel’s stylish in-house restaurant, Essència by Can Vistabella, serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner daily and in addition to providing his regular culinary creations, chef Francisco Moreno has also been busy crafting a special menu for Christmas Day. Open to the public for both lunch and dinner, the impressive December 25 feast features nods to Navidad nostalgia, twists on tradition, a hint of international flair and flavours, and is made with a host of local products – and, of course, love. With the weather forecast to be blissful blue skies and glorious golden sunshine over the holiday period, lunch will be served poolside and the menu costs just 45€ per person, including one welcome cocktail.
Essència by Can Vistabella sets the perfect scene for making memories this winter with festive feasts on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
Whether you’ve just unwrapped gifts with your loved ones in the comfort of your room at Can Vistabella, or you’re making your way to Benimussa from your own Ibiza home, from the very first moment you arrive at Essència on Christmas Day, you’ll be embraced like a member of the extended family. Settle in at the table – or mingle around the pool by day, or around the fireplace at night – with a Negroni Sbagliato (Campari, red vermouth and cava), then choose from tasty appetisers of focaccia, goat cheese and honey, Iberian ham croquettes or falafel with Romescu sauce and pomegranate, and let your appetite lean into the gastronomic goodness that’s to follow.
Essència by Can Vistabella seats approximately 30 people, so the ambience over the holidays feels like an extra-large, family style celebration. Intimate yet buzzy, kids can play safely (Zuzana can arrange babysitters if needed) while grown-ups can completely relax, knowing that they’re in the best of hands, while someone else chops, slices, dices, bastes, bakes, blends and – what can sometimes feel like the best treat of all – does all the cleaning up! As the sound of conversation, laughter and clinking glasses echoes across the tables, your festive first course – melt-in-your-mouth homemade pumpkin and amarena (cherry) ravioli in smoked butter with sage and chestnuts – is served, a dish that sings with the flavours of a northern hemisphere Christmas.
Next up at Essència by Can Vistabella is the main event – a traditional Christmas roast dinner with all the trimmings, with an option to suit all appetites and dietary requirements. Choose from the Italian-influenced homemade porchetta, local free-range chicken, or a lush roasted cauliflower, douse it in gravy made from a red wine and pomegranate reduction, then load up on sides like balsamic roast potatoes, roasted winter veggies like carrots, parsnips and Brussels sprouts, and creamy spinach gratin. And while that may seem like enough to send you over to the sofa, or back to your room, for a siesta – the feast isn’t over until everyone’s been served a plate of artisanal panettone with Amaretto sabayon (a sweet, custard-like traditional Italian dessert) and nougat ice cream.
“Christmas at Can Vistabella is very special to me,” says Zuzana. “Before I moved to Ibiza, I would spend the holidays with my family in Slovakia, but on the island, I haven’t got any family. So, being able to spend Christmas with all of the people who come to stay here with their own friends, families and small children, and also with all of my team (we spend so much time together we feel as close as a family), really reminds me just how special this time of year is. It’s so charming and nostalgic, with a real sense of family and belonging. It feels like home.”
The hotel rooms are already full booked for Christmas and New Year – in high demand with returning guests – but Can Vistabella is now taking bookings for winter breaks from January onwards, and of course, spring and summer sojourns in 2025. Meanwhile, Essència by Can Vistabella remains open for bookings all winter long, inviting island residents and holidaymakers alike to join in the Christmas Day celebrations, the annual New Year’s Eve dinner (chef Francisco is busy devising another special menu for the occasion) or simply to drop in for lunch or dinner throughout the off-season. You’ll always be greeted with a smile (and quite possibly a hug), and find a place in the sun with your name on it…
