Rituels d'Orient hammam spa, BarcelonaEvery now and then you have to pamper your body a little, and the Rituels d’Orient hammam, which is near my home and which I came across by chance, is a little paradise where you can let yourself go. As you step through the curtain at reception, an immense serenity takes hold of you and changes your sense of time and space.

The first step towards forgetting your daily chores is a small changing room where you put on your robe and slippers, and then it’s straight to the hammam, which you reach down a short flight of steps. Soft lighting with Arabic motifs, a high but pleasant temperature and oriental fragrances transport you to the heart of Morocco.

After the hammam, the ideal thing is an exfoliation on a smooth stone bed: a combination of mitts and water leaves your skin as soft as a baby’s. And with that, your body is ready for whichever massage you fancy.

And as the final stop on the journey, sweet mint green tea and a Moroccan pastry in a lounge full of terracotta-toned cushions.

Best of all, it’s open on Sundays until 9pm.

An experience that’s well worth it! You can also buy the products they use. Personally I love La Sultane de Saba soap, a black soap with eucalyptus.

Address: Carrer de Loreto, 50, 08029 Barcelona
Rituels d’Orient hammam website