On planning my trip to Ibiza, an island I had never visited before, I spoke with a pal who spends half the year on the island to gauge her advice on all things new on the island.
Her eyes light up in sheer delight on hearing about my trip and told me that I must connect with Sabina, a new development that is offering Ibiza’s wealthy elite a new standard of living. She had attended the open party earlier in the summer and was blown away by Sabina, most specifically by the Clubhouse which was designed by famed Rolf Blakstad and Lázaro Rosa-Violán. She was unable to inspect a villa as all 7 villas from Phase I (there are 3 phases – phase II and Bespoke) had already been purchased.
Palmed with questions from my friend and with very little knowledge of Sabina (you have to request access to Sabina’s website) I arrived at Sabina’s 2,100-square-metre Clubhouse by way of one of their brand new Teslas. I was warmly welcomed by a familiar face; none other than the former head of Marketing at London’s 5 Hertford Street, one of London’s most prized private member’s clubs in Mayfair. I thought this quite the career change for her, leaving buzzing London for an island that has attracted party goers and hippies for years but I was wrong. Sabina is a members club and so much more!
Purchased in 2015 by Anton Bilton and his two partners Sabina occupies a 17-hectare farmland site on southwest Ibiza. It has been designed by 18 internationally renowned architects and designers including the British architects John Pawson and Sir David Chipperfield. Quite a rare occasion for so many famed architects from across the globe to come together on one project.
Each villa is entirely unique with views of the ocean and range in size from 510 square metres (5,490square feet) to 2100 square metres (22,600 square feet) .
The land already came with planning permission for 177 units but locals favoured Bilton’s gated community for it was promised Sabina would be conscious of its setting and respect the vast natural habitat. Landscape designer Andrea Sánchez connects the site with the surrounding nature and architecture using local and indigenous planting (including the Sabina pine, Sabina’s name sake).
All those involved in the planning, design and construction have managed to build an ecosystem without affected Ibiza’s original magnetism. Ibiza is renowned for attracting party goers, spiritualists, hen and stag do’ers but there has always been pockets of wealth. Only in the last few years have villas become grander with more private jet landings more frequent.
The security and privacy of Sabina is not the only thing that makes it a true haven of peace. It has its own non-denominational temple (which was built on 15kg of crystal quartz) for private reflection, meditation, yoga practice, blessings and spiritual ceremonies as well as an amphitheatre. Sustainability and ecology is very much at the core of the vision for Sabina.
Prior to lunch at the Sabina Clubhouse I was treated to an out of body experience massage in one of the spa’s treatment rooms. The foundations of the buildings themselves have been built with energising properties, constructed with tachyonised materials to create an ideal setting for physical and emotional rebalancing and chakra realignment. The spa offers a range of therapies from bioenergetic healing and alignment to nano-peptides skincare beauty combination therapy all of which can be conducted from a residents villa.
Fitted with a Jacuzzi, hammam and sauna it was hard to pull myself away from this sacred place but the lure of lunch by chef Shahar Tamir (formely Noma Copenhagen) got me up the stairs (which circles around a Marc Quinn’s sculpture). If you’re an art lover, Sabina’s collection to the theme of ‘Spirit’ will blow you away!
Lunch overlooking the 25-metre saltwater filtered swimming pool with a budha at one end and crystal at the other, was delicious. Even the anchovies which I would usually steer well away from were melt in your mouth divine.
Should residents prefer to dine in sync with their own bottles Sabina has a temperature-controlled wine cellar with private wine storage with a capacity for 24 bottles, available for every resident. That is not the only perk of the Clubhouse, there is a full-service 24hr concierge as well as a gym, library, private meeting and dining rooms, bowling alley, tennis and paddle courts as well as a nightclub. Plans are currently under way for another swimming pool, ideal for children.
The 50-villa residential project is about to go into Phase II so hurry before they all sell. Phase II will comprise 11 villas, which include designs by Rolf Blakstad, Jordi Carreño, Jaime Romano, and Manuel Aires Mateus, as well as their own Sabina designs. Sabina’s Bespoke Phase will consist of 18 villas designed villas by world’s leading architects and designers, including Ami Szmelcman (Israeli), Borja Ferrater (Spanish), Sir David Chipperfield (British), Elias Rizo (Mexican), Jaime Romano (Spanish), John Pawson CBE (British), Rick Joy (American), Manuel Aires Mateus (Portuguese), Marcio Kogan (Brazilian), Matteo Thun (Italian), Rolf Blakstad (Spanish).
If you’re not in the market for a villa just yet why not book a table at The Sabina Clubhouse Restaurant which is operated by La Paloma and open to the public for dinner reservations.
Address: Sabina Estates Calle Motril s/n Calle Motril, Urbanización Montecarlos, s/n, 07829 Sant Agustí des Vedrà, Illes Balears, Spain.
Tel: +34 609 610 915
Web: www.sabinaibiza.com
