A couple of lizards painted on a rock are the first sign that you have landed at Can Verru – a terrain of orchards and cacti is the second. From the moment you walk through the door, the magic of this villa holds you in its thrall. An overly dramatic reaction? Probably. This house kind of does that to you.
Can Verru in two words? Earth-shatteringly stunning. OK, that’s strictly three words, but we defy anyone to limit this property to just two adjectives. It’s no wonder Kylie Minogue chose to stay at the house and enjoy arguably the best bathroom Smith could find in the whole of Ibiza (more on that later). It’s the Gaudí-esque, sabina wood-filled result of a British design guru’s dream, and it really is something special.
Indeed, the spirit of Gaudí seems to infuse every fibre of this place; curved sabina wood twists and curls around Moroccan interiors, before spiralling up stairs and unfurling over bone-coloured stone floors and alcoves in the sculpted stonework. On the outside, all the edges and corners of the house have been shaved and smoothly rounded off, just adding to this effect. By the pool, the same bone-like walls wrap themselves around sand-coloured stone that is ideal for cooling red-hot feet. Meanwhile, overhanging rocks by the water blend with LED lighting, palm trees and huge chill-out mattresses to provide the ultimate Ibiza ambience.
Individually designed bedrooms are dramatic, comfortable and luxurious spaces: a room in a turret with flickering red lights here, a Zanzibar-themed room with spears on the wall there… But it’s Bedroom Ibicencan that guests will be fighting over. Mosquito nets create a billowing four-poster bed effect, whilst claret-red curtains and rich, dark furniture give the room an ancient feel. Open the sumptuously curvy wooden door to the en suite and you’ll find a room you’ll want to hang out in all day. It’s the best bathroom in the Balearics, and you feel as if you’re in a twisted wooden bubble.
All the double bedrooms at Can Verru have twin rooms next door to them, making this villa ideal for families. Soak yourself in a different room every day if you like; after all, there are six bathrooms and two shower rooms to choose from.
It’s the little unexpected pleasures that make Can Verru so special. Bedroom Turret’s bathroom has a glass roof that allows shards of sunlight to shoot like lasers into the room, while its terrace is the perfect tranquil spot from which to watch the distant boats at San Antonio. The poolside Moroccan Cottage’s bedroom has a custom-made, closed-off bed closet – a kind of mattressed grotto with room for about five people (and a bath to match). And, all around you, alcoves in the sculpted, curved stonework hold hidden lights and artefacts, while heavy, church-like doors guide you into rooms with exposed stone walls and Moorish styling.
Grown-up and design-conscious, Can Verru is the kind of villa you’ll want to brag about when you return home. A Gaudí-meets-Morocco-in-the-Balearics dreamscape, this is a chic retreat you’ll want to return to again and again.
Reviewed by Charlotte Crisp
