El Raposo Spa Hotel

Who they are

El Raposo is a spa in the countryside, in the municipality of Puebla de Sancho Pérez, a few kilometres from Zafra, in the south of the province of Badajoz. Its own history says that around 1860 local people discovered the mud of the stream when a sick sow appeared covered in mud and cured; in 1886 the first Bathhouse was built. In 1922 the company Alonso e Hidalgo was formed, in 1925 a first hotel of twenty double rooms opened and in 1926 a Royal Order declared it of public utility as a spa.

Since 1943 it has been linked to the Cortés family: Carlos Cortés Fedeli then bought half, his son Antonio Cortés Muñoz ran it with his wife, Pilar Moro, and in 1999 the widow and her four children bought the other half and founded Balneario El Raposo S.L. That year the Junta de Extremadura recognised it as a health centre. In 2008 it was the first Extremaduran spa with the Q for tourist quality, in 2011 it obtained the ISO 14001 and 27001 standards and in 2019 the hotel became four-star.

Mud and waters

The house speciality is natural mud, something presented as uncommon in Spain and unique in Extremadura. The mud is collected from the nearby stream and matures for five to eight months in the sun in ponds, covered with mineral-medicinal water. The water is bicarbonated, calcic, magnesic and radioactive, and the spa recommends it above all for rheumatic and joint problems, respiratory, digestive and skin problems, circulatory problems such as tired legs, and for stress and sleep disorders.

The active pool is heated to 32.8 °C and treated with ozone. It has sequenced underwater jets, bubble beds and seats, a waterfall and a phlebotherapy area; around it are the dry sauna, the steam sauna, the ice area, the aromatic shower and the thermal loungers.

The hotel and the estate

The hotel is joined to the spa and has a hundred rooms: 87 doubles, three of them adapted, and 13 singles, with full bathroom, air conditioning, free wifi, safe, minibar and a pillow menu. It is surrounded by about 30,000 m² of gardens. Since 2016 there has also been a tree-top adventure park, and on the estate they have a separate rural lodging, Aromas del Raposo. They organise weddings and events.

How to book

You do not need to stay there to use the circuit. In the shop on its website they sell vouchers: the circuit with lunch or dinner costs €55; with a massage, €64 to €66; with a massage and a meal, €87 to €96; with one night at the hotel, €125. There are also getaways of one to three nights and the Edad de Oro (Golden Age) stays, of six or eleven nights with full board and daily thermal treatments. Book by phone, by email or on its website. The website does not publish the minimum age for the circuit, the pool's opening hours or the cancellation terms: it is best to ask when you book.