4 of the best Mediterranean spas
With the option of wellness treatments, delicious food and views that will carry you through cold winter nights long after you return, these four Mediterranean spa resorts will rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit. By PAVIA ROSATI
Andronis Concept Santorini, Greece
Life balance with spectacular sunset views: that is what awaits at Andronis Concept, an intimate and relaxed resort with 28 pool suites and villas. Spa treatments are organized around four key pillars – better sleep, hormone rebalancing, stress reduction and digestive health – and run the gamut from timeless Ayurveda to cutting-edge light therapies. Especially innovative is a Hair Profiling Test, in which guests receive a wellness profile based on information in one strand of hair (much less invasive than giving up a drop of blood). Hatha, vinyasa and aerial are among the yoga offerings, including daily classes that make the most of the unforgettable view.
USP: Andronis Concept is one of the few family-friendly spots on Santorini. Wellness is a family affair and good habits can be instilled early courtesy of the kids’ yoga, kids’ spa and family cooking classes on offer.
Six Senses Kaplankaya Bodrum, Turkey
Six Senses’ Integrative Wellness approach focuses on the mind-body connection, combining Eastern and Western traditions and infusing wellness throughout all of its hotels. At Kaplankaya, situated amid cypress groves, rugged hills and three private beaches, the exhaustive offerings ensure healing is as intense as you want. The spa is home to a hydrothermal experience with a salt grotto, steam room, Finnish sauna and, of course, a traditional Turkish hammam. Indoor fitness offerings include Pilates, kinesis, yoga studios, weights and racquetball. Outdoors: scuba, snorkeling, kayaking, hiking. Other treatments include body-composition analysis and cardio metabolic testing. Do you need a nap yet? Good: the Sleep with Six Senses program is designed to make it as restful as possible.
USP: Two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are nearby. On site, the Earth Lab helps guests learn to infuse sustainability practices into the everyday.
SHA Wellness Clinic Alicante, Spain
Restorative spa or futuristic medical center? In a word, both. SHA Wellness Clinic is a luxurious retreat overlooking the sea and a cutting-edge medical facility with 30+ doctors on staff. Your visit begins before arrival, as guests are asked to provide the results of blood tests that inform a customized program encompassing exercise, diet, medicine and a path for healthy living long after the return home. The partnerships SHA touts are not with beauty companies but rather with the World Health Organization, Harvard Medical School and NASA. The offerings are similarly rigorous, like Transcranial Current Stimulation and Brain Photobiomodulation at the clinic’s Cognitive Development Unit. Their latest programs, Healthy Ageing for Women and Healthy Ageing for Men, include gender-specific genetic consultations, bone densitometry scans and emotional management.
USP: Come not only to reset your current physical condition, but as an investment in a longer, healthier and happier life.
Villa La Coste Provence, France
Is there anything more French than a beautiful spa situated in a prized vineyard? Villa La Coste adds a cultural dimension too by including artwork and architecture by Tadao Ando, Tracey Emin, Jean Nouvel, Louise Bourgeois and Ai Weiwei throughout. The 28 villa suites are served by three restaurants, including one by notable Argentine chef Francis Mallmann. The spa is a zen-like haven, with a Japanese-style onsen and a hammam. Local natural elements from mud to mineral salts infused with Gascony plums and poppy seeds detoxify and stimulate circulation, while essential oils in a cornucopia of Provençal scents (rose, cedar, vervaine, olive) enrich massages.
USP: Guests who want a deeper immersion can come for week-long intensive stays led by world-renowned experts in meditation, yoga or cranio-sacral therapy.
Find more global inspiration in Travel Anywhere (And Avoid Being a Tourist), the new book by Fathom cofounders Pavia Rosati and Jeralyn Gerba, which includes a chapter on wellness around the world.