Spectacular Spas & Restful Resorts Around the World

j.f.r.

7 min read

Life and travel are hard on a body, not to mention a mind. Thankfully, there are many amazing spas offering an assortment of relaxation treatments all over the world. But spas and resorts can be expensive!

For many treating oneself to day of rest feels like a luxury we often can’t afford. I love a good massage, but I do have to save up and only schedule a spa day as a special occasion. Nothing is worse then when you’ve spent that money and the resort turns out to be no better than a good hot bath at home.

So how do you get past the hype to see which spas are worth the entry price?

You can do a lot of research and cross your fingers, or just check your favorite travel website (*cough cough, Unmoored.com*) that has already done the work...

Here are the most serene spots I’ve come across that are worth the money for their unique treatments, history or the amazing scenery you can’t duplicate at home.

1 - Sacred Spas in Converted Religious Spaces

If you approach relaxation with reverence you will love these sanctuary based spas.

Monastero Santa Rosa in the Amalfi Coast of Italy - a converted 17th-century monastery on a clifftop with treatment rooms in the vaulted ceilinged old wine cellar. In addition to the normal assortment of spa treatments they also offer bee pollen facials.
In Sweden the Læsø Kur Spa is located in an old church on the island of Læsø.
A mountain climb and horse & cart ride will also get you to the Banjar Hot Springs in North Bali, Indonesia. While there has never been a religious complex built on the site the Air Panas Banjar, as its known to locals, are considered sacred. Surrounded by lush gardens, the sulphur springs pour it several tiers of pools from the stone mouths of carved naga (dragon-like beings from Hindu mythology that are considered protectors of hidden treasures associated with wells and water.)

2 - Ancient Baths

If you enjoy a bit of history while soaking these baths are your ticket.

A centuries old hammam in Marrakeck, Morocco, the Hammam Mouassine, is not as elaborate as newer hammams, but it's architecture is still a beautiful example of the Saadian period when it was built by Sultan Abdellah al Ghâlib between 1562 and 1563, and it's an amazing authentic hammam experience.
Even older are the Roman baths in Khenchela, Algeria - The baths themselves are quite simple, built more than 2,000 years ago by the Roman Empire and they are the only original Romans baths I know of that are still being actively used. Unlike the museums set up in places like Bath, you can actually bathe with the local men in Algeria just like the Romans, and the Ottomans after them.
Want to bath like cavemen? Step back into prehistory at the Gran Hotel Balneario de Puente Viesgo, Cantabria, Spain - where the mineral waters are in the prehistoric caves (complete with cave paintings) attached to the castle. The baths have been updated and now includes jets and colored mood lighting.
Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel & Spa is built, or rather carved into the ancient cave city of Matera, Italy, known as la città sotterranea (the underground city), one of the worlds oldest cities, the oldest cities and carved entirely from stone. Both rooms and spa are a combination of natural rock caverns and modern amenities.

3 - Traditional Bathhouses & Saunas

For the purist who like their bathing traditions unadulterated.

The Kotiharjun Sauna in Helsinki, Finland is one of the last traditional, public wood-burning Finnish Saunas in the city. They offer traditional vihta ritual body wash on Thursdays & Saturdays.

For Northern European sauna style spas try the Sparma Spa, in Riga, Latvia which has Baltic Saunas and wood barrel baths in open forests. Or the Balkin Sauna, Bukovicka Banja, in Arandjelovac, Serbia in the wooded Sumadija district who follow the Russian Banya traditions.
Russia may not be a feasible travel destination right now but that shouldn't prevent you from enjoying a traditional Russian Banya. Banya No.1 in London, England is the 1st London Banya style sauna and it even offers venik massage.
Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamamı, is one of Istanbul’s oldest hammams, their Turkish Bath attendants are absolute pros. (Separate hours for women/ men so plan ahead.)
For an authentic Japanese Onsen bathhouse check out Tenzan Onsen in Hakone, Tokyo, Japan whose outdoor pools, including one in a cave, are surrounded by bamboo or the Beppu Onsen Hoyoland*, which offers mud pools, a rose-scented pool and a medicinal herb pool.

Korea is full of jjimjilbang, like Dragon Hill Spa in Yongsan, which are a relatively ’new tradition,’ at least commercially, but they are essentially traditional bathhouses with their own Korean version of full body scrub and mineral saunas. If you can’t make it to Korea they are spreading and you can even find pretty descent one, Je Ju, in Atlanta GA USA of all places.

4 - Out in the Wild

Do you find it easier to let go while becoming one with nature? There are some amazing natural springs and mud baths out there.

With picture perfect turquoise pools and steaming white baths in the middle of a hot river (and free to bath in) the Saturnia Hot Springs in Tuscany, Italy are hard to beat. (There's also a spa, the Terme di Saturnia Natural Spa attached, not free)
The Pamukkale Thermal Baths are on the white cliffed hillside of Denizli, Turkey. Near the ancient city of Hieropolis, Pamukkale translates to Cotton Castle, an apt name, as the aqua pools in tiered white honeycombed stone look like something out of a Dr. Suess book. Also called due to its appearance).

In Colombia there's an active mud ‘volcano’ where you climb to the top and descend into the mud filled crater. Local attendants are available for massages and there is a lagoon nearby used to rinse off and swim. And in Saint Lucia there are similar mud baths inside the dormant Soufriere volcano, (which last erupted in the 1700s.)
Vulcano island, just off the coast of Sicily in the Aeolian Islands, has muddy pools at its base of it’s volcano and natural jacuzzis near by.
In Iceland there's a turquoise mineral lake in the crater, Víti, (of the Askja Volcano) that you can bath in, conditions allowing. Or you can visit a resort built around the geothermal baths of the Mývatn Nature Reserve, with a milky blue lagoon, steam baths, and a swim-up bar overlooking stunning North Icelandic wilderness
And the at Siwa Oasis, in the Sahara Desert there are hot mineral springs as well as the option to take a hot sand baths.

5 - Unique Experiences and Treatments

Are you a regular spa goer looking for something new or out of the ordinary?

Go to the source with peat bath treatments in the original spa town, Spå, Belgium, at the Thermes de Spå at the foot of the Andes mountains.

Osmosis, a Japanese style spa in Freestone, California has a similar alternative bath treatment, a cedar mulch enzyme soak, with rice bran.

Or a Jungle Night at The Four Seasons Resort, Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru has a unique ‘Om Supti Night Spa Ritual’ which is night massage performed in a private jungle space with an outdoor bath and swinging bed.

In Scandinavia the spas sometimes float - you can visit one of the many floating saunas like KOK on the river front in Oslo, Norway & in Copenhagen, Denmark you can take out a hot tub boats on the canals, with CopenHot.

Spreewelten, in Lübbenau Germany has penguins at it’s spa that you can feed and can swim with (separated by a panel)
Connect with biblical history while bathing in the Dead Sea at The Synergy Spa of the Ein Gedi kibbutz, Israel - Ein Gedi is one of the six cities bequeathed to the Tribe of Judah and mentioned for its vineyards in the Song of Songs served as a sanctuary for David when he was fleeing King Saul.

6 - Little Bit of the Best of all Worlds

For those who prefer a variety of amenities and treatments from multiple traditions.

If money is no object, there is no better spa retreat than Ananda in the hills above Rishikesh, India. Rishikesh is the birth place of Yoga and my favorite Beatles' albulm, The White Album, (it's where they went to study transcendental meditation and wrote more than 30 songs.) The modern resort is set around a restored Maharaja's palace and not far from the awe inspiring Kunjapuri Temple.
An affordable, but still unique spa option, is Liquidrom, a cool urban spa with a domed, saltwater floating pool with underwater music, illuminated by subdued, colored lights in Berlin, Germany.They do infusion ceremonies in the saunas and often feature live performances, ranging from didgeridoo to classical music.
Between the two price ranges, with floor-to-ceiling windows over views of Rheinpark and Cologne Cathedral is Claudius Therme, in Cologne Germany. Claudius has herbal steam baths and unique sauna options like a kelo sauna, utilizing honey and salt and a Russian banya style with venik birch twig swatting. They even have Physiotherapy massages.

As if open-air pools with views of the Alps aren't enough, Bergoase Spa at Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa, Switzerland is also an architectural work of art, set in a mountain side illuminated by natural light from their wide glass facade.

Whatever your price range, from free wild baths to luxurious resorts there are plenty of amazing and unique spa experiences out there! Whats your favorite? Know of a great spot I should try? Let me know in the comments and be sure to check back, I update regularly as I find more spectacular spots!

*Beppu Onsen Hoyoland does permit small tattoos, which is rare in Japan