98 AVENTURA MAGAZINE

…THERE ARE REFUGES,

MUCH LIKE THE BIG

ISLAND OF HAWAII’S

ANCIENT AND STORIED

CITY OF REFUGE, WHERE

NO ONE COULD TOUCH

A WARRIOR ONCE HE

ENTERED ITS HALLOWED

SANCTUARY. MUCH LESS

LIFE-OR-DEATH, BUT

STILL A BATTLE TO FIND

EQUILIBRIUM IN A FAST-

PACED, TECHNOLOGICALLY

CONNECTED WORLD, WE

SOUGHT OUT SOME OF

THE BEST INTERNATIONAL

SPAS THAT OFFER

MODERN-DAY WARRIORS

SHELTER AND HEALING.

By Michelle Payer

BEYONDSEA

Somewhere…

the

99JULY 2016

Monastero Santa Rosa, Amalfi Coast

European nuns living centuries ago sometimes had the best digs, and Monastero Santa Rosa is no exception. Perched cliffside standing sentinel over the vast Mediterranean Sea, this 17th-century ethereal haven is now a luxury 20-room hotel with one of the best spas on the Amalfi Coast. Surrounded by the beauty of the Italian countryside and a heady scent of rosemary and lemon, its ancient walls tell a story of

healing, contemplation and sublime tranquility. Painstakingly restored, the spa features Santa

Maria Novella products, originally created by Dominican monks in the 13th century using natural ingredients, herbs and ancient recipes to create healing and anti-aging treatments (closer to home, visit Santa Maria Novella boutique in Bal Harbour Shops for a luxurious bit of Italy).

Two of the spa’s most spectacular spaces are the Thermal Suite with its vaulted, interconnect-ing warm rooms and multiple levels that reveal a two-story, vaulted Tepidarium with foot spas, heated mosaic loungers, steamroom, ice showers, rock sauna and hydro pool, and the 861 square-foot Spa Suite with Rasul treatment room (using mineral-rich mud, heat and steam to detoxify), double wet-and-dry treatment couches, mani and pedi areas, its own relaxation lounge and garden

terrace … essentially a cloistered spa within a spa. Non-hotel guests can choose from a menu of six Spa Day packages,

the favorite being Monastero Spa Life, four hours of treatments sure to rejuvenate even the most world-weary traveler.

www.monasterosantarosa.com/spa

ITALY

100 AVENTURA MAGAZINE

SHA Wellness Clinic and Spa, Al Albir

A mere 45 minutes north of Alicante lies Al Albir, a Spanish beach town and unofficial international residence of the most Norwegians outside of Norway (those fun vikings are everywhere). High on its one mountain of Sierra Helada is perched one of Europe’s most lauded healing and wellness clinics and luxurious spas, where its dedicated staff of hundreds has one mission: To make you well, whole, happy, and address and heal whatever ails you, from sleep disorders to fibromyalgia, fertility, aging, smoking, cardiovascular, stress and more. Essentially, if you need healing in any form, this is your refuge, complete with dietary assistance in the form of gourmet macrobiotic cuisine. Available for day spa rituals, but more ideal for multiple days, the “SHA Academy” is my pick for a four-day introduction. Morning Nordic Walks, complimentary classes including yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, stretching, meditation, aqua fitness, informative lectures (“emotional intelligence” was one), along with two outdoor pools and an indoor Hyrdo circuit can keep a person completely occupied, if the siren song of fantastically original treatments in 80 spa therapy rooms weren’t calling. Among the more than 85 spa therapies, favorites include Detox Premium Facial Treatment (restorative after transatlantic flights) that uses glass bells, seaweed lotion and more purposeful elements to detoxify, regener-ate, tone and unblock the skin; Watsu Water Therapy that literally cradles you in otherworldly flotation while you’re moved, stretched

SPAIN

and massaged into a deep state of relaxation; Shiatsu by a most healing Portuguese therapist, Mark, who opens energy pathways and transforms with his heart and hands. Add to that myriad “Units,” including Dermoaesthetic, Healthy Aging, Preventative Medicine and Genetic, Energy Health, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capillary and Nutrition and Natural Therapies units, and the mix-and-match possibilities are endless. Four days are a start, though I recommend at least a week in this curative sanctuary in the sky.

www.shawellnessclinic.com

101JULY 2016

Cinq Mondes Spa at Beau Rivage Palace, Lausanne

With the mantra of “set down your bags and leave everything behind,” one doesn’t have to be asked twice to check into the Beau Rivage Palace, an opulent and historic hotel continuously open since 1861 on the shores of Lake Geneva. Whether a guest at the opulent resort for total immersion in turn-of-the-century grandeur, or simply visiting from nearby Lausanne, the Cinq Mondes spa is a de rigueur stop at one of Europe’s best spas. The name, mean-ing “Five Worlds” represents French founder Jean-Louis Poiroux’s decade-long exploration of remote lands in search of indigenous cultures, rich in ancestral beauty and healing traditions. From abundant travel, he cultivated authentic spa rituals for massage and beauty treatments that are all organic or natural, with no parabens, silicone, mineral oils, or other pore-clogging properties. Eight treatment rooms feature globally gathered therapies including the Revitalizing Taoist Massage, Intense Royal Ahyanga Ritual, Relaxing North African Massage Ritual and Japanese KO BI DO Lifting and Plumping Fountain of Youth Facial. Splurge and check into a Spa Suite, one of the most remarkable rooms at Beau Rivage Palace, which includes a living room, bedroom and immense marble bath-room with two massage tables, Jacuzzi, hammam and views onto Lake Geneva and Alps beyond.

www.brp.ch/en/cinq-mondes-spa/cinq-mondes/the-concept.html

SWITZERLAND

102 AVENTURA MAGAZINE

Bodhimaya Retreats

Bodhimaya’s carefully designed retreats begin with their exclusive addresses: A 16th-century chateau in the South of France and Lord and Lady Cowdray’s private estate in West Sussex, 50 minutes from London’s Heathrow airport. If this sounds unusual, it is because Bodhimaya is not the usual spa resort, luxury health holiday or detox retreat. Utilizing locales that intentionally transport guests psychologically to another time and place, the retreats accommodate a maximum of 15 guests, with a team of 12 professionals guiding individualized programs that recalibrate the body and produce results to reduce stress, lose weight, manage a health condition, or simply live better, healthier and more rejuvenated beyond the six-day retreat. At approximately $5,200 per person, Bodhimaya’s meeting of Eastern phi-losophy with science-based nutrition is favored by celebrities, professional athletes and the overworked elite for whom a beach holiday doesn’t make a dent in personal rejuvenation. The bespoke program tailors retreats to indi-vidual guests’ needs to include detox, daily wellbeing and mind talks, yoga, meditation, cooking demos, hikes and REN facial and body treatments done at the estates for a truly royal experience. Most clients come solo to unwind, live life out of the spotlight, reflect and have personalized one-on-one attention from some of the world’s leading health and wellness experts in an intimate atmosphere that inspire connections over… not wine (which seems positively cruel in the South of France), but herbal teas, vegetable juices, soup and other detoxifiers. A transformative week in perhaps the world’s only aristocratic sanctuaries.

ENGLAND& FRANCE

104 AVENTURA MAGAZINE

MEXICO

Secrets Spa by Pevonia® at Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya

The newest spa on the list opened in February 2016 as the final phase of the Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya resort, a luxury, adults-only all-inclusive destination one hour and change south of Cancun. The architects took their design cue from nearby “cenotes,” freshwater caves that meander through the jungles for a glimpse into a delicious underwater world. Natural light, stone, water and local Parota wood are prevalent in this 13,000-square-foot healing oasis with 17 well-appointed treatment rooms. Guests are asked to arrive one hour before their appointment to enjoy the outdoor, co-ed hydrotherapy circuit, herbal steam, sauna, plunge pools and day beds. Facials exclusively utilize Pevonia products with natural ingredients, many designed for anti-aging, radiance and repair. Massage and body treatments range from soothing wraps for anyone who has overdone their time in the sun (easy to do so close to the equator), to a familiar range of deep tissue, Swedish and hot stone massage, the difference being in the quality of massage therapists, products used (wine extracts, natural oils from scented candles) and sheer beauty of this spa with its indoor/outdoor showers, multiple relaxation lounges and three “master” couples suites with outdoor terrace, private pool and amenities. One not-to-be-missed treatment is the Garra Rufa fish pedicure, in which feet are first gently scrubbed clean, then immersed in a glass tank where dozens of tiny Turkish fish suction (no teeth here) dead skin from the first layer of feet for a feathery light tickling sensation that leaves skin luxuriously soft. A final foot massage with emollient lotion leaves one blissfully light-headed and ready for more.

secretsresorts.com/akumal-riviera-maya/world-class-spa