Body, blood and soul: The ultimate hardcore health spas for 2019
Nordic walking, blood analysis, spiritual cleansing or a pummelling massage… it’s all about self-improvement, apparently.
1. SHA Wellness, Alicante, Spain
Founder Alfredo Bataller cured his own chronic illness through diet and naturopathy, which spurred him on to set up SHA Wellness Clinic a decade ago. All about combining natural therapies with nutrition and the latest Western medicine to tackle issues ranging from weight loss to chronic fatigue, it has just introduced live blood analysis, an early detection tool for health problems. Doubles from ￡280; shawellnessclinic.com
2. Adler Spa Resort Thermae, Tuscany, Italy
As a dedicated wellness centre, this spa’s entire focus is on improving your health under the supervision of an in-house team of doctors. There’s a wide range of programmes – new for 2019 is the Fasting Mimicking Diet – plus guided hikes, yoga and downtime in the thermal pools and steam rooms. Doubles from ￡464; adler-resorts.com
3. Waldhotel, Lake Lucerne, Switzerland
Part of the gloriously revamped Bürgenstock Resort, this revolutionary medical wellness centre and spa uses an elite team of multidisciplinary physicians and offers tailored packages with themes like healthy ageing and weight loss, and treatments including the Permanent Body Contour Massage. Doubles from ￡395; burgenstock.ch/en
4. Palace Merano, Espace Henri Chenot, Italy
Famous for its results-driven Chenot Method for healthy living, the treatments at Espace Henri Chenot combine the principles of traditional Chinese medicine with the latest scientific advances. New for this year is a Detox Revital & Sport Programme offering rigorous exercise, Nordic walking tours and a vitamin infusion course. Doubles from ￡350; palace.it
5. Lefay Resort & Spa, Dolomiti, Italy
Award-winning Lefay will open its second sustainable spa resort this summer in the ski area of Madonna di Campiglio. This vast wellness centre will champion Lefay’s combination of classical Chinese medicine and modern Western techniques, and offer interesting twists on pre-and-post skiing and hiking massages. Rates not yet available; lefayresorts.com
6. Villa Stéphanie, Baden-Baden, Germany
Both elegant and enchanting, this medical spa in a converted royal residence on the edge of the Black Forest is one of the most serious in Europe. On arrival you get afull-body analysis from which a bespoke programme is created. It’s a great place to detox and focus on weight loss. Doubles from ￡440; oetkercollection.com
7. Six Senses Kaplankaya, Turkey
On a glorious stretch of the Aegean coast just north of Bodrum, Six Senses’ first Anti-Ageing Centre is run by a neuroscientist, has a Watsu pool and focuses on lifestyle habits. Spa programmes include anything from massages and facials to meditation walks. Doubles from ￡350; sixsenses.com
8. Euphoria, Mystras, Greece
This serious wellness retreat specialises in tackling personal issues and restoring balance in your life through ancient Greek philosophies blended with Chinese medicine. You can book individual treatments, more focused three-day retreats on, say, improving body image or creating meaningful relationships, or go for the week-long Emotional & Physical Transformation retreat. Seven-night programmes start at ￡2,600; euphoriaretreat.com
9. Vana, Uttarakhand, India
This hilltop wellness retreat in northern India helps guests achieve their best physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual selves, with treatments prescribed according to personal objectives, medical conditions and dosha (Ayurveda body type). Three retreat types are now offered: Vana Ashram, Vana Wellness and Vana Lifestyle, focusing on stillness, physical wellness and spirituality. From ￡260 per person; vana.co.in
10. Longevity Health and Wellness Hotel, Alvor, Portugal
Another award-winning wellness group that will open its second spa this summer. On a hill overlooking the bay of Alvor in the Algarve, this new venue will combine cutting-edge preventative and regenerative medicine with more conventional wellness therapies such as advanced detoxes and sleep optimisation. Doubles from ￡191; longevitywellnessworldwide.com