Relax at Italy's Best Spas
Luxury in the Piemonte, Sicily, Amalfi and the Hills of Tuscany
Jan 26, 2009
From the mountains of the Piedmont and the shores of Lake Garda south to the beautiful Amalfi Coast and the vineyards of Sicily, Italy is prime spa country. No two spa-goers will agree on the best, but this is the personal pick of one well-traveled spa devotee.
Near Turin, in the Italian Piedmont, this luxury resort is a village of its own, and its spa specialty is the Alpine Healthcare Massage. The 50-minute massage and 40-minute body wrap use a variety of local herbs, including mountain juniper and wild thyme to both relax and invigorate guests.
Green Park Resort a Tirrenia
In a coastal pine forest on a beach only 7 miles from Pisa, Green Park resort’s spa repairs sun-damaged skin with the Massaggio all’olio di oliva, a moisture-laden olive oil massage. Olive oil’s remarkable abilities to heal and soften skin has been known since Roman times – remember that the world’s finest beauty soaps, Castille, are made from olive oil.
Hotel Poseidon
In pretty Positano, on the Amalfi coast, relax from shopping in the town’s steep streets with the spa’s Aromassage. As the name suggests, it uses aromatherapy to ease tension and soothe tired muscles. Grain de Sel massages use sea salt, essential oils and skin-softening calendula blossoms. Between April 22 and May 17, save with a Spring package that reduces the room rate by $55 and adds free massages.
Hotel Santa Caterina a Amalfi
Also on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast, Hotel Santa Caterina sits amid its own gardens that cascade in terraces down the steep mountainside to the sea. Indulge in the exclusive Oro di Amalfi -- Amalfi Gold – massage, using the fragrant herb lemon balm. Or in an aromatic massage with a blend of orange, rosemary, mint, basil and lemon oils.
Kempinski Hotel Giardino di Costanza
High Salt Energizer beauty treatments here use the local natural salt. Families are welcome, and kids are whisked off to their own activities while parents sneak off for a romantic moonlight massage for two in the spa’s gazebo.
Hotel Caparena & Wellness Club
Set along the sea below Taormina, also in Sicily, the resort is surrounded by palm trees and its walls hang with Bougainvillea. Indulge in their signature aromatherapy hydromassage or Ayurvedic massage after a swim at their private beach.
The well-preserved Medieval village of Bagno Vignoni, near Sienna, and its loggia-surrounded natural thermal pools are a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. At the Adler Thermae Spa Resort, bask as the Romans did, in the healing minerals-rich outdoor and indoor natural thermal pools with whirlpool jets. De-stress further in aromatic steam baths and with treatments such as the Etruscan Clay Bath. The Grotta Salina is an underground salt bath where lights and perfumes combine to intensify the water’s healing properties. Special spa programs are designed for men, for families and for children in their own spa.
Terme di Sirmeone
Although it’s not a resort spa, no list of favorite spas in Italy should leave out one of its most historic and approachable day spas. Over 2,000 years ago Romans noticed the hot springs that poured out of the ground beside Lake Garda. Ruins of one of their villas spread near the classy modern spa complexes of Aquarius, Virgilio and Catulo, all using the hot mineral-rich water for mud baths, hydro-massage, current swimming and bathing. A day ticket includes thermal and thalassotherapy pools, hydrotherapy massages, vascular treatment and fragrance showers, plus a “Wellness Cocktail” and salads, bathrobe, towel and bathing cap.
