These top spas offer a range of classic treatments focused on whole-body health and wellness.
NAPLES, ITALY
Ischia
Overview: Less glamorous than its younger sister Capri, this picturesque volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, at the northwest entrance to the Gulf of Naples, is thick with mineral-rich natural springs and thermal spas — some of the most renowned in Europe. The outdoor Baia di Sorgeto and Le Fumarole dei Maronti are open to the public, but there are numerous private offerings, too.
Extracurricular: Beyond the spas, cultural heritage can be found in the archaeological and marine museums and at the medieval Aragonese Castle. The foothills of Mount Epomeo are nothing but unspoiled forest to hike through, and you can snorkel over the remains of a Roman city on the sea floor at Cartaromana Beach.
Bonus: You get the best of both worlds here: the high-style vibe of a luxe dolce vita wrapped in simple, rural Italian authenticity.
CHESTER, NOVA SCOTIA
Sensea Nordic Spa
Overview: Nova Scotia’s first Nordic spa offers a full menu of massages, facials and body treatments, including a noted Ayurvedic head massage. For facilities, the chief attraction is the four-season outdoor water features — relaxing Scandinavian sauna rituals, hot and cold baths and Turkish baths, all scenic and beautifully landscaped. Visitors can also do yoga and Pilates.
Extracurricular: The village and surrounding waters are filled with resorts and marinas, making it a popular hub for the yacht crowd and racing buffs. Recreational pursuits like kayaking, golf, hiking and wandering the art studios and cool boutiques can also be worked into the agenda.
Bonus: There are a number of B&Bs and quaint inns nearby, but overnight accommodations at the spa itself are “coming soon.”
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ONTARIO
124 on Queen Hotel & Spa
Overview: The wellness hydrotherapy circuit is the key feature of The Spa at Q, a 12,000-square-foot full-service subterranean space with a giant skylight. Guests work their way through hot, warm and cool pools, plus a sensory shower, eucalyptus steam room and cedar-lined sauna. A snow room cools and refreshes, while a Himalayan salt room gets rid of toxins.
Extracurricular: The boutique hotel itself is a delight, as is the adjacent Treadwell Cuisine, its menus driven by the best Niagara has to offer. The town is filled with tempting treats like ice cream parlours and little boutiques.
Bonus: The signature treatment room has an infrared sauna to enjoy before the therapy.
MANITOU LAKE, SASKATCHEWAN
Manitou Springs Resort & Mineral Spa
Overview: This resort is located on the shallow, saltwater Little Manitou Lake, known as the Dead Sea of Canada, formed by receding glaciers and fed by underground springs. The complex comprises a 102-room hotel, conference centre, large heated indoor mineral pool and a range of spa services. Historically, the lake was a place of healing for the Indigenous Peoples of the region. You can’t really swim-swim, because the water is so salty — five times as salty as the ocean — but floating is a shrieking good time. It’s like you’re weightless.
Extracurricular: The resort village of Manitou Beach itself is a peaceful place, equipped with walking trails, golfing, sailing, boating, paddling and more.
Bonus: Therapeutic minerals in the water include magnesium, carbonate, potassium, mineral salts, sodium, calcium, iron, silica and sulphur.
VERNON, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Sparkling Hill Resort
Overview: With Swarovski crystals everywhere — 3.5 million of them, in fact — Sparkling Hill comes by its name honestly. This luxury European-style wellness resort sports a 3,700-square-metre KurSpa, noted for its whole-body offerings, including 100 different treatments and a hot-cold-rest water therapy cycle.
Extracurricular: Visitors enjoy golf, tennis, mountain biking and fresh mountain air, coupled with infinity pools, fireplaces, wine tasting and farm-to-table dining.
Bonus: A cryotherapy treatment — you spend up to three minutes in a room set to minus 110°C, but it’s a dry cold, so you are not uncomfortable — to energize your nervous and circulatory systems.
RIGI, SWITZERLAND
Rigi Kaltbad Mineral Baths & Spa
Overview: This luxe spa, a day trip from Lucerne, is located at the top of 1,800-metre Mount Rigi in the pre-Alps, a pilgrimage site noted for its healing waters since the 16th century. Connected via tunnel to the 50-room Hotel Rigi Kaltbad, the spa features a lavish indoor- and outdoor-pool complex, mineral-water bubble loungers, herbal steam baths and a sweeping Alpine panorama.
Extracurricular: Your tranquil wellness experience is augmented by hiking trails, car-free villages, quaint mountainside pubs and restaurants — including a Michelin-star one.
Bonus: You can’t beat the beauty of the sunset in the Alps.
BROMONT, QUEBEC
Domaine Château-Bromont
Overview: The Amerispa at this upmarket retreat at the foot of a ski hill in Quebec’s Eastern Townships is noted for its thermal experience: whirlpool baths, eucalyptus-scented steam bath, Finnish sauna, hydromassage stations, temperate pool and waterfall. But there’s no need to stop there: Guests can also book massages and beauty treatments, manicures and pedicures, or find a fireplace to curl up in front of.
Extracurricular: This place has everything: skiing, golf, mountain biking, fat biking, waterpark, farm visits, berry-picking and more. The region is also renowned for the Townships Trail, serene walking paths, and wine and food tours.
Bonus: The Chocolate Museum is a five-minute drive away.
