Crete
It’s that time of year when full-blown summer’s not quite here, and you almost need a pre-holiday holiday to get yourself in the right frame of mind to relax. A few days in a top-class resort with a guaranteed-to-relax spa in a quiet spot on Crete should sort you out, body and soul.
Aldemar Resorts’ heavenly five-star Royal Mare resort and spa is a short drive from the airport, 25km from Hersonissos on the Mediterranean island’s northern coast, tucked away from the busier areas. With 385 rooms, some with a private pool big enough for a morning swim, the resort has a nice village atmosphere and friendly staff.
Activities on offer include water sports, golf, tennis, fitness room and there’s a good children’s club. You can relax by one of the pools or on the private beach. There’s great sightseeing nearby, too, including the ancient Minoan palace at Knossos.
Okay, I confess, I spent most of my time in the Thalasso Spa Centre, which has 4,000 square metres devoted to making you feel and look better. Choose a special programme or tailor-make one just for yourself. Escape for a summer beauty break at a top-class resort in spectacular Crete The menu includes an incredibly varied selection of pampering and specialist treatments in a variety of rooms. I started with a 90-minute Oriental Hammam; after a steam, I was scrubbed then smothered with flower-scented mud and left to relax. The result: silky-soft glowing skin all over. Lovely.
A 20-minute Aromatic Airjet, an aromatic bubbling bath with essential oils, is deeply relaxing and boosts circulation, thus attacking cellulite. The 25-minute Affusion Watermass treatment features warm seawater enriched with almond oil, again excellent for cellulite. The Douche S Marine Relax, an underwater massage using a water jet, does the same.
The mian pool at the Aldemar Royal Mare
Signature thalassotherapy treatment is Aquaroyal, a 35-minute, guided water-gym workout in assorted saltwater pools. I’d recommend the Algues 40-minute seaweed session for tense muscles and rheumatism, or go for an Abhyanga massage, a sublime, 55-minute massage with warm sesame oil – bliss.
Royal Mare regularly introduces new treatments. This year, these include a 55-minute Balinese massage and the astonishing LPG Lift 6 therapy for face and body. I tried the facial – the hi-tech machine used is tricky to describe, but it was like being kissed by kittens. You need six sessions for maximum benefit, but my complexion improved after one.
Good food probably helped, too. Royal Mare has six restaurants and four bars; I loved the seafood offered in the beachside Albatross. And, of course, a bit of sunshine always makes you feel better…
Classic Collection Holidays – 0800-008 7299, www.classiccollection.co.uk – offers three nights at Royal Mare – www.aldemar-resorts.gr – from £669 per person, with half board, flights from Gatwick (other airports available) and transfers.
Contact Wendy at wendy.gomersall@lady.co.uk
Prices are correct at the time of going to press.
Aldemar Resorts’ heavenly five-star Royal Mare resort and spa is a short drive from the airport, 25km from Hersonissos on the Mediterranean island’s northern coast, tucked away from the busier areas. With 385 rooms, some with a private pool big enough for a morning swim, the resort has a nice village atmosphere and friendly staff.
Activities on offer include water sports, golf, tennis, fitness room and there’s a good children’s club. You can relax by one of the pools or on the private beach. There’s great sightseeing nearby, too, including the ancient Minoan palace at Knossos.
Okay, I confess, I spent most of my time in the Thalasso Spa Centre, which has 4,000 square metres devoted to making you feel and look better. Choose a special programme or tailor-make one just for yourself. Escape for a summer beauty break at a top-class resort in spectacular Crete The menu includes an incredibly varied selection of pampering and specialist treatments in a variety of rooms. I started with a 90-minute Oriental Hammam; after a steam, I was scrubbed then smothered with flower-scented mud and left to relax. The result: silky-soft glowing skin all over. Lovely.
A 20-minute Aromatic Airjet, an aromatic bubbling bath with essential oils, is deeply relaxing and boosts circulation, thus attacking cellulite. The 25-minute Affusion Watermass treatment features warm seawater enriched with almond oil, again excellent for cellulite. The Douche S Marine Relax, an underwater massage using a water jet, does the same.
The mian pool at the Aldemar Royal MareSignature thalassotherapy treatment is Aquaroyal, a 35-minute, guided water-gym workout in assorted saltwater pools. I’d recommend the Algues 40-minute seaweed session for tense muscles and rheumatism, or go for an Abhyanga massage, a sublime, 55-minute massage with warm sesame oil – bliss.
Royal Mare regularly introduces new treatments. This year, these include a 55-minute Balinese massage and the astonishing LPG Lift 6 therapy for face and body. I tried the facial – the hi-tech machine used is tricky to describe, but it was like being kissed by kittens. You need six sessions for maximum benefit, but my complexion improved after one.
Good food probably helped, too. Royal Mare has six restaurants and four bars; I loved the seafood offered in the beachside Albatross. And, of course, a bit of sunshine always makes you feel better…
Classic Collection Holidays – 0800-008 7299, www.classiccollection.co.uk – offers three nights at Royal Mare – www.aldemar-resorts.gr – from £669 per person, with half board, flights from Gatwick (other airports available) and transfers.
Contact Wendy at wendy.gomersall@lady.co.uk
Prices are correct at the time of going to press.