11 Top Wellness And Medical Spas

If you want to start the year by breaking from routine or to address mind and body issues, a health-focused resort is ideal. Rather than booking a resort with a sauna, pool and hot tub, try one that offers more in terms of treatments and therapies. Here are some of the world’s best wellness retreats that will help you feel rejuvenated, relaxed and healthier. There’s even one spa that offers programs to deal with long-covid.

1.Lily of the Valley, French Riviera, France

New, family run, luxury hotel, Lily of the Valley sits on the slopes of the Gigaro hills above six kilometres of fine sandy beach, near Saint Tropez. The chic interior design is by Phillipe Starck but the main reason to visit is for the impressive wellness village dedicated to weight loss, diet, sport and healthy living. It features a semi-Olympic pool heated all year round, treatment and consultation rooms, saunas and a snow shower. Wellness expertise is based on a combination of holistic medicine, ancient therapies and innovative techniques, managed by a leading French doctor and nutritionist. After a personal evaluation and consultation, a bespoke program is designed for each guest with private sessions with dieticians and coaches, and a choice of over 70 activities, from yoga to aquatic sports or from indoor cycling to mountain biking.

2.Palazzo Fiuggi Wellness Retreat, Italy

Located in a beautiful art nouveau hotel within an 80,000 sqm park overlooking the medieval spa town of Fiuggi, famous for its healing mineral waters, Palazzo Fiuggi launched in 2021 and offers hydro therapies within the Thalasso pools. Diagnostic assessments and consultations are by a team of scientists and doctors who provide bespoke treatments. The vast Medical Wellness retreat is super high tech with MRI and infrared technology to check brain health and sleep, retinal scanning and diagnostic testing. As well as a hammam, there’s a state-of-the-art gym, featuring Technogym, VR Icarus fitness, plus Pilates and Yoga equipment. Food is taken seriously too, with a menu developed by Heinz Beck of Rome’s three Michelin starred La Pergola in collaboration with nutrition expert Professor David Della Morte Canosci.

3.Sha Wellness Clinic, Spain

SHA Wellness Clinic in the Valencia region of Spain has launched a special program to address lingering covid-19 symptoms. The first of its kind in the wellness sector, it’s an entirely bespoke programme of therapies and clinical treatments. Because the virus does not affect all people equally, the Post-Covid health programme is coordinated by multiple specialists, following the principles of SHA’s integrative approach. By interconnecting its different clinical areas, the medical team has established different rehabilitation therapies and clinical treatments to address each persistent symptom.

4.Terme di Saturnia, Tuscany, Italy  

Terme di Saturnia is a luxury wellness resort on the site of the most famous natural geothermal springs in Italy, in the medieval town of Saturnia at the heart of the Tuscan Maremma. The 124-room resort is surrounded by 120 hectares of wild countryside with the ancient hot spring at its centre. This water has a strong protective, antioxidant and purifying action, and its beneficial effects act on the cardio-circulatory, respiratory, muscular and skeletal system. The resort has swimming pools, hot tubs, waterfalls, Roman bath with a sauna and Turkish bath. The resort also offers yoga, has guided nature walks, golf, tennis courts and mountain bike hire. 

5.The Point at Petite Calivigny, Grenada

 Launched in autumn 2020, The Point is the first dedicated luxury lifestyle and wellness resort on the Caribbean island of Grenada. Rather than run retreats on specified dates, The Point tailor creates retreats based on guest preferences. Guests can choose from a variety of exercise and wellness options, including stand up paddle board workouts, high intensity interval training, Barre ballet workouts, boxing and yoga. The resort’s Petite Spa offers a full range of treatments and therapies including Swedish, Thai and deep tissue massages and Reiki. The resort features a private-access, secluded beach, a state of the art gym and wellness centre including The Petite Spa, five swimming pools, a beach bar and a private marina.

6.Return to Yourself Retreat at Spa Village Resort, Tembok, Bali

YTL Hotels’ Spa Village Resort is an all-inclusive Yoga & Wellness retreat ideal for solo women travellers. Yoga classes, guided meditation and spa treatments are on offer in a peaceful and beautiful beachside location.

7.San Montano Resort & Spa, Ischia, Italy, 

On a beautiful, hill-top escape on the north coast of the Italian volcanic island of Ischia, this five-star hotel is a haven of relaxation and wellness: from the scented Mediterranean gardens with hundreds of lemon trees, to the outdoor spa perched above the sea, to thermal water pools and a natural grotto sauna.

8. Euphoria Retreat, Greece

For anyone looking for an intense fitness experience, The Spartan Adventure program at Euphoria Retreat in the Greek Peloponnese blends fitness with culture in fabulous surroundings. Activities range in intensity and take you through the beauty and history of the land of the Spartans, keeping alive their spirit of fitness and love of nature. Highlights of the program include a HIIT session at the nearby classical Sainopoullio Amphitheatre, Triathlon (swimming, cycling and rock climbing) at the picturesque seaside town of Gytheio, once a Roman trading port, mountain hikes through Merelai, an archeological site with views over the ruins of Sparta. Also included are energy movement sessions and aerial yoga and chill out time in the lovely spa.

9.Dolce Vitality, Le Sirenuse, Positano, Amalfi Coast 

Located at renowned Positano resort Le Sirenuse, Dolce Vitality takes place twice a year, in early spring and late fall. The weeklong fitness and detox retreat includes vigorous hikes, pure yoga sessions, conscious meditation, low-impact strength training and restorative spa treatments. Delicious, balanced vegan meals are prepared by the hotel’s chef, in close consultation with the resident nutritionist and health coach.

10.Andronis Concept Wellness Resort, Santorini, Greece

Set on one of the highest points of Santorini, Andronis Concept features suites with private, ocean-facing infinity pools. A hiking path runs parallel to the property and wellness experts offer daily hikes, yoga, tennis, personal training, nutritionist approved Greek cookery lessons, and launched in 2021, CBD treatments using Ila’s concentrate balm which is known to alleviate inflammation and numb pain caused by trauma. 

11.Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, Switzerland

Perhaps most famous for its thermal waters which are sourced from the neighbouring Tamina Gorge, a natural thermal water flow, first discovered in 1242, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz has recently launched a new wellness concept, the NewYou Method. The method is centered around six lifestyle elements and is an application of the resort’s medical, hospitality, and culinary strengths. Guests choose what their personal focus is: rehabilitation, remaining healthy or weight loss, and a bespoke program is created focused on their needs.