Sea benefits

More and more spas are offering treatments based on the ocean. No wonder when you consider the abundance of minerals found there

Think about how revived and rejuvenated you feel after a refreshing dip in the ocean – the salt leaves your skin feeling as smooth and polished as a pebble, while the ebb and flow of the waves gives you a burst of vitality and helps wash away your worries. So it’s not surprising these healing properties have been harnessed into a form of therapy. Known as thalassotherapy, the medical use of seawater has been recognised since the time of the ancient Greeks, when it was said to help ease conditions from insomnia to arthritis. More recently, coastal spas and health retreats in Europe and beyond have developed dedicated programmes based on an array of aquatic treatments from seawater showers and seaweed wraps to masques of marine mud or oceanic algae.
The Marbella Club Hotel in southern Spain is the latest to offer an extensive thalassotherapy menu – its new Thalasso Cure programme includes up to three hours of treatments each day, designed to detox and reshape you, and help you to unwind. When I arrived, I was tired and stressed, but the sunny weather, gorgeous location – the hotel is just steps from the beach – and welcoming environment soon soothed me. However, I must admit to having been a little sceptical – I love a dip in the surf as much as the next person, but can it really make that much difference to my health?
My schedule kicked off with a doctor’s consultation, which made me take it all a little more seriously, though shuffling into the on-site surgery in my spa robe was slightly surreal. He prescribed a range of skin-tingling treatments to rev up my sluggish circulation, boost my energy, and restore equilibrium.

Sensuous seaweed
First came the Vichy exfoliation treatment. My therapist rubbed coarse salt and oil into my skin, then blasted it all away with a seawater-filled hose – and yes, it’s as invigorating as it sounds. Next came the pampering I’d been craving – a gorgeous algae treatment, which saw my body cocooned in a wrap of warm seaweed extracts. I brushed away creeping feelings of claustrophobia by reminding myself of the nutrients my skin was absorbing – seaweed is heavy with proteins, minerals, lipids and minerals.
The next day began rather less luxuriously, with an indoor aqua-gym class designed to tone and raise the heartbeat. But it was fun, and felt like far less work than it really was. In the afternoon, I was booked in for a multi-jet massage, during which a therapist blasted giant torrents of water at my body to tone the skin and pep up circulation. It was an odd sensation, and not exactly relaxing, but respite quickly followed with the memorably delicious Jet Lag treatment: an encased bed of warm mud bubbled away beneath my back as the therapist expertly worked on my scalp before performing reflexology on my feet. It was all I could do to stay awake.
I felt genuinely rejuvenated and de-stressed at the end of my stay – I had that well-rested glow that made me look as though I’d slept for 24 hours. Who needs Thailand when all this is available just a three-hour hop from Gatwick?

Need to know
The Marbella Club Thalasso Cure costs from €1900 (about £1660) per person per week, including accommodation, breakfast and lunch, a doctor’s consultation and up to three hours’ treatment per day. Shorter spa periods are available. Visit www.marbellaclub.com for further details.