By Gail Harrington

updated 5:41 p.m. ET March 7, 2007

Though I’ve been to Ireland many times, lured back again and again by a thousand shades of green — a patchwork quilt divided up into odd shapes by old stone walls, winding country roads, and bleak hillsides that one can barely call mountains — the land still manages to impress with its drama. Yellow gorse and purple heather splash color across the countryside, cut by interconnecting lakes and streams, all bordered by a wild rocky coastline. The scent of burning peat wafts from tiny villages and, of course, the Irish themselves bring fun-loving theater and humor to every scene.

For some reason, I enjoy Ireland most when the weather is at its worst, though that sensibility has been balanced by a brief history of rental car mishaps, mostly due to my fear of driving on narrow country roads and unlighted highways. Still, I’m not easily deterred — driving is the ideal way to see Ireland, as long as you’re not in a rush. And with the country’s best new spas on my itinerary, each destination holding the promise of pure relaxation, I had no reason to hurry.

A booming economy and a natural interest in holistic practices have spurred a recent rise in spa development in Ireland, an oxymoron of sorts if one thinks of the typical terrain of spas as warm and sunny. Moody weather has its own reward though, making for rosy cheeks after the shortest of hikes and a suitable environment for quiet contemplation. And, of course, it’s the best setup for a spa day too, especially at Ireland’s newest spas, which are designed to bring the outdoors in.

Barefoot at the Park
After two and a half hours of driving from Limerick, I arrived at Park Hotel Kenmare, an elegant, 46-room Victorian manor house hotel overlooking tranquil Kenmare Bay on the southwest coast. Despite its pedigree, there is absolutely nothing stuffy about the place, which may help explain why they went to such lengths with their newly opened Sámas spa, a blissfully serene creation of rough limestone, wood, and glass. Beautifully designed to mesh with nature, Sámas blurs the boundaries between indoors and out with seamless glass walls and a thousand other details.

To reach the spa from the hotel, one follows a narrow cherry wood–lined corridor to a set of stairs flanked by a limestone wall on one side and a gentle spill of water over black granite on the other, entering at last into a light-filled sanctuary built of glass, stone, and green slate. The dramatic transition from manor house to spa is intentional, one that Francis Brennan, owner of Park Hotel Kenmare, describes as “coming from the womb to the light” — certainly an effective beginning to the visit.

Central to the Sámas experience is the recommended one and a half hours spent pre-treatment in the thermal suite, a collection of heat chambers and water features that I found to be deliciously relaxing. Men and women each have their own facilities, coming together only at the culmination of the circuit — a communal soaking pool set among a stand of wild birch and cedar trees, rhododendron, and holly bushes. On the women’s side, there’s a laconium — a mild dry-heat sauna with form-hugging mosaic-tiled seats and a full-length glass wall facing the woods. Men indulge in the more intense temperatures of a cedar-lined hot-rock sauna with the same wooded view. After 15 or 20 minutes in the muscle-relaxing heat, both men and women move on for a dose of positive energy in the crystal steam room, followed by peppermint-scented rain showers and fountains of crushed ice for cooling off. Cycling from one chamber to the next, and showering or icing my skin in between, I decided there’s nothing worse than rushing into the spa without taking the opportunity to reach your most relaxed, receptive state. I make note of this as advice to follow for the rest of my trip.

The treatment rooms themselves, named for Irish islands such as Blasket and Skellig, are calm enclaves with pleasant cherry wood cabinetry that disguises the presence of sinks and supplies. Bare feet find the surprising warmth of green slate floors with in-floor heating, and, of course, the massage beds are heated, too.

Slide show   Royal Rests Experience Ireland’s history and authenticity - stay in a castle! more photos

During my first afternoon in Sámas, I had a two-hour treatment that included an Irish sea salt scrub and muscle-relaxing massage. Preparing my body front and back with a horsehair brush, using long strokes from the ankles and hands toward the heart, my therapist, Siobhan, hydrated and exfoliated my skin using a mixture of fine salt and oil scented with rosemary, clove, cinnamon, and bay. Next, a massage with frankincense, myrrh, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, and rose geranium soothed tensions and my jet-lag symptoms.

It was the perfect end to a day spent exploring the countryside. Earlier I had joined up with a group on a spa-organized six-mile hike through the McGillicuddy Reeks, Ireland’s highest mountains, as part of the spa’s Lifestyle Program packages. We hiked a section of the old road from Killarney to Kenmare through forest glens, beneath sweeping hills with rocky peaks, and across sheep-scattered wooded highlands and trickling streams. When I stepped off the path onto a grassy patch that looked dry, my right foot slid into a peat bog, unexpectedly sucking me down hip deep into the muddy quagmire, reviving my childhood fear of quicksand. After being pulled clear, I didn’t mind much that I was wet, dirty, and taking on an earthy smell — I had the afternoon at Sámas to help me cleanse and renew.

Cocooning at Aghadoe Heights
The drive from Kenmare to Killarney is only 20 miles north on a winding mountain road, and it is probably best suited to day driving to take in the landscape. But, arriving at night at the Aghadoe Heights Hotel, as I did, does have its own distinct pleasures. In this case it was the revelation of the morning panorama when I opened the wall-to-wall drapes to views of the McGillicuddy Reeks, the Killarney lakes, Innisfallen Island, and the 15th-century lakefront Ross Castle. Soaking up the 360-degree view from the hotel’s award-winning Fredrick’s, a typical Irish breakfast was laid out in front of me — grilled bacon, homemade sausages, grilled tomatoes, button mushrooms, sautéed lamb kidney served with free-range eggs, and a side of rollmop herrings.

A stained-glass wall between the dining room and the lounge depicts this heather-clad mountain region, which has long attracted people seeking spiritual rejuvenation through nature — including such hearty pursuits as golf, fishing, and hiking in Killarney National Park. But now hedonists also come to take respite in the new Spa at Aghadoe, an Aveda-backed project that marries the sensibilities of the surrounding landscape with the expertise of the spa line. Natural materials like earth-toned slate, marble, granite, and white oak paneling infuse the spa with a native appeal. A man-made stream winds through the spa, trickling quietly over stones as it makes its way toward a massive glass wall and the lake beyond.

Designed as a relaxing journey in preparation for treatments, Aghadoe’s thermal circuit is similar to Sámas’s, but here the setup is entirely coed, though discreet enough as guests move through rooms that include a 140-degree dry-heat laconium, steam-heated Turkish hammam, rock sauna, a slightly cooler apple blossom–scented aroma grotto (which doubles as a mud and steam chamber), and a luxurious slipper-shaped Jacuzzi bath for one, used for the signature Himalayan Ayurvedic bathing ritual and customized aromatherapy soaks. The order you follow is entirely dictated by personal preference. In between heat rooms you can cool down in one of three snail-shaped showers: peppermint tropical rain, aromatherapy mist, or deluge spray (an invigorating follow-up to the rock sauna). Then, with muscles noodle-loose and skin tingling, take time to reflect while reclining on heated ceramic lounges that face the mountains and lakes.

MORE FROM EUROPE TRAVEL

Europe Travel Section Front

Pamper yourself at Europe's top spas Autumn escapes in Europe Foodies flock to Paris’ cookware haven Coolest hot spots in Barcelona That ‘new car smell’ on your European vacation Rome: Glimpse of eternity in a mere 2 days Bargain Britain? If you know where to look Europe: By plane or by train? Best English country retreats Europe's top 10 best places to live Europe Travel Section Front   Add Europe Travel headlines to your news reader: