Hotmail
World's best eco-spas
6. Enniscorthy, Ireland
The spa: Monart
Green peace: Green may be among the first things that come to mind when you say "Ireland," but it's rarely the eco kind. Hotelier Liam Griffin set out to change that in 2005 when he opened the country's first destination spa. Spread over 100 acres of, yes, green woodlands in County Wexford, Monart reintegrated every tree felled for construction back into the design. An energy-management system monitors light and heat in every room via photocell sensors that detect the time of day outside. Local timber chips are burned for warmth and electricity, cutting oil out of the equation. And the oil used in cooking is recycled into biodiesel fuel. But none of that gets in the way of the spa's mission of relieving stress (you can also book a bespoke program focused on weight loss, detox, or anti-aging). A salt-steam grotto softens the skin and improves respiratory function; a caldarium overlooking a waterfall has dry-heat that promotes relaxation. Two saunas, an aromatic eucalyptus steam room, a hydrotherapy pool, and a mud chamber round out the spread.
Signature treatment: The Dry Flotation beds inflate and cocoon around you like a water bed and give you the feeling of weightlessness ($75). The spa claims a one-hour treatment provides the therapeutic equivalent of 15 hours of regular rest.
Monart
Tel: 353 53 92 38999
Packages from $387 per person for a weekend stay
7. Styria, Austria
The spa: Rogner Bad Blumau
Green peace: Channel the old European tradition of a holiday dedicated to bathing at the quirky Rogner Bad Blumau spa, which appears to have grown from the grassy hills that cover and envelop it. Inspired by well-known Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, whose biomorphic work has been compared to Gaudí's, the property is a Seussian wonderland of green (as in eco) roofs, spires, and brightly painted facades. The hub is the central, circular spa known for its milk, saffron, and honey treatments, though the series of outdoor baths are equally popular. Water for the restorative treatments comes from the Vulkania curative spring; known as the warmest and most highly mineralized source in the region, the water self-purifies through its high carbon-dioxide content. Hundertwasser believed in "life in harmony with nature," so electricity and heat for the spa is derived from the same healing waters, using geothermal technology. Operating solely on green energy has the same effect as removing 2,700 cars from the streets each year. A portion of each night's stay is donated to a World Wildlife Fund project to protect almost 100,000 acres of Amazonian rainforest. In spite of all these earthly concerns, the hotel's playful design keeps the mood both light and relaxing.
Signature treatment: During the relaxing Blumau Sound Massage, a therapist places brass bowls on the body and then hits them to create resonant vibrations deep within ($130). Live instruments are played for a polyphonic experience.
Rogner Bad Blumau
Tel: 43 3383 5100
Doubles from $365
8. La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica
The spa: Tabacón Grand Thermal Spa Resort
 |
Courtesy Of Tabacon Grand Spa It's hard not to think about the environment when you awaken each morning in a rain forest beside mineral springs in the shadow of a volcano. |
Green peace: It's hard not to think about the environment when you awaken each morning in a rain forest beside mineral springs in the shadow of a volcano. Tabacón uses that ecological trifecta to its advantage: All treatments are performed in outdoor pavilions amid the privacy of dense greenery to a real-life soundtrack of rushing water, twittering birds, and howler monkeys. The spa includes locally grown coffee, sugar, coconut, and chocolate in some treatments, but its main focus is on mud. The near-endless supplies of naturally warm, mineral-rich volcanic goop has long been favored by locals to soothe aches, improve circulation, and soften skin; the spa incorporates it into soothing massages and body wraps. The on-site springs provide additional therapy, relaxing muscles and boosting oxygen flow through the skin. The mineral-rich waterfalls and pools are kept warm naturally—anywhere from 80 to 104 degrees—courtesy of the active Arenal Volcano. That same water ends up in all of the showerheads and taps on site, eliminating the need for artificial heating systems. All outdoor and guest-room lights have low-energy bulbs and operate via sensors, so they click off when not in use. Tabacón hopes that these initiatives—combined with the development of hydroelectric power systems and the planting of trees to offset emissions—will allow it to be carbon-neutral by next year.
Signature treatment: The 75-minute Tabacón massage begins with a series of bends and stretches to regulate energy flow and concludes with a volcanic mud massage ($160).
Tabacón Grand Thermal Spa Resort
Tel: 877 277 8291
Doubles from $260
9. Vabbinfaru, Maldives
The spa: Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru
Green peace: For Banyan Tree, going green made good business sense: The resort is located at a top dive site, so protecting the ocean environment was crucial. The efforts started with construction: building materials arrived via small boats so as not to disturb the shallow-water marine life, and villas were constructed on the footprint of the island's previous property to preserve trees and prevent beach erosion. Today, an on-site marine lab assists in coral regeneration and the conservation of green sea turtles. Guests can help too by documenting sea species that are on the verge of extinction. Any oil used for power is piped in, so oil tankers stay far from shore, and water is filtered through an ecologically sound desalination process. But there's no need to stress over your CFCs and VOCs: The green factor is just a subtle current in an all-around luxury-focused experience. So as you lie under a thatched-roof cabana while a masseuse uses herb-filled pouches to rub your body with warm sesame oil, there's no need to curb your appetite for excessive well-being.
Signature treatment: The Javanese Lulur, a 17th-century pre-wedding practice, starts with a deep-tissue massage followed by a turmeric scrub and cool yogurt splash for the skin ($205).
Banyan Tree Maldives
Tel: 960 664 3147
Villas start from $1,050
10. Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, Mexico
The spa: Yaxkin Spa at the Hacienda Chichen Resort
Green peace: If the body is a temple, Yaxkin can help you worship it. Seeking to reunite your soul with nature, this holistic center located just a five-minute walk from the world's most famous Mayan site is devoted to health and healing through earthy elements. Native wild Melipona honey, cacao, avocado, and aloe vera are parlayed into toxin-ridding treatments believed to invigorate one's spirit and body. After a hike through Chichén Itzá, have another religious experience with a steam in an ancient zumpul-che, or sweat bath, inside a sacred cave. The spa's owners approach the environment with an equal sense of reverence. Processed waste becomes fertilizer, and used kitchen water nourishes plants in the jungle. The recycling extends to the building itself: Conquistadors built the hacienda in the 16th century using old stones from a Mayan temple. More modern eco-advances include biodegradable cleaning and laundry products—safe for the underground well—and décor that mixes in reclaimed furniture. Even the souvenirs are environmentally friendly: popular wood carvings are made from a special grove of gumbo-limbo trees that the hotel then replants. Recycle, renew, and check the bird refuge.
Signature treatment: A warm raw-sugar and cacao-butter massage and a brushing of chocolate and coconut oil make the Kakaw ritual good enough for the gods, though it might leave you feeling a bit like a human Almond Joy ($120).
Hacienda Chichen
Tel: 877 631 4005
Doubles from $165
- Discuss Story On Newsvine
-
Rate Story:
View popularLowHigh - Instant Message
MORE FROM LUXURY |
 Luxury Section Front |
| Add Luxury headlines to your news reader: |
Resource guide