Health and Wellness in Algarve
Sanus per Algarve (SPA)
SPA stands for Sanus Per Aqua, but it could also stand for Sanus Per Algarve, such is the diversity and quality of the spas you’ll find around the region. Whether you want to relax or restore your energy, you’ll find a multitude of options, from thalassotherapy, therapeutic massage, sports massage, manual lymphatic drainage and hot stone massage to alternative therapies like reflexology, yoga, tai-chi or reiki.
Caldas de Monchique, for example, is a natural spa in the Serra de Monchique Algarve and has been renowned since Roman times, when it was known as “Aguas Sagradas” (Sacred Waters). An epithet which centuries later remains entirely appropriate, and which could be extended to all the other waters of the Algarve, both fresh and salt, they all perform miracles after all.
Hi, my name is Luís, and I’m an incurable know-all. To begin with, let me make it clear that there is more to the Algarve than just sun and beaches. Yes, the sun does shine all year round, and yes, there are beaches for every taste, but the secret is variety. After you’ve topped up your tan (perhaps on the deserted island where I got married), why no continue to enjoy the salty waters of the sea but this time with a thalassotherapy spa treatment? For another way to find tranquillity take a stroll to the Barbelote waterfall in Monchique and find out more about the Algarve’s interior. The truth is that the Algarve is sun and sea, beach and mountain, fresh and sea water, good fish and great wine, every treatment you could desire for the body, mind and soul – all of them secrets that I haven’t been able to keep.
Luís Coelho – Product manager
Algarve. Europe’s most famous secret
You have probably heard about the Algarve. A friend may have told you about one of its magnificent beaches, maybe you’ve seen a report about its cuisine or perhaps you’ve picked up a brochure before. But there is an Algarve that you haven’t seen, tasted or explored before: it’s the Algarve that the local people know and love.
For almost three thousand years Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Goths, Maghrebins and Mauritanians did what you do – they passed through the Algarve. Until, in 1249, the Al-Gharb (“the West”) was finally taken from the Islamic world by Sancho II, who took the title of King of Portugal and the Algarve.
Since then, the pride shared by the inhabitants of the Algarve has compelled them to reveal their region’s greatest secrets to visitors – about their favorite beaches, hidden hamlets, natural walks and even recommending the best restaurants.