Best of Paradise: Where to Live if You’re a Spa Addict

Spending time in the sand and sun can be relaxing in and of itself, but if you really want to unwind there’s nothing like spending your time in a luxurious day spa. When choosing another place to buy a vacation home or even just vacation, spa amenities are usually at the top of most anyone’s lists.

Whether you’re stopping in to make use of their facilities or need a full overhaul, it’s like a vacation within itself. Of course, not just any rubdown will do. For the very best and most luxurious experiences, we’ve found the top ten spas in paradise for you to spend your days in and—if you’re lucky—to be able to live close to. Unsurprisingly, our choices take us around Latin America and the Caribbean and include some of what we at Luxury Living International think are the best real estate markets in 2017.

Eden Rock Spa, St Barths

If you find yourself in St Barths looking for a place to get away from your getaway, book an appointment at Eden Rock Spa by Ligne St Barth. In addition to personalized fitness and wellness classes, their spa fuses luxury and nature into one decadent oasis. Take a dip in their seawater thalassotherapy pools, carved from the rock face that juts into Baie de St Jean or plunge into a series of detoxing pools and baths. Each treatment is used with products manufactured exclusively on the island and for some services you can even taste the tropical fruit blends before they’re mixed with oils and elixirs to create lotions, masques and peels. The only problem? You might fall asleep mid-massage listening to the waves breaking on the shore.

Roaring Pavilion Villa & Spa, Jamaica

Jamaica is known for being a party paradise where you can let your hair down and have a wild time, but if you’re searching for a more relaxing, intimate experience, look no further than the island’s Roaring Pavilion Villa & Spa. The one-of-a-kind retreat is one of the Caribbean’s most private escapes where you can rent out an entire five bedroom estate, complete with its own full-service spa and personally assigned therapist. It’s a favorite of celebrities like Celine Dion and Nicole Kidman, who love to come here and unwind from the stresses of celebrity life.

La Prairie Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

Heading to the Ritz Carlton may seem like an obvious choice for a luxury spa getaway, but you can’t argue with perfection.  La Prairie Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman packs a double punch with the prestige of the Ritz name and the quality of La Prairie. From the white leather and sterling silver entrance, to its posh services, everything about this spa screams luxury. Opt for a caviar massage, a cellular Swiss ice crystal facial or the diamond perfection body treatment which scrubs you down with actual diamond powder, and you’ll feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven.

One & Only Ocean Club, Bahamas

While most spa treatments can be enjoyed privately, the spa at One & Only Ocean Club is meant for lovers. Inspired by Balinese design, the award-winning One & Only Spa was arranged with romance in mind, with each treatment villa containing side-by-side tables, a waterfall shower and a whirlpool big enough for two. Each service comes with a signature bathing ritual and an extra 30 minutes to relax and sip champagne together. The services are inspired by Asian traditions and influenced by the spices and minerals native to the Bahamas to offer couples a way to relax and reconnect together.

Condado Vanderbilt, Puerto Rico

The Condado Vanderbilt has one of the most luxurious and unique spas in Puerto Rico with a 10,000-square-foot facility including a lounge area, treatment rooms, outdoor showers, an outdoor terrace and the island’s first and only hammam. The spa prides itself on its unique blend of the most modern and holistic services, including their hammam ritual treatment which includes ancient purification rituals in the Turkish bath and hydro therapy. If you want to forgo the purification rites and spiritual energy work in place of something a little more contemporary, opt for a traditional massage, facial or scrub. Be forewarned, while their “Out of Body Experiences” may seem a little unusual, they are among the most popular treatments at the spa.

Rainforest Spa at Viceroy Sugar Beach, St Lucia

Imagine if the Swiss Family Robinson washed up on the shore of an island and decided to build themselves a luxury resort. Welcome to the Rainforest Spa at Viceroy Sugar Beach. Tucked away among the trees of St Lucia, between two pitons within a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Rainforest Spa consists of small tree houses that offer views of the jewel-colored coastline and mountain vistas. Their treatments rely on locally sourced ingredients like bananas, coconuts and aloe vera, and include everything from Sedona clay mud massages to papaya and pineapple scrubs. If you’re not a fan of heights, or graduated from the ideas of tree houses when you were ten, guests can always opt to have in-room or beachside services, though we wouldn’t pass up a chance to live like a Robinson for an hour or two.

Como Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos

Como Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos offers guests everything from world-class dining to sunset cruises, but as a spa resort they pride themselves on top notch relaxation. Offering everything you need to refocus and heal, the Como Shambhala Retreatincludes yoga classes, restorative massages and Japanese baths. Each of their therapists are hand-selected and include a master Thai massage expert from Thailand, a former Buddhist monk who specializes in healing head massage, and an in-house team of doctors, therapists and experts that specialize in everything from stress management to diet. With their extensive number of services, treatments and classes it would be easy to spend a week on relaxation alone.

The FieldSpa at GoldenEye Hotel & Resort, Jamaica

There’s a reason that the GoldenEye Hotel & Resort sounds like something out of a James Bond spy novel—the estate is the former home of Ian Fleming, the Bond author, and it’s where he wrote all 14 of his spy epics. Nestled on a lagoon, the spa offers a number of pampering treatments that all include locally sourced ingredients, like ginger and pimento oil from local farms and seaweed harvested in Oracabessa Bay. Services are given inside open air rooms and guests can kayak, (or swim!) across the lagoon from their rooms to their treatments. It’s all very 007.

Maya Tulum, Mexico

Spending the day soaking in the sun and sleeping the night away in your own private cabana can only be improved with the luxury of a spa. The Spa at Maya Tulum Resortoffers guests a way to unwind and get in touch with the area’s rich Mayan culture though therapeutic treatments inspired by the people’s native traditions. In addition to the basic services like Swedish massages and hydrating facials, they offer an entirely separate spa menu of Mayan specialties that use local ingredients and techniques that have been used for thousands of years. Try one of the masques and scrubs which are slathered on, left to set in the sun and rinsed off in the crystal-clear ocean, the way Mayans have been doing it for centuries.

Rancho Pacifico, Costa Rica

Award-winning ecoluxe resort Rancho Pacifico is known for its intimate villas, mountain top views and one-of-a-kind experiences–its also in Costa Rica, one of our top destinations for 2017. Outfitted with only 10 suites, guests are allowed plenty of space and privacy which includes treatments at the resort’s Spa Tranquila. Instead of a waiting room, guests relax in “anti-gravity chairs” before their service and can indulge in anything from a café mocha body scrub to an Ayurveda facial. To relax the day away, spa goers can also enjoy the facilities infinity-edge Jacuzzi and natural, Japanese-style, hot spring baths. Plus the entire resort is adults-only, so it’s the perfect opportunity for a couples to escape.

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