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ОглавлениеCosta del Sol
While the modern-day Costa del Sol is renowned throughout Spain for its glitzy five-star hotel spas and plush resorts, this squiggle of beach-scattered shoreline is rich in wellness history.
Finca Cortesin’saromatic steam room.
An enthralling history-rich bathing venue can be found in the valley below Manilva, a couple of hours away from Ronda. The Roman-built sulphur baths of Hedionda sit on waters that flow from a limestone outcrop above the valley, providing a perfect spot for an arched bathing complex dating back 2,000 years. Frequented by Julius Caesar no less – the governor of southern Spain 63–60 BC – on account of the apparent curative properties of the sulphur-rich waters, Los Baños Romanos de la Hedionda soon became renowned as a place in which all manner of skin infections were healed. Remodelled by the Moors, the baths have been crudely restored in recent years in a style that blights the original majesty of the Roman structure. However, a stunning archway, tunnel and four chambers remain. So high is the sulphur and hydrogen content in these cool, murky waters that a strong aroma of rotten eggs is all-prevailing – a little off-putting to those used to more sterile bathing environments. Despite this, visitors enjoy a dip in Hedionda’s ‘brimstone brew’ on a fine, lazy, sunny Sunday afternoon, overlooked by eucalyptus trees and crumbling Roman ruins on the banks of the Abarran Stream.
Beauty of Casares
The surrounding area of Casares is one of Andalucía’s areas of outstanding beauty with national parks and Iberian-Phoenician settlements in among Arabic and Roman structures, including a fine castle. Its geographical location, between the mountainous range of the Serranía de Ronda, the Straits of Gibraltar and the coast, offers a striking diversity of landscapes punctuated by vineyards and whitewashed Andalucían villages with views out to sea. The spa at Finca Cortesin, on the hillside on the outskirts of the village of Casares, draws on aspects of the local cultural and wellness heritage. It blends Moorish pillars, fountains, palm trees and typically Arabic mosaics, lanterns and tables with twinkling tea lights in a decadent, upscale setting gloriously free from the pungent whiff of hydrogen sulphide. Here, among lush Mediterranean foliage, you’ll find fluffy white robes, bowls of exotic fruit and readily available flutes of champagne. A sizeable menu of therapeutic and beauty treatments centres on the only Finnish snow cabin in Spain, together with several saunas, a steam room, Turkish bath and therapies that run from detoxifying seaweed wraps to numerous styles of massage using calminducing scented oils.
3 things you must not miss
1 Puerto Banús Stroll along the cosmopolitan yacht-strewn waterfront at upscale Puerto Banús, where chichi boutiques and stylish cafes overlook gleaming million-dollar sailing craft. www.puertojosebanus.es
2 Traditional Village Step back in time in charming whitewashed Ojén. Its steep, cobbled streets and quaint tapas bars are just a 10-minute drive (or bus ride) from super-swish Marbella. www.ayto-ojen.es
3 Museo Picasso, Málaga A visual feast of over 230 works by the great artist, donated by his family and compatriots. www.museo picassomalaga.org
Bathe overlooking lush, palm-scattered gardens at Finca Cortesin.
Mint Tea, Massage and Meditation The Agua de Oriente, Baños Árabes de Benalmádena provide plenty of cultural references to a bygone time, in a handsome bathhouse inspired by 11th-century Moorish architecture. Offering visitors a traditional Spanish-Arabic bathing experience, with or without a traditional massage, the baths can be accessed in 90-minute slots. There are three pools – a tepidarium, a caldarium and a frigidarium – all decorated in grandiose Arabic style. Enjoy glasses of peppermint tea amid the aromas of citrus oils and spices.
Less than an hour away, the 11thcentury Baños Arabes in the pretty whitewashed town of Ronda are well worth a visit, even though the waters are no longer accessible. Follow a set of rustic steps wedged into a rocky canyon, which lead from the Puente Viejo (Old Bridge) below the Salvatierra Palacio up to the bathing house. Here, classical musical concerts were once staged underneath domes peppered with star-shaped light and air vents. Used daily until the 17th century, Ronda’s baths remain open for sightseers only. However, visitors can still swim in the waters of the Rio Guadalevin, where the Moors once purified themselves ahead of entering the baths.
The Baños Arabes in Ronda are considered some of the best preserved Arabic baths in Europe.
In central Málaga, hidden among its many paved bird-scattered plazas and ancient backstreets, you’ll find the Baño Mágico (Magic Bath), an authentic Moorish bath and traditional massage house. An oasis from the traffic noise of the city in Málaga’s old Jewish Quarter, the bathhouse is in a charming 18th-century building. Sparsely furnished, there are curtained-off upstairs massage areas. The hottest hall (45°C/113°F) is the first port of call under a huge light-giving cupola. A series of cold-and hot-water sources, cleansing and exfoliation areas (therapies use the old-style soap and horsehair glove), showers and relaxation areas lead to the cold hall (16°C/61°F). Fountains adorn a contemporary Arabic chill-out room and meditation zone, while a Western-style dry hall – a recent addition – offers a range of massages, from Thai and shiatsu to Swedish.
INFORMATION
LOS BAÑOS ROMANOS DE LA HEDIONDA
w www.manilvalife.com/hedionda-and-the-roman-baths.htm
Open year-round, pack a swimming costume, camera and towel.
FINCA CORTESIN
t +34 952 937 800
For the ultimate treat, book a leisurely 80-minute relaxation massage – a truly sublime touch therapy that’ll take you to a blissful, heavenly world of inner calm (€110).
AGUA DE ORIENTE, BAÑOS ÁRABES DE BENALMÁDENA
t +34 952 444 660
Breathe in pungent spicy aromas to journey back in time in baths inspired by 11th-century architecture, where candlelit, oil-rich massages are priced from €37 for 30 minutes.
BAÑO MÁGICO
t +34 952 212 327
Choose traditional treatments or opt for a fusion of Asian-Mediterranean therapies that blend lemon grass, ylang-ylang, olive oil and geranium, from €45.
