A Spanish gem: The Healthouse Las Dunas offers a refreshing spa weekend
IT WAS when my therapist pointed a power hose at me, as I sat in an oversized bathtub, that I realised this was no ordinary spa.
With its idyllic location overlooking the Mediterranean, piles of soft fluffy towels, the waft of essential oils and ethereal music, the five-star Healthouse Las Dunas is something different.
Just 15 minutes from Marbella on Spain’s Costa del Sol, this luxury health and wellness retreat offers weight control and reduction, detox, smoking cessation and anti-ageing therapies under the supervision of Dr José Luis Guijarro and his team of dermatologists, psychologists, dieticians and physiotherapists.
On arrival I was given a medical assessment and a nutritional consultation to gauge my diet. Blood and urine tests were carried out and clients who are at risk of osteoporosis are offered a Dexa (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan which analyses bone density. There are many reasons why people come here.
Some want to lose weight, others to kick-start a health regime, recover from chemotherapy or to help cope with a chronic health condition such as Type 2 diabetes. I was hoping to improve poor circulation which can leave my hands and feet feeling like blocks of ice even in mild weather. It was suggested that I try several different massages to help with lymphatic drainage.
We were encouraged to do a “spa circuit”, preferably before our daily treatment. This involved taking in the sauna, ice cave, steam room, Roman baths, hydrotherapy pool and for the brave, the hot and freezing plunge pools. Then it was time for the aquatic massage. My body was pummelled by the water jets and I could feel the blood pumping but the warm waters of the bath eased any discomfort.
I was hoping to improve poor circulation which can leave my hands and feet feeling like blocks of ice even in mild weather
I was then led off to a jet shower cabin, where my therapist sprayed me with hot and cold water. Over the next two days I had a full body massage with essential oils and a hot stone massage which was sublime and left my knotted neck feeling more relaxed than it had in months.
The Healthouse regime not only helps you lose weight during your stay but encourages better eating habits. Under a personalised health plan, I was allowed to eat no more than 1,300 calories a day, split into three main meals and two snacks. Initially the portions seemed small but as there were three or four courses at every meal, I never felt hungry.
Foods to Improve health - Express Health
The food was beautifully presented by chef Tim van Buchem and eating exquisitely prepared dishes was no hardship. It was harder for me to give up my morning cup of builder’s tea – green tea just didn’t hit the spot. An exercise class was included each day of pilates, aqua-gym, power walking or personal training sessions in the gym.
Emotional coaching is also available. At the end of my stay I was delighted that I’d lost 2.6lb (1.2kg) and nearly an inch from around my waist and I can confirm that the circulation in my hands and feet is still above ice block status.
* Healthouse Las Dunas offers the Healthy Weekend package from about £540pp, based on two-nights full board and accommodation in a deluxe room with a sea view. The programme includes a consultation with a nutritionist, one body massage, one therapeutic treatment, one yoga/pilates/aqua-gym session, a personalised plan and access to the Ekilum spa.
* Monarch, the scheduled leisure airline, has flights to Malaga from Birmingham, London Gatwick, London Luton and Manchester with fares, including taxes, starting from £32, one way (£59 return). Visit monarch.co.uk for further information.