Biarritz Fund
Located in the South West of France and the gateway to the Basque Country and Spain, Biarritz is the perfect city to pamper yourself: enjoy the natural benefits of the sea and enjoy a session in the excellent local spas. A long tradition of marine cures has made Biarritz’s many thermal establishments a success.
In the 1700s, Biarritz began to gain the reputation it has today: as a center for relaxation and rejuvenation. Doctors began recommending the area for its coastal location and the fine sea air being the perfect therapeutic getaway for patients suffering from illness or stress, with some even saying that the sea in that particular area had qualities that would help heal patients. patients for their various ailments. This advice led many sick people to pilgrimage to Biarritz in search of a path to recovery. During this period, many notable figures visited Biarritz, including various members of the British royal family and European royalty as well.
Biarritz today is still synonymous with health and wellness, and you’ll see plenty of billboards advertising thalassotherapy centres. True thalassotherapy spas must be no more than half a mile from the sea and pump fresh seawater for all their treatments, making Biarritz (with its beautiful long coastline) ideally situated for this.
What is Thalassotherapy?
Thalassotherapy (from the Greek word thalassa, meaning “sea”) is the medical use of seawater as a form of therapy. Developed in the coastal cities of Brittany, France, during the 19th century, the therapy was originally based on the theory that the properties of seawater have beneficial effects on the skin’s pores; when the trace elements of magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium and iodide found in seawater are absorbed through the skin. The therapy is applied in various ways, seawater baths or underwater showers, application of marine mud or algae paste, mud and algae wraps, hydromassage and exfoliations based on seawater, algae and other derivatives of the ocean ( all are cleaned and purified before spent); each designed to tone, hydrate and revitalize the body and skin and, in many cases, to improve circulation.
What is thalassotherapy for?
Different forms of thalassotherapy are recommended to help you: relax, tone muscles, clear skin, reduce the appearance of cellulite, boost the immune system and improve sleep quality.
Thalassotherapy is also believed to help people with:
* circulatory problems (such as hypertension and arteriosclerosis)
* respiratory conditions (such as asthma and bronchitis)
* post-traumatic disorders (such as muscle atrophy)
* chronic inflammations (such as rheumatoid arthritis).
Medical problems like these have specific treatments recommended for them, such as ionization; a thalassotherapy where seawater is ionized with negative ions and inhaled or sprayed, used to heal upper respiratory tract problems.
Vinothrapie is a treatment that combines thermal water and inigo-elements with wine and grape extracts to strengthen blood vessels and improve circulation. Balneotherapy uses seawater to improve circulation.
There is no scientific evidence of the efficacy of thalassotherapy, although many people provide anecdotal evidence of how it has helped them, as with any complementary treatment, perhaps the emphasis should be on psychological well-being. However, it is this medical aspect of the treatments that is often cited as the reason for the unusually high percentage of male participants (many spas note a 50/50 ratio between men and women).
What to expect from thalassotherapy
If you’ve opted for a seaweed wrap, expect to be wrapped for about an hour in cloths soaked in seaweed and herbs. You’ll probably be wrapped from your toes to your chest (arms are always optional) as you lie in a thermal blanket to keep you warm. Before you start to feel like a dry old barnacle, your therapist will untangle it and massage your body to improve circulation.
Alternatively, if you fancy a ‘walking pool’, you may find yourself submerged in seawater, wading against a gentle current that is alternately warm and cool. This is designed to improve blood circulation in the legs.
Or maybe you’ve chosen to try an aqua gym. The firm jets will target your various muscle groups as you gently work out in a pool, your body supported by the resistance of the water. After your treatment, you may have that fresh-from-the-beach feeling, with fingers wrinkled like plums and sand between your toes. You will probably feel very cool and relaxed, or you may feel tired and sore after working out in the aqua gym and being sprayed with underwater jets.
However you feel, treat yourself to a long, rejuvenating freshwater shower and take time to bask in ocean serenity.
Where to go?
The Hotel Mirmar in Biarritz includes a 25m seawater swimming pool, sauna and hammam. Most of the rooms have views of the Atlantic and the seafood is superb. The treatments are individually tailored, but there are also recommended courses for certain groups, postpartum rejuvenation, men’s fitness and “Turning 50”.
The Hotel du Palais is a 5-star spa hotel that was once the vacation residence of Emperor Napoleon III of France and his wife, Empress Eugénie, and still uses Guerlain products, which for many years was Guerlain’s personal eau de toilette. Eugenia. The spa has an area of 3,000 square meters and is distributed over five floors. It has a 15 meter long indoor swimming pool with views of the Atlantic, Jacuzzi, sauna, fitness room, make-up area with Guerlain products, hairdresser and, finally, the Eugenie Room, a tea room where you can relax and contemplate the views .
Sofitel Biarritz Le Miramar Thalassa is a hotel and thalassotherapy institute. There is a wide range of treatments, a varied low-calorie menu and impeccable service.
Hellianthal Thalasso & Spa is located right on the ocean and offers personalized treatments. Your thalassotherapy team includes doctors, hydrotherapists, physiotherapists, massage therapists, dieticians and beauticians.
Thermes Marins de Saint Malo includes a 5000 m seawater Spa with 80 cabins and individual hydrotherapy and physiotherapy, 16 Spa cabins, six swimming pools, including a seawater pool and an Aquatonic recreational path.
Get there
Biarritz airport has daily direct flights from London airports, and Baboo, Ryan Air, Easyjet and Air France fly there regularly from all over the world. Traveling from the airport to your hotel couldn’t be easier with regular buses to the city center or private transfers throughout the region available online. Bordeaux Airport is also only 2 hours away by car.
As well as being full of excellent spas and wellness centers, Biarritz today is an eclectic mix of proud Basque heritage, unashamed luxury, bohemian life and surf paradise. Sleek art deco hotels and facades, outdoor cafes, surf shops, and chic boutiques combine with the ever-present ocean to create a unique style and character that makes it an unforgettable place to visit.