Relaxing on a sublime beach with only the murmurs of rolling waves and the rustling of palm leaves in your ears will definitely make you forget all about your 9-to-5 and your demanding boss.

By Eugenia O’Neal

But if you really want to unkink your tangled nerves and turn your tense muscles to jelly, the spas of the BVI are ready for you. Time-tested treatments based on the veritable pharmacopoeia represented by the shrubs and trees of the Virgin Islands are designed to refresh and revitalize both body and spirit. The famous aloe vera that grows wild everywhere and has been known for its healing powers since the time of the Tainos is a favourite ingredient, as are the leaves of the neem tree with its powerful antibacterial properties. Body scrubs, facial masks, hand and foot treatments made with sea salt from nearby Salt Island, local goat’s milk, and honey are other popular and effective ways to beautify and de-stress.

If you’re visiting Tortola, why not finish your walking tour of historical Main Street with a visit to one of the capital’s wonderful spas? The SolÈ Day Spa offers a wide range of treatments to meet any need. Their Spa Indulgence package, four hours and 30 minutes of head-to-toe pampering, will leave you feeling like a new person. (Get one of their fabulous makeovers and you’ll even look new!)

Another popular Road Town spa is The Oasis Salon and Spa at the Village Cay Hotel and Marina. Here you can take advantage of a whole range of waxing services, get the hairstyle of your dreams or wow your friends back home with amazing acrylic nails. If your taste runs more to massages, they’ve got a nice selection of everything from full-body treatments to quick neck and shoulder massages.

Housed in the remains of a 17th-century Dutch fort, the Bougainvillea Clinic overlooks Road Town and offers world-class plastic, reconstructive and general surgery. Restylane to fill in tiny lines, microdermabrasion for skin affected by sun damage and laser treatments are also available for those who want another level of care.

Away from the capital, on the splendid Cane Garden Bay Beach, the Sea Spa at Myett’s brings you outdoors to enjoy the balmy Caribbean winds under the tender ministrations of your masseuse. Float away into dreamy relaxation as the Atlantic Ocean washes up onto the sand just mere feet away. Other treatments include wraps and facials — but it’s the Relaxation Massage that keeps clients coming back.

Sense, the Rosewood spa at Rosewood Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda, takes full advantage of an intoxicating array of local flora and fauna to entice guests with exotic treatments found nowhere else. Your Sense spa experience will begin with a comprehensive consultation to determine your needs and then segue into an individualized programme designed to restore your bliss. Many of the ingredients for the treatments, such as the Neem Leaf Facial and the coconut in the Little Dix Bay Signature Body Scrub, come straight from the resort’s lush gardens. Others like the luscious Virgin Gorda Goat Milk and Honey Wrap and the Gentleman’s Facial, featuring pumpkins and yams, are sourced elsewhere on the island. Don’t forget to sign yourself and your sweetie up for an indulgent couples treatment at the Cliff Spa Suite, which has fabulous ocean views.

In addition to the treatments and massages you may already be familiar with, the Spa at Leverick Bay Resort offers something different in the form of massages based on ancient Eastern techniques. The Thai massage will unblock your meridians and other areas of your body to accelerate blood and lymph circulation, improve your flexibility, balance your nervous system and leave you deeply relaxed. Reiki therapy is also available.

A few islands away, the Spa at the Peter Island Resort is a sybarite’s dream. The 10,000-square-foot spa contains 10 treatment rooms, suites for couples, a eucalyptus steam room and a hair salon. Bohios extend the spa experience outdoors. Treat yourself to the five-hour Soak-Away-the-Day package that includes, among other things, an aromatherapy scrub, a hydrotherapy soak with sea salts and botanical essences, and a facial that will leave your skin glowing. Too much sun? The Cucumber and Aloe Wrap will soothe and rehydrate your skin, restoring its natural lustre. While most treatments have a time limit, you and your honey can take all the time you’d like with a bowl of mineral-rich Thalasso Mud. Slather it all over each other and then scrub it off in the sea for a naturally invigorating treatment.

Myett's Sea Spa
Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
Tel: 495-9649
Fax: 495-9579
E-mail: myettent@surfbvi.com
Website: www.myettent.com
Extend the bliss of your holiday with a relaxation massage at Myett's Sea Spa. Customized to suit your needs, this gentle but firm massage will relax your mind and body, bringing you into balance with the rhythm of island living.

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