SPA BREAK IN THE SUN

Massage or body scrub? Steam or sauna? The tough choices you face in the luxury wellness spas of Gran Canaria, says Helena Cartwright

- Helena Cartwright

It might surprise you to hear that Gran Canaria is a serious spa destination offering great hotels with dedicated wellness areas and some of Europe’s best thalassotherapy centres…

THE PERFECT BASE

Head to the Hotel Cordial Mogán Playa, a four-star hotel about 30 minutes from the airport. It’s a large hotel located on an ancient acropolis, and it’s full of surprises. The complex is like a village, offering everything you need including vast pools, games, its very own archaeological park and gorgeous botanical gardens. Inhouse botanical experts and staff attend to the 48,000-square-metre botanical garden with 450 individually labelled different subtropical plant species and cacti. The hotel is just a five-minute walk from the beach, set back from the port and Mogán’s crescent-shaped bay.

But if you’re here for pure relaxation, an Indian head massage followed by a spa circuit at the Spa Cordial Inagua (named after the island’s mountainous nature reserve), which includes exclusive use of Balinese beds, hot tubs and the floating pool. An afternoon well spent.