Blanketed in mammoth granite boulders and striated stone slabs, the Seychelles’ inner islands reflect the last remaining landscapes of 75-million-year-old supercontinent Gondwana. Such prehistoric beauty peaks on Félicité Island, home to the Six Senses Zil Pasyon and its wow-factor spa that takes full advantage of the rock-hewn surrounds.
Six Senses Spa
A welcome lounge, five treatment villas, a yoga and meditation pavilion, a sauna and steam room, and an outdoor infinity pool are delicately woven into the cavernous granite terrain and connected by a series of hanging bridges, ladders, and wooden platforms. Each spa villa exhibits a singular design and special amenities for villa-specific treatments, known as journeys. In the Floating Villa, for example, admire exquisite, cantilevered architecture over turquoise waters before embarking on the 120-minute Floating Journey. It starts with an African foot ritual and scrub, followed by a ceremony to clear negative energy. A massage and then a facial hone in on the reconnection of mind and body to restore the spirit. The journey ends with sound healing using African instruments and Tibetan singing bowls.
Prior to visiting, reserve the spa’s infinity pool as a pre- or post-treatment experience. While all island accommodations are equipped with private pools, the views and tranquility from the spa’s boulder-top pool are unmatched. sixsenses.com
A mantra at the lush Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas is that guests can do whatever they want, whenever they want, however they want. A standout of the iconic, 30-villa Bill Bensley–designed hideaway is the jungle spa, which marries the Anantara brand’s Thai roots with the Seychelles’ natural bounty.
Anantara Spa
Dense native foliage cloaks a series of open-air, thatched-roof treatment pavilions, kitted out in colorful daybeds, wooden ornaments, and elevated bathtubs. Here, highly skilled therapists (most of whom hail from Thailand) perform a wide range of therapeutic and stress-relieving massages, Vichy and bath rituals, scrubs, wraps, and facials. The Maia Vichy Ritual combines a salt scrub, tension-alleviating body massage, and a hydrating Vichy shower massage. The Maia Signature Massage, a long-stroke and stretch-heavy treatment, was created exclusively for the property, and can take place on the beach, next to your villa’s private infinity pools (every villa has two), or even on the helipad under the stars (or the full moon, depending on the night).
Kids can join in the wellness experience thanks to the V.I.K. (Very Important Kids) Spa. A small treatment menu includes the Happy Feet foot scrub and massage, and the Goldilocks and the Bear detangling, conditioning hair treatment, followed by a neck and shoulder massage. anantara.com
There’s not a bad view to be had across the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles, but the mountaintop location of the spa doles out the property’s most enviable vistas. Dedicated wellness menus, rich in organic ingredients and rooted in clean eating, can be requested at all dining outlets. Both active and mindful pursuits headline the daily agenda, none more exciting than the mountaintop meditation, which begins with a solid hike followed by guided meditation and rhythmic movements atop high-rising boulders.
Le Syel Spa
Anchored by a glass-encased welcome and relaxation lounge—inclusive of a rooftop meditation deck—endless panoramas of white sands and turquoise waters abound. The dreamy backdrop of Petite Anse Bay extends to all eight treatment rooms constructed of glass and local woods shaped through and within the natural granite of the mountain. One of the spa’s most memorable experiences is the Miracle of Coco de Mer, a one-of-a-kind treatment steeped in the healing powers of coco de mer. The rare, endemic palm tree brandishes the largest seed in the entire plant kingdom. Over the course of 2.5 hours, indulge in a body scrub, body mask, and massage, all using products derived from coco de mer, followed by a bath and application of rich and nourishing coco de mer body lotion. During the Starlit Serenity treatment, a soothing nighttime massage is performed on the spa rooftop with smooth, kelp-stuffed shells used in lieu of hot stones. fourseasons.com
The Seychelles’ far-flung southern reaches remain mostly untouched and uninhabited, save a few glorious exceptions like this private, palm-studded island with nine miles of coastline, a thriving population of Aldabra tortoises (that outnumbers humans), and Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island. Among 70-plus organized activities, many are steeped in wellness, such as instructor-led yoga on the runway, which takes place at sunrise at the far end of the island runway (near the ocean’s edge) as well as kayaking to desolate beaches, finding total isolation, and zoning out or cultivating deep thoughts.
Circle of Connection Spa The focus here is to create mental and physical pathways for guests to connect with nature, and, in doing so, connect with themselves and their senses. For example, the Deep Dive massage releases tension by zeroing in on pressure points. Throughout the year, noted wellness practitioners visit for short residencies. Previous specialists have included Swedish physiotherapist Andreas Anell, Indian yoga expert and hypnotherapist Dr. Anil Kumar Singh, and energy and therapeutic massage healer Rashdy Ahmad. fourseasons.com
