Spas are a hot topic the world over and no less so in the Caribbean. Here follows a small sampling of locally grown and harvested ingredients that are used alongside traditional spa treatments and high-end brand names.  Available at numerous spas and wellness centres in the region, these treatments contribute to an exotic and indulgent experience for guests. 

Island salt, coconut, cucumber and aloe are just a few of the ingredients incorporated into therapies at The Mandara Spa at the Marriott Resort on Aruba. Reportedly the largest spa on the island, the facility offers 12 treatment rooms and Spa cuisine through the resort’s in-room dining menu. Manchebo Beach Resort’s Spa del Sol offers a full line of massages, facial treatments, hot stone therapy and yoga classes in a beautiful open-air setting so guests can fully appreciate the lush Caribbean gardens and tranquil atmosphere by the ocean. The Holiday Inn’s Intermezzo Day Spa also offers outdoor therapy in a secluded beachfront area. A Conchi Splash massage in a hydrotherapy tub is top of the wish list at The Spa at Aruba’s Hyatt Regency. The oceanfront Larimar Spa at the Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino boasts a 15,000-square-foot facility, with nine treatment rooms including two Swiss shower rooms, a couple’s suite and a Vichy shower treatment room, plus a full salon. The spa is named after the aqua colored indigenous Larimar Stone, reputed to have healing properties.

The Golden Door Spa at El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico is the island’s largest spa, with 25 treatment rooms and an in-depth menu of services including a mud treatment called Terra del Yunque, which uses local plants and herbs, and the Pineapple Body Polish, a special dry-skin fix; 11 types of massage therapies are available. The Spa at The Ritz-Carlton San Juan offers a treatment called Café con Leche – as you would expect, this treatment utilizes the grounds of locally grown coffee. The Caribe Hilton’s spa, The Olas Spa & Health Club, has 15 massage rooms – three designed for couples – and offers a treatment called Wassage, which incorporates aqua body therapy, floatation and shiatsu techniques. At the Río Mar Beach Resort & Spa, a Wyndham Grand Resort, you’ll find Le Spa Personal Fitness & Body Care and signature treatments such as the Aromatherapy Salt Glo, which uses sea and mineral salts. The N Spa at the Normandie Hotel offers guests the exclusive Ligne St. Barth product line, made according to traditional family recipes of St. Barts.

The Senses Spa at The Westin and Sheraton at Our Lucaya, Freeport, Grand Bahama Island offers Hot Stone Therapy, and has a fully equipped fitness center. At The One&Only Ocean Club, on Paradise Island, Bahamas guests will be treated to a custom experience tailor-made for them by experienced therapists. Each treatment culminates with an Asian tea service followed by a bath drawn in the villa’s private whirlpool. The Mandara Spa at the Atlantis Resort offers guests 24 treatment rooms, each named after a deity. Guests can opt for facials, body treatments, aromatherapy, and even a 40-minute tooth whitening procedure.

The large and sumptuous 47,000 square-foot spa at Sandy Lane, Barbados has 11 treatment rooms, each with their own hydrotherapy pool and waterfall. Each guest receives a personalized treatment based on their needs, using Caribbean products. The spa also offers Aryuvedic treatments, and has a fitness studio for personal training, Pilates and meditation sessions. The Ocean View Mini-Spa at the Hilton Barbados tempts guests with facials, body wraps, aromatherapy baths, hot stone therapy and beauty services.

The Silver Rain at The Ritz-Carlton in Grand Cayman was created specifically for the resort by the renowned La Prairie brand. The 20,000-square-foot spa was named for the company’s popular Silver Rain fragrance. It has 17 treatment rooms, a complete range of spa services and a full-service beauty salon and fitness center.

The European-style Royal Spa at The Royal Plantation, Jamaica, offers massages, skin care treatments, mud baths, aromatherapies and facials using the finest natural botanical products. The Spa at Round Hill specializes in all-natural treatments for teens, afternoon yoga classes, and massages by the sea. The KiYara spa at Jamaica Inn mixes local Jamaican traditions with Ayurvedic and Fijian philosophies. The Fern Tree at Half Moon Resort in Montego Bay is a lavish 68,000 square foot sanctuary for the mind and body. Here, modern spa techniques are blended with Jamaica's ancient remedies of herbs, fruits and plant extracts.

Nutmeg, coconut, ocean seaweed and Aloe Vera are just some of the local spices and herbs available at Janissa’s spa at the Spice Island Beach Resort Grenada. These local ingredients reputedly have restorative powers and treatment options include wraps, body polishes, facials and massage.

The Punta Cana Resort & Club, Dominican Republic boasts the first Caribbean location of the famed spa chain Six Senses. The facility has eight indoor salons and four others built outside on a deck overlooking the sand and sea. Guests are invited to try the Sensory Spa Journey, a four-hands massage and footbath, followed by a simultaneous body aroma massage, cleansing facial and stress-relieving scalp massage. The Sun Village-Cofresi has an Asian-themed spa, with outdoor treatment rooms, tranquil gardens, and a pool and sundeck. Choose from one of 25 treatment rooms or a suite with private Jacuzzi, or practice the ancient art of Ki-Do in one of the thatched dojos by the ocean.

The St. Kitts Marriott Resort has a 15,000-square-foot spa facility. The Emerald Mist Spa offers a full treatment menu including hot and cold tubs and relaxation lounges, plus a fully-equipped fitness facility. 

The Four Seasons Resort Nevis boasts a spa that has the reputation of being one of the best in the Caribbean, with its tempting and unusual line of treatments including rum tonics and a mango sea salt glow.