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by Judi Lees
Name of Spa: The Spa at Painted Boat
Locations and overview: Snugged into a picture-perfect, protected harbour on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, The Spa is part of the luxury resort, Painted Boat – an offering of 31 villas for rent or quarter ownership.
Point of Distinction: Its sales pitch of ‘taking to the waters’ works: a focal point of The Spa is the Spa Garden with hot pools, massaging waterfall, salt water flotation pool, sauna cave and fire pit set amid the evergreens.
Signature Treatments: Special treatments revolve around the setting, for example, the Mud, Salt & Sea steams you, exfoliates with ‘salts of the earth’ includes a Canadian glacial mud masque, and utilizes sea algae in the hydrotherapy tub.
Main Product Lines: Osea for facials; Ahkass for massage products and Ancient Secrets for glacial clay and other toiletries. The latter two are from Vancouver.
The Experience: In dire need of a massage after a cycling trip, I opted for the 50 minute Signature Massage. I chose black pepper and ginger infused oil that warms muscles. Tiny Christina Appave gave a deep treatment and she had a knack for finding my knotted zones. She used her forearm to give a broad, even pressure on the muscles along my spine. This customized massage was the best I have experienced.

Other features/facilities: There is a side-by-side massage for couples. All treatments at The Spa include the use of the glacial clay steam room and time in the Spa Garden. On a rainy day, sitting in the therapy pool sipping Aryuvedic tea is a magical rainforest type of experience.
Best thing about it: The quality of the massage – lots of attention paid to detail, breathing in the aroma of massage oil, feet wrapped in warm towel and what I call, the good hurt. It’s a cliché but I felt like I was in a new body!
For more info
Other articles you may be interested in:
Fitness activities on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast June, 2007
It's a facial....butt May, 2007
Our top spas in Whistler September 2006
Best Spas in Canada 2009
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Judi Lees is a B.C. based travel writer and regular contributor to Travel to Wellness.
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