FRANCE: SEA WATER THERAPY IN THE WESTERN LOIRE
by Anne Dimon
We visited two of the six seawater therapy centers in the coastal region of the Western Loire: Alliance Pornic Resort Hotel and Thallaso in the town of Pornic and Thalgo La Baule in the larger town of La Baule
From Paris it takes about 2.5 hours via the TGV (much quicker by air) to get to the city of Nantes (from where Alliance Pornic can arrange shuttle transportation for guests) and 2.5 hours into La Baule.
Visitors come to the area for a number of reasons including beach and water activities, cycling and golf but most often most come to “take the sea waters.” The spas in the area focus on thalassotherapy – defined as therapy utilizing 100 per cent natural sea water that is renewed everyday to preserve its living qualities. This is definitely the type of facility that you want to book two or more days to fully appreciate.
ALLIANCE PORNIC
The Spa: The prime focus of this seaside resort, the spa is setup like a modern clinic with a team of doctors and wellness professionals including physiotherapists and sport/fitness coaches available for treatments and consultations. There are 36 treatment rooms including one couples’ room with a wooden Japanese tub and two treatment tables.
Because this is a thalassotherapy spa, the emphasis here is on sea water therapies including a very large water circuit which allows guests to ejoy the benefits of a soak in a heated sea water swimming pool, a hammam, saunas with light therapy and water jets for hydro massages. Relaxation therapy – called sophrology – is also on the menu. There are also programs for cellulite reduction, slimming, back care, mother/baby, Facials, manicures, pedicures and a variety of massages are also available.
The Experience: The meditative pounding of waves softly crashing the shoreline is a common background sound in treatment rooms everywhere but here at Alliance Pornic what you get is the real thing. Listen carefully, and you can hear the Atlantic lapping the rocky shoreline from most everywhere on the pristine resort including guestroom balconies.
I’m booked for a 15-minute Jet Pomme - think being hosed down by a therapist brandishing a forceful jet of hot then cold water to rev up the circulation and you’ve pretty much conjured up an image of this watery treatment.. Since the Jet Pomme is somewhat rigorous and can leave a body exhausted, it’s followed by 30 minutes of relax time. This “relaxation time” which finds a body wrapped with blankets and resting in a special quiet area, is actually considered to be part of the treatment.
Next it’s a Douche Sous Marine which begins with 15 minutes in the hammam (a traditional steam bath) followed by a mud wrap. I was at Alliance Pornic just two nights but I found the seaside experience wonderfully relaxing. Another positive aspect is that there is comraderie in the fact that everyone is here for the same thing – promoting or maintaining a sense of health and wellness..
Accommodations: Alliance Pornic houses 120 guest rooms in a modern facility. Like the resort, rooms have a sleek contemporary look and feel with bleached wood furnishings and balconies that overlook the sea or the inner garden courtyard.
Where to eat: The resort’s oceanfront Terrace is an indoor/outdoor restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the town of Pornic, there are a number of lovely little restaurants serving typical French fare. .
Other Facilities/Features: There’s a gym plus regular morning walks and thai-chi sessions.
Beyond the Spa: A 15 – 20 minute walk though the hilly village streets gets you into downtown Pornic. The vibrant waterfront town (population around 14,000) has casinos, a number of restaurants, a few clothing stores and many souvenir shops.
Along the way, there’s a postcard-pretty view of the harbour and a colourful collection of boats against a backdrop of the imposing Chateau Gille De Raies and the main street shops.
Thalgo La Baule
The Spa: The clinical feel dominates at this spa too. Just as with Alliance Pornic, the three-level Thalgo La Baule is all about wellness with a water circuit as its centerpiece. There are three heated sea water pools, aquagym and rehabilitation pools, a baby pool, an aqua-slimming circuit, a seaweed whirlpool bath with hydromassage, jet showers, spray massages and treatment rooms – called cabins – for seaweed baths and wraps. Here too you’ll find doctors, physiotherapists, sports instructors along with hydrotherapists, swimming instructors, a dietician, a osteopath and other wellness professionals. The choice or treatments and therapies is extensive.
The Experience: Even if I hadn’t known what treatment this body was about to experience, the smell would have told it all. The pungent aroma of seaweed is unmistakable. It’s real, it’s fresh just as the rules of thalassotherapy demand. Isabel enters my treatment room (it’s actually more of a glassed in cubicle with shower and plastic-covered treatment bed ) with a large bowl of freshly-made creamy seaweed pudding rich with vitamins and miners. She slathers it from my neck to toes, wraps me in plastic and, before leaving the room, hands me a hand alarm in case I have a problem. Twenty minutes later, Isabel is back to unwrap me, and help what must look like a monster from the deep to the in-room shower. She then hands me my terry robe & plastic sandals and it’s time to move on to the Chambre de Repose.
Fresh from being wrapped in seaweed and plastic, this body is now wrapped in a cozy duvet as it relaxes in this quiet lounge area. Relaxation is actually scheduled in as part of the treatment. Next stop is the Water Circuit which offers nine stations with underwater jets strategically positioned to massage the various body parts. This is a self-guided sea water therapy, and there will most likely be other clients reaping the benefits at his or her own pace. Everyone, of course, wears bathing suits and an on-duty attendant is available to answer any questions. Then more time to soak up the quiet in the Chambre de Repose or enjoy an herbal tea.
Where to eat: There’s a small café serving teas, mineral waters, coffee, fruit, milkshakes, and fruit cocktails. Outside the spa there are a number of restaurants in the hotel and in the town.
Accommodations: Thalgo La Baule is connected to historic Hotel Lucien Barriere. .
Beyond the Spa: Nearby, you’ll find the Guérande Salt Marshes built by monks more than 1,000 years ago. The 180 salt farmers in the co-op produce 12,000 tons a year. There’s a wide range of items available from the site’s gift shop. .
A family vacation destination for the last 150 years, La Baule also offers 9km of beautiful sandy beaches and cycling paths. Bikes can be rented in town and cost about 8 Euros a day.
What I liked best about the region: I loved the fresh scent of the ocean. Taking in the salty air as you stroll around the Alliance Pornic is, in itself, therapeutic as is walking or biking along the long stretch of beachfront in La Baule.
From Alliance Pornic, I also liked the fact that guests can easily walk into town for shopping or to check out the town’s fabulous local restaurants. The Hotel Barriere, connected to Thalgo La Boule, is situated in the downtown area so there are a number of shops and restaurants within easy access.
I also found the packages reasonably priced. At the time of our visit, the Alliance Pornic was offering three nights accommodations, with all meals and 12 treatments (4 per day) for 594 E (about ? U.S.) per person. Costs were competitive at Thalgo. Rates are general higher from April to October.
Editor’s note: Prices may have changed so we suggest you check with the spas before you go.
Words to the wise: Again, remember that this is France so while English is spoken at the reception areas of both hotel and spa, don’t expect all therapists and spa attendants to speak the language. Also, at the time of our visit spa menus were also in French. Don’t expect candles, aromatherapy and pampering. Thalassotherapy facilities are more about health and wellness.
Destination Directory:
France: www.franceguide.com
Western Loire Region: www.westernloire.com
Hotel Lucien Barriere: www.lucienbarriere.com
Thalasso Pornic: www.thalassopornic.com
