RED LANE SPA TURKS & CAICOS
by Kate Pocock
What We Found:
On Providenciales, an island famous for its blazing white sand, hot golden sun and turquoise waters, it’s a bit surprising to be welcomed at the Red Lane Spa by that other primary colour—red. But after a thought, it makes perfect sense. Scarlet birds of paradise and frangipani blossoms bloom in the spa garden. Oils from red Caribbean oranges, infusions of red ginseng, and wraps with red desert mud inspire treatments in the spa. Fiery sunsets and pink sunrises illuminate massages for two by the sea.
Red exudes warmth and passion, qualities that have motivated Spa Director Karen Sprung to redefine Sandals and Beaches spas throughout the Caribbean. You’ll find more local products and island-inspired treatments. Here in the Turks, experience crushed conch shells acting as exfoliant, green coffee beans used in wraps and sea salt as body polish. The new West Indian Massage uses warm river stones, rain forest-scented mist and white sand for your tootsies. New signature treatments use the beach, the garden, and even a moonlit sea. “We have the world’s biggest hydrotherapy tub right here,” says Sprung, “so why not use it?” All of the above combine to produce another version of red— that happy spa-induced rosy glow.
What’s New:
Although Beaches is loved for its family-friendly cast of Sesame Street characters, mom and dad still rule. So signature couples massage has been romantically kicked up a notch with the help of sea and sky. Start the day seaside with a Sunrise Sea ‘n Scrub, an exfoliation with island honey, citrus sea salt and sand followed with a re-mineralizing dip in the warm ocean. Naturally, the full body massage concludes with an application of moisturizing sunscreen. Or, after an activity-packed day, the two of you could wind down with a Moonlight and Stars massage for two. After a massage on the beach after twilight, take a nightcap dip in the sea under twinkling stars.
What’s Special:
I’ve never taken my morning java through my pores before, but why not start the day with a Java Jive Scrub using natural roasted coffee beans? Intended to increase circulation and decrease cellulite, it’s a two-for-one hit. Lying on the heated table, the smell was divine. And when I was handed a brush to scrub off in the shower, the coffee grounds looked like sprinkled nut brown confetti. It was a showering that properly greeted the day.
Also available is the Wake Up and Smell the Coffee Wrap using green coffee beans also from the famed Jamaican Blue Mountains, and the Mocha-chino Experience that includes a warm milk bath and an aromatherapy massage of chocolate-infused oils and lotion. Yum.
What’s Nearby:
Book a three-hour snorkel expedition from the Beaches’s Tours & Excursions desk to blissful barrier islands. On Iguana Island, walk the Little Water Cay Nature Reserve trails, home to some 2000 friendly iguanas. In the clear waters offshore (so brilliant you should don a T-shirt as well as sunscreen while swimming), snorkel amongst abundant fish and turtles. Hunt for sand dollars on Ft. George Beach, one of the whitest stretches of sand you’ve ever seen. The islands also offer some of the best scuba diving in the Caribbean. Many operators, including the professional team at Beaches, offer a variety of dive spots for all levels.
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- For more info on Beaches Red Lane Spa including day treatments, contact Beaches: 1-800-545-8283 or www.beaches.com
- For more on Turks & Caicos, visit www.turksandcaicostourism.com
- Kate Pocock is a Toronto-based freelance writer.
