Blame it on my birthday. I’m a March-born Pisces, inexplicably drawn to the sea. And while many equate sun and surf as inseparable, I’m just as enamored of sunlight glinting across turquoise waters as I am of walking the beach on a cold, blustery day. The sea is my medicine. And I’m not alone.
Because seawater contains many of the same minerals we have in our bodies, it is readily absorbed into our skin (especially when warm) working to rejuvenate and balance the body and ease joint and muscle pain. Many theorize this is why we ‘crave’ the sea.
In ancient Greece, physicians prescribed seawater baths, salt-laced air, and mineral-rich seaweed to treat everything from joint pain to fatigue — an early recognition of the sea’s restorative power. Nearly two millennia later, it was French cyclist Louis Bobet, the first man to win the Tour de France, who brought “seawater therapy” into the modern era. After using it to recover from a devastating car accident, he went on to open the Institut de Thalassothérapie de Quiberon on Brittany’s windswept coast.
Today, thalassotherapy has a devoted following (this writer included), particularly in Europe. France alone is home to more than 50 certified thalassotherapy centers, many operating under medical supervision. But in the United States, there is just one true thalassotherapy resort offering fully ocean-fed seawater pools: Gurney’s Montauk Seawater Resort & Spa.
Following, our favorite thalassotherapy retreats — and a few exceptional interpretations — where seawater lies at the heart of the wellness experience.
Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa, New York
The Vibe: Set on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa is the only place in the United States to offer authentic thalassotherapy treatments using fully ocean-fed pools. Located directly on the beach, the coastal-chic hotel and spa originally opened a century ago, in 1926, and has had many incarnations. Its latest positions it as one of the most glamorous — in a distinctly laid-back Montauk way — beach resorts in the country, and the only one devoted entirely to healing through seawater therapy.
The Stay: Dreamy beachfront rooms and cottages offer dramatic ocean views, with terraced steps leading straight to the sand. I love the watery color palette, wide terraces, hardwood floors, and mid-century modern touches. A new restaurant, Gigi’s, replaced longtime tenant Scarpetta this year. Inspired by the sea and designed for sharing, the menu runs from seafood towers and delicate crudos to locally sourced fish, prime steaks, handmade pasta, and indulgent house-made desserts. Don’t miss the agnolotti, prepared tableside.
The Treatment: Gurney’s legendary Seawater Spa was recently reimagined by Alonso Balaguer Designs — the creative force behind New York City’s Aire Ancient Bath Spas — and now feels more immersive than ever. Anchored by its signature indoor, ocean-fed seawater pool, the spa features a full hydrothermal circuit, including a caldarium (warm), vitality pool (hot), and bracing cold plunge, along with a menu of marine-based therapies.
Sofitel Quiberon Thalassa Sea & Spa, Brittany, France
The Vibe: Founded by Louis Bobet — Sofitel Quiberon Thalassa Sea & Spa — set on the windswept tip of Brittany’s Quiberon Peninsula is the birthplace of modern thalassotherapy. This iconic seaside retreat offers sweeping views of the Atlantic, where bracing sea air, rolling waves, and dramatic skies create a deeply elemental atmosphere. Sleek, contemporary design softens the rugged setting, blending medical-grade wellness with effortless French elegance.
The Stay: Light-filled rooms and suites, many with private balconies, face either the open ocean or the sheltered bay. Dining is health-forward yet indulgently French, emphasizing fresh seafood and seasonal produce. Between treatments, move between the seawater pools, hammam, and relaxation lounges, or venture out for bracing beach walks along the peninsula’s untamed shoreline.
The Treatment: This is thalassotherapy in its purest form. Programs are medically supervised and highly customized, typically spanning four to six days. All are built around therapeutic seawater baths, powerful marine hydrotherapy circuits, seaweed body wraps, underwater massages, affusion showers, and targeted physiotherapy. Signature cures address everything from detoxification and stress relief to joint pain, circulation, and post-injury recovery — all grounded in Bobet’s original vision of seawater as medicine.
Miramar la Cigale Hotel Thalasso & Spa, Brittany, France
The Vibe: Not far from where Bobet’s seawater journey took root, you’ll find this stunning resort and spa. Overlooking Brittany’s wild coast on Rhuys peninsula, the property is uniquely situated between the Atlantic and a tranquil salt lagoon. Surrounded by water and featuring art deco-inspired architecture — sweeping glass facades, elevated bridges, and decks — you’ll feel like you’re aboard a luxury ocean liner.
The Stay: Rooms, in soothing neutral colors, come with balconies and stunning water (ocean or marine lake) views. Dining is unapologetically French: locally harvested oysters, delicately grilled sole, and slow-roasted leg of lamb, best paired with a crisp glass of bubbly (when in France). There’s also a sleek, high-tech gym overlooking the sea and, naturally, a heated seawater swimming pool that serves as the resort’s luminous centerpiece.
The Treatment: While short stays are available, most guests —particularly the French — come for six to nine days to partake in customized thalassotherapy programs designed for healing, toning, slimming, or beautifying. For the ultimate cocooning experience, book the six-night “Intense Thalasso and Spa Treatment” featuring 18 treatments including seawater baths, seaweed body wraps, Abhyanga, and Balinese massages, Shirotchampi scalp therapy, steam sessions, body scrubs, and facials.
Castel Clara, Belle-Île-en-Mer, Brittany, France
The Vibe: Wild, windswept, and achingly romantic, Belle-Île-en-Mer has long seduced artists, including Claude Monet, who painted its dramatic cliffs and churning seas during extended stays. Reached by a roughly 50-minute ferry ride from the Quiberon peninsula, the island is known for its rugged coastline, turquoise coves, and Relais & Chateaux-affiliated Castel Clara destination spa, where thalassotherapy unfolds against one of the most cinematic backdrops in Brittany.
The Stay: Overlooking the shimmering waters of Goulphar Bay, the 66-room Castel Clara pairs understated Breton elegance with soothing seaside design. Guest rooms, dressed in soft neutrals, ocean blues, and misty greens, feature balconies or terraces that open directly onto sweeping sea views — perfect for morning coffee and quiet introspection. Bike the coastal pathways and explore the island’s four small towns (Bangor, Sauzon, Le Palais, and Locmarai) before returning to dip into the heated seawater pool, and sample the hotel’s incredible seafood.
The Treatment: Thalassotherapy here adheres closely to its French origins: fresh seawater is drawn directly from the Atlantic, heated, and delivered through an extensive hydrotherapy circuit. Treatments focus exclusively on marine elements — never mud — including warm seawater baths, underwater massages, high-pressure jet showers, and detoxifying seaweed wraps rich in iodine and trace minerals. Signature rituals range from bracing Scotch showers (alternating hot and ice-cold seawater) to deeply relaxing affusion massages and marine-based facials using Thalion, a leading French thalassotherapy skincare line. Guests often follow multi-day personalized cures, with slimming, detox, and skin-rejuvenation programs among the most popular.
Acquaforte Thalasso Spa at Forte Village, Sardinia, Italy
The Vibe: There’s something elemental about arriving at Acquaforte. Set within a lush garden on Sardinia’s southern coast, the spa feels like a modern-day thermal sanctuary devoted entirely to the sea. Pathways wind through palms and Mediterranean greenery toward a quiet circuit of steaming pools, their mineral-rich waters drawn directly from the surrounding coastline.
The Stay: I stayed at Hotel Castello, Forte Village’s most exclusive and intimate hotel. Set directly on the beach, the intimate hotel blends Sardinian stone, shaded terraces, and sea-facing suites, many with private patios that spill straight into the sand. Acquaforte Thalasso Spa lies a short stroll through the gardens, and days unfold to the rhythm of waves and long lunches between spa rituals.
The Treatment: The heart of Acquaforte is its six-pool thalassotherapy circuit, developed by Dr. Angelo Cerina, a pioneer of modern marine therapy. Each pool contains seawater drawn from different depths and heated to varying temperatures, creating a progressive journey through detoxification, relaxation, and regeneration. You begin in intensely warm, highly saline pools designed to release tension and stimulate circulation, before gradually moving into cooler waters that awaken the nervous system and sharpen mental clarity. The effect is deeply physical yet unexpectedly emotional — a full-body recalibration. Beyond the circuit, treatments incorporate marine mud, sea salts, algae, and mineral-rich oils, tailored toward everything from inflammation and stress reduction to athletic recovery and metabolic balance. But it’s the circuit itself — rhythmic, silent — that proves most unforgettable. A gentle reminder that sometimes, the most powerful medicine is simply seawater.
Body Holiday, St. Lucia
The Vibe:Don’t be fooled by the fringed-palm beach, burgers served alongside organic green juice, or the swanky cocktail and piano bars. Body Holiday is a full-on health resort. The family-owned property opened in the early 1980s, long before wellness vacations were a thing. The concept then (and now) was to create a wellness escape — a place guests could come to relax and rejuvenate over spa treatments and a glass of wine with dinner, in an incredibly beautiful island setting.
The Stay: Opt for a tranquil ocean-view room or suite. The beauty of a stay here is that you can be as social or as insular as you want. A hand-written chalkboard (which changes daily) highlights the endless fitness, yoga, and mind-body offerings. There are also signature programs like Ayurveda (BodyHoliday has one of the most authentic programs outside India), and of course thalassotherapy.
The Treatment: While purists may argue that true thalassotherapy must follow strict European medical protocols, a handful of resorts outside the continent offer meaningful interpretations of seawater therapy. Among the best is BodyHoliday which incorporates authentic, ocean-fed hydrotherapy into its broader wellness philosophy.The private thalassotherapy sessions take place in an enclosed pool — warm seawater is pumped directly from the Caribbean Sea. For 30 minutes, a therapist (in the water with you), carefully positions feet, hands, arms, thighs, calves, stomach, buttocks in front of high-pressure jets to relieve tension areas and rebalance the body. The seawater immersion works as a stand-alone treatment but is even more effective when coupled with infrared sauna and marine-based facials, body wraps, scrubs, and massage — a regimen that is repeated over consecutive days.
Call of the Sea
In the end, of course, thalassotherapy isn’t about wellness or spa trends. It’s about ritual and nourishment, and remembering something ancient — that we are water, and carry the memory of the sea within us.
In northeastern Sardinia, at the five-star Abi d’Oru Hotel & Spa in swanky Porto Rotondo, there is no formal medically supervised thalassotherapy program. But every day I see glimpses as to why Sardinians here, a designated Blue Zone, live to be 100-plus years. The island, shaped like a loaf of ciabatta and dense with cork oak groves, millenia-old olive trees, and Mediterranean waters is the picture of tranquility — and where stressed-out Italians come to escape the urban frenzy. Every morning, on my own sea walks, I see locals (some couples, 90+-years-old) — wading hand in hand through waist-deep Mediterranean Sea waters — walking back and forth, side to side — for hours. In the salty air and briny sea, there exists a kind of cellular memory, quietly drawing us in.
Feature image, courtesy of Gurney’s Montauk Seawater Spa & Resort
