Most of the fine resorts in Southwest Florida boast full-service spas for resort and day guests. Throughout the region, you will also find a number of excellent stand-alone spas offering a variety of services from hair and nails to massage and even salt caves. Fine resorts in Southwest Florida devote special attention to their spas, rather than merely adding them on as an afterthought. Contrary to many resorts these days, fine resorts in Southwest Florida devote special attention to their spas, rather than adding them on as an afterthought.

Throw a dart at a map of the Southwest Region and it’s guaranteed to land on or near a spa. The variety of treatments is endless and includes everything from hot stone massages to Balinese- and Thai-themed treatments. There are sports massages for golfers, revitalizing and wellness therapies and, of course, all the body-beautiful treatments such as manicures, pedicures and facials.

One of the region’s first, the Salt Cave in Naples specializes in treatments that take advantage of the healing powers of Himalayan pink salt, but also offers other New Age therapies such as electrotherapy, halotherapy and honey detox.

Off Fifth Avenue South, diVINE Spa gets highly rated by clients, who enjoy classic facials and massages plus more unusual services such as Pinot Noir Awakening, Wine Glow Rejuvenation and Couples Vino Oasis. The use of winemaking byproducts—skins, seeds and stems—makes the difference in such treatments and gives the spa its name.

In the Naples area, you will find stand-alone spas at the Marco Island Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa; the Ritz-Carlton Naples; the Naples Grande Beach Resort; and Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club. The Ritz spa contains its own healthy café, =H2O+, which schedules cooking classes January through April.

In the Naples area, you will find stand-alone spas at the Marco Island Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa; the Ritz-Carlton Naples; the Waldorf-Astoria Naples; and Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club. The Ritz spa contains its own healthy café, =H2O+, which offers cooking classes January through April

Spada in Fort Myers lists a varied menu of services including microdermabrasion. Sanibel Day Spa has long been in the business of beautifying and relaxing islanders and visitors with full beauty services, wellness treatments, scrubs and massages. It specializes in services for bridal parties. On Fort Myers Beach, Esterra Spa & Salon is tops for everything from pedicures to hot bamboo massage.

Punta Gorda boasts a couple of fine spas. Serendipity Salon & Spa downtown specializes in skin and body treatments with peels, skin tightening, scrubs, cellulite treatments and facials plus salon services. One of the town’s oldest, Charles of the Village Salon & Spa at Fishermen’s Village restricts its services to facials, nails and hair. The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs boasts an indoor water shiatsu pool. The Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa in Fort Myers offers massage with a unique BETAR (Bio Energetic Transduction Aided Resonance) bed musical and sound relaxation system. The Westin Cape Coral’s spa lists a complete menu of services.

The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs boasts an indoor water shiatsu pool. The Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa in Fort Myers offers massage with a unique BETAR (Bio Energetic Transduction Aided Resonance) bed musical and sound relaxation system.

A charming cottage setting makes the experience at Sirena Island Day Spa in Venice extra intimate. Mandala Medi Spa & Yoga Shala in south Sarasota offers Indonesian body treatments, massage and salon services, plus medical aesthetic services and yoga classes.

Downtown’s Pixie Dust adds a metaphysical twist with psychic readings, new age gifts, massage, hot Himalayan salt stone massage, energy crystal massage and sound baths. At St. Armands Circle, The Met takes patrons up a dramatically sweeping staircase from a posh clothing store into a luxury setting. It offers full spa and beauty facilities and treatments, including wraps, massages, facials and spa lunch packages. The Pink Himalayan Sea Salt Body Polish with Hydrating Cocoon is signature.

The Sarasota area’s most impressive resort spas include those at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota and The Resort at Longboat Key Club.

Relaxation is waiting—now get out there and get pampered.

Now it’s your turn! Which places have you been? Where do you want to go? Please share your thoughts and experiences with us all!