Scandinave Spa – Relax to the Max

Two weeks ago was our five year anniversary so last week we took a three-day mini-vacation to Collingwood primarily to visit the Scandinave Spa. Oh Scandinavian spas, how do I love you… We went to the Scandinave at Blue Mountain two years ago for our anniversary and we were hooked. It led us to a day at the The Nordik Spa in Chelsea, Quebec later that same year and the Strom Spa in Montreal last year.

The baths are simply divine… They have wonderfully hot pools, refreshing cool pools, and beautiful relaxation areas. The idea is that you spend 10-15 minutes in the hot pools which vary between 38 and 40 C (101-104 F), allowing the heat to open your pores, release toxins, and stimulate circulation. Then you go for a quick 2 second to 2 minute dip in the cool pools, which are 12 to 16 C (55-61 F), to rinse off those toxins and close up your pores. After that you head to one of the various relaxation areas for 10-15 minutes – a warm room with Muskoka chairs and a big beautiful window, a hammock under a tree, or you can dry off by one of the fires. If you’re like me you’ll spend this time sound asleep.

Oh, and if you need a break from the hot pools you should DEFINITELY try out the eucalyptus steam room. The first time Darren and I ever went to one of these spas we were both skeptical about whether we’d like a steam room. I thought it would be suffocatingly humid and way too hot. It turns out they’re the perfect balance of hot and steamy, we’ve actually been known to lose track of time and spend a half hour enjoying the easy breathing. And yes it’s just like in the movies, you walk in and can’t see a thing. Unlike the movies everyone was clad in bathing suits and there weren’t any back room deals going down.

We ended up spending a full five hours there, including our fantastic one hour massages. Now this is a getaway I could get used to. If only it were closer to home…

I love all the bath spas we’ve been to so far but I like Collingwood the best because the scenery is stunning and they have lots of clocks to help monitor how long I’ve spent in each area, sometimes it’s the little things that really matter. It’s set in a small wooded area surrounded by lots of trees making it cozy, quaint, and very tranquil.

I was surprised to see how much I loved the silence. I spend a fair amount of time alone in my studio retouching and writing blog posts causing me to crave social interaction, but spa silence is completely different. It helped quiet my mind in fifteen minute intervals, which was exactly what I needed.

If you ever have a chance to check out a bath spa you totally should. It’s one of the most relaxing things I’ve ever done. And they all seem to have their own personalities. The one at Blue Mountain offers yoga classes, I even saw a yoga day that they’re hosting, while at Strom some nights they have martinis and a DJ.

So what are your favourite relaxing getaways? Do you like to camp far, far away from the city? Are you into all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean? Or is a massage all it takes?