Relax Like Royalty at Tivoli Palácio de Seteais New Spa

Portugal’s romantic and historic town, Sintra, is now a great destination for a relaxing and luxurious Thai massage. Although Sintra, a Unesco World Heritage destination, is renowned for its exceptional Romantic architecture with its incomparable Pena Palace and amazing gardens, it has an even longer history as a destination for spirituality and relaxation. Celts worshiped their moon god there, and Portuguese royals have been vacationing in its fresh mountain air and pine-covered hills for hundreds of years. It seems fitting then that the 30-room hotel Tivoli Palácio de Seteais—located within an 18th-century palace—has given its spa a seriously luxurious upgrade.

The boutique hotel property has partnered with Anantara Spa—a world wide-renowned Thai spa brand known for its exclusive mixture of oils and traditional techniques that stimulate circulation, promote deep muscle release, and restore energy flow along deep relaxation lines—to open the new Anantara Seteais Spa and Wellness Centre earlier this month. Located within the palace’s refurbished pigeonnier (a dovecot or pigeon tower), which once housed live pigeons as a common symbol of status and power, the spa will offer signature Anantara spa treatments. The spa will also offer a selection of treatments unique to Sintra that utilize local ingredients and evoke a specific sense of place and history, like the Organic Hydrating Wine Body treatments.

Of course, the spa also offers a plethora of yoga and meditation classes. Guided nature walks are available to help guests reconnect with nature while exploring nearby national parks Parque e Palacio Nacional de Pena and Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais. Those wanting to stay a bit closer can happily wander the resort’s lush landscape where the scent of lemon trees, lavender, rosemary, basil, mint, jasmine, and hibiscus fill the air.