Paul’s Review of Porto Elounda Golf & Spa Resort

The perfect healthy break for sports and spa enthusiasts, Porto Elounda Golf & Spa Resort in Crete is a five-star luxury spa holiday with outstanding facilities and open from April till October. On arrival to Elounda, the first view from the hilltop is a panorama of the Bay of Mirabello; after checking into my deluxe sea view room and a light supper, I went straight to sleep as it was late.

Porto Elounda has great facilities including a 9-hole par-3 golf course, football academy, three Astroturf tennis courts, private gym and a Six Senses Spa. I awoke to a fabulous view with the sun shining and started my day with a power wellness walk which takes place on the private beach, allowing me to explore the resort grounds.

Pool area with views of Mirabello Bay at Porto Elounda Golf & Spa Resort in Crete

Paul enjoying the hydrotherapy circuit at Porto Elounda Golf and Spa Resort

Pool area with views of Mirabello Bay (left) Paul enjoying the hydrotherapy circuit (right)

The Six Senses Spa is shared between three sister hotels; the super-luxury Elounda Peninsula, the Elounda Mare and the Porto Elounda. All different but meaning this luxury spa break can be catered to different tastes and works for different budgets; so you can experience the luxury spa but don’t have to stay at the super luxury-priced hotel to experience it. The spa is something special and is super stylish with a welcoming big reception area, sweeping stairs up to the treatments rooms with the central focus being the hydrotherapy circuit pool with gorgeous sea views across the Bay of Mirabello. The spa is open every day except on Tuesdays when it’s closed.

I opted for Health and Fitness Travel’s exclusive Porto Elounda Fusion Fitness holiday which offers a flexible wellness programme to choose from a menu of personalised activities and spa treatments to suit your personal interests. This gave me the perfect balance of spa treatments, private yoga lessons and various fitness workouts. Other wellness programmes include Detox for a detox retreat to enhance health and vitality, Sense of Spa to de-stress and calm the mind, Optimal Fitness for a customised training programme and if you’re short on time try the 3 night Porto Elounda BodyBreak.

All my spa treatments were fabulous and the therapists were excellent. The Six Senses Signature Oriental massage was so therapeutic – a stress relieving treatment combining a full body massage with acupressure and stretching techniques. The sports massage was perfect for releasing tension in my muscles and I surrendered to the pulling and stretching of a traditional Thai massage which re-energised my whole body. I’d also recommend making time before your body treatments to enter the spa circuit; with plunge pools, thalassotherapy pool with powerful jets, sauna and steam rooms (try the ones with humidity and dry heat) to relax your muscle.

View from the spa at Porto Elounda

Apart from the spa, Porto Elounda has a few swimming pools to choose from and a beautiful private sandy beach to recline on; the sea is also warm enough to swim in. Porto Elounda offers inclusive half board which includes a Greek Mediterranean buffet for dinner every night; the food was delicious and offered a vast amount of choice with fresh meat and vegetable style dishes. I’d also recommend exploring one of the other high quality restaurants on property which all come with a supplement charge; however you would receive a 20 euros credit voucher to use towards your meal.

I joined the morning yoga classes with teacher Paula at the spa, a restorative class overlooking the sea which was a nice way to wake up before a delicious and healthy breakfast. There were two classes a day at 9am and 5pm (except Tuesdays) normally consisting of yoga in the morning and Gym Stick Evolution Conditioning or Aqua Yoga in the afternoons. Along with the group yoga classes there is an option for private yoga lessons so you could combine the perfect spa break with a yoga holiday.

The private beach (left) Paul holding the Vrksasana or 'tree pose' (right)

For tennis enthusiasts who are looking for a tennis break, there are three tennis courts with professional coaching and Dimitris the tennis coach is available for private lessons to assist for every skill level. For those who like golf, there is a private 9-hole par-3 golf course to play on and for beginners I’d recommend booking in for some lessons with Golf Coach Antonis. There is also a championship 18-hole golf course located half an hour away with special rates for Porto Elounda guests, making this a good destination for a golf holiday.

Don’t expect too much entertainment in the evenings, there is a lounge bar to enjoy a cocktail and on Wednesday nights there is a fabulous local Greek band by the beach bar. With such a world class spa, this is a perfect destination for a luxury spa holiday and I ended my healthy break feeling wonderful and totally re-energised.