First-class

BEN HATTON

course and spa – and both are available to guests of

The Lodge.

The Somabay peninsula and surroundings are sparse, giving The Cascades an oasis feel. From the hotel’s many balconies, or the deckchairs lining its vast pool area, guests can enjoy the arid desert landscape, punctuated by the green of the golf course and the blue of the sea. The Cascades is elegant but without pretension, lending to a sense of quiet relaxation and over-55s are well represented. An abundance of space makes for a well-provisioned spa, with both outdoor and indoor pools. Treatments cost extra, but the spa is free to use.

The flagship thalassotherapy is administered in a labyrinth of salt waterways that flow, foam, and spray around a centrepiece of high columns.

The treatment is, at times, far removed from the spa’s otherwise gentle atmosphere. A surprise battering from the salt water cannon is enough to make you wonder if you’ll do just about anything under the guise of an experience.

Of all the hotels in Somabay, The Cascades and The Lodge are the only ones without direct beach access.

They do have designated area of shoreline, however, which is accessible via a timetabled minibus and well catered for with food, drinks and sunbeds.

The sand is soft where it meets the water, but otherwise is hard and dusty, closer to gravel than sand. Also available by minibus are snorkelling, diving, and an array of watersports. The windswept peninsula is said to be especially appealing for kite surfers, and the same wind is said to add to the thrill of the 18-hole golf course, with regulars saying it makes no two rounds the same.

With sun, sand and sea, The Lodge needs offer little else than a