ANDRONIS CONCEPT WELLNESS RESORT

Santorini, Greece

‘Ah, Greek beauty therapists – grounded, gentle and so very strong. At Andronis Concept’s Kallos Spa, I was led by the hand through candlelit corridors to a geranium-scented room, where my body was calmly and capably approached like a puzzle to be solved. There’s a level of skill here that takes a perfectly good massage and raises it, tending to joints and tissues with precision and care, while the mind sinks into deeper brainwaves. Kallos works with Ila, an emotionally charged spa brand with treatment menus that focus on modern ailments: sleep, stress, hormonal imbalance and digestion. Drinking a herb and honey tea and looking out into the blue of the infinity pool and the Santorini sky beyond, I chose stress (always) and emerged blinking, having had my shoulder blades practically lifted off the back of my body, lengthening, making space and unlocking tension. It was good. Really good. So was floating under the shower in the cave pool and flopping in the sauna cabin. Andronis Concept is part-spa, part-boutique hotel, compact and honey-coloured, with a vegetable garden and mini infinity pool with every suite. The food is high-end and as healthy as you want it to be – there’s lobster, but also quinoa. There’s a tennis court, a pocket-sized but brilliantly equipped gym and a glass-fronted yoga room, half open to the breeze and overlooking the Aegean Sea. Just below is a hiking trail that joins local villages together – you’ll see laden donkeys pass by as well as hikers, Santorini being chic but rugged. The approach here is one of stealth wellness – you don’t have to set foot in the spa or take up the complimentary yoga classes unless you want to, but the peaceful vibe gets into your bones, along with a warmth that helps you feel cared for, whether in the restaurant or borrowing a phone charger from reception.’ Alexandra Friend