A BOUTIQUE LATIN RETREAT IN... CARTAGENA

WHERE? Casa San Agustin, Cartagena, Colombia WHY? For a body (and view) beautiful HOW MUCH? Deluxe rooms from £360 per night; hotelcasasanagustin.com

We’re not suggesting there’s no scope to relax your mind and restore your body a little closer to home, but if you’re going to travel for luxe wellness, why not go all out? And by that, we mean Hotel Casa San Agustin in the walled city of Cartagena, a colonial treasure on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Slap bang in the middle of a traditional city packed full of kaleidoscopic colours, this boutique hotel is something of a contemporary hinterland – all calming whites, mosaictiled freshwater pools and breathtaking frescoed walls. So far, so relaxing. But if you haven’t wandered barefoot from your private patio to the Aurum Spa, you haven’t really got going yet. As local as the freshly caught ceviche (more melt-in-the-mouth than your average Malteser) served up in the colonial courtyard of the Alma restaurant are the body scrubs – you’ll be buffed to within an inch of your life with Colombian coffee, sea salt and volcanic mud. Prefer a more gentle touch? Book in for a downright delicious full-body massage on the rooftop – just about firm enough to stop you dropping off completely. Totally worth the long haul.