The Thermae Experience
What is it supposed to do?
The Thermae Experience at The Retreat at Aphrodite Hills is a sequence of Greco-Roman style thermae (heat) rooms with the added benefit of a beautiful hammam and sauna. There are four different heat rooms overall and one cold one. Each has its purpose but the whole idea stays true to the classical bathing rituals of cleansing and relaxation.
What benefits does it claim?
Each heat room offers different benefits. The Laconium room offers a very gentle heat bath that purifies and detoxifies with heat provided through a stove and heated ceramic walls and benches. The Caldarium room is especially good for the respiratory system and skin as it softens it with natural herbal essences and steam while also stimulating circulation. Steam bathing also stimulates protein circulation, improving digestibility of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and mineral elements while also easing joint pains and stiffness.
The hammam, a treatment known by many, is a traditional Middle-Eastern ritual of cleansing and detoxifying while the sauna, the hottest of all the dry heat rooms, assists in the process of eliminating toxins. The Frigidarium room, normally taken between the heat rooms, provides ice shavings to enhance the cooling process, stimulating circulation and refreshing the body.
Is there any science behind it?
There really is nothing new to prove here. After all, we are talking about the type of treatments people have been undergoing for hundreds of years and they make complete and utter sense. It is scientifically proven that high temperatures stimulate sweating thus removing unwanted materials and improving the work of kidneys, releasing excess water and salt from the body, not to mention opening skin pores, cleansing the skin and making it softer. During a 10 to 20 minute sauna session, a person’s heart rate increases by 50 to 75 per cent, roughly the equivalent of taking a brisk walk. There is a nominal effect on blood pressure because the heat also causes blood vessels in the skin to expand to accommodate increased blood flow.
What is it like?
The whole concept of the Spa at Aphrodite Hills is amazing from the get go, so I was really keen on trying out their new treatment. Wearing our bathing suits, we slipped into white towelling robes and headed to the first part of our experience – the Laconium Room, which initiates the detoxifying process through a stove and heated ceramic walls and benches. Upon entering you can immediately feel the mild heat at about 65°C but 10 minutes into it and the first sweat beads start forming. It was out and into the Caldarium Room after that, which is basically a steam room. The interplay of heat and moisture stimulates the circulation and although it was pretty hard to breathe at first, the subtle fragrance of something like Eucalyptus was definitely having an effect on my respiratory tract. Temperature in this room was about 45°C, so when the supervisor informed me about our next ‘visit’, I was having my doubts. Frigidarium read the sign on the door and I could see ice shavings but I decided to brave it, step in, pour the ice shavings onto my body and continue on my journey. But before we entered the next room, a quick shower and a glass of water were required to keep ourselves hydrated. Next up: the sauna. The supervisor warned us that it would be hotter than the rest with the temperature stable at 95°C. It was hot, very hot but the small room was gorgeous with a traditional Finnish sauna design and a hand-built stone oven. 10 minutes was more than enough, so we quickly stepped out, had another glass of water and then entered the hammam, which was as hot as the sauna but with the benefit of an ornate dome of traditional coloured glass. By this point I literally thought I was slowly sweating away, but once we had another quick shower and were escorted to the Tepidarium, which is the relaxing room, the main benefits were becoming evident. My skin was softer, I smelt nice (despite all that sweating) and I felt so much lighter.
Where and how much?
At the Aphrodite Hills spa, The Retreat. You will need to book an appointment on Tel: 26 828100. Price: £31 for 75 minutes.
