Swap Caribbean Beaches for Portuguese Wellness This Winter at These Resorts

Winter months offer a slower pace, allowing travelers to focus on wellbeing and avoid bigger crowds. Instead of heading to the Caribbean this winter, consider Portugal. The destination stands out as a premier wellness getaway for American travelers looking for rest, renewal and mindfulness.

Octant Hotels offers multiple destinations and unique wellness experiences, luxurious accommodations and refined hotel spas.

© Octant Hotels

Octant Douro, on the hillside terraces of Portugal’s Castelo de Paiva, boasts a luxurious spa with immersive wellness experiences accompanied by panoramic water views. The updated spa menu includes the exclusive Octant Relief Massage, using locally created balm with essential oils to help muscle relief. The spa also includes treatment rooms overlooking the river, open-air yoga and private massages in garden spaces.

© Octant Hotels

Going closer to the Azores? Located along São Miguel’s geothermal landscapes, Octant Furnas is perfect for restorative winter wellness experiences. The 55-room hotel offers 24/7 thermal pools filled with healing “Quente das Quenturas” waters, allowing guests to immerse in the region’s springs without leaving the property. Of course, if you want to venture out, there are nearby public hot springs available, as well.

Beyond the springs, the hotel is home to an exclusive hydrotherapy circuit, sauna, laconium, Turkish bath, aromatic showers, and cold plunge and hot tubs. The state-of-the-art spa also features 10 treatment rooms, with treatments like Ayurvedic therapies and the volcanic-inspired Pure Land ritual, which combines sea salt, basalt powder and citrus oils for full-body relaxation.