Mineral Spring Spa

The word spa is borrowed from the Belgian town of Spa, where those seeking a cure have bathed since the time of the Romans. Some say the town's name is an acronym for the Latin phrase salus per aqua, which means "health by water." Today taking the waters -- which may involve drinking six to eight glasses of mineral water daily in addition to soaking -- is practiced for health and relaxation at fashionable spas around the world.

The popularity of water-based therapies and mud baths is far from a recent phenomenon. Indeed, the Native American Wappo tribe considered the geysers at Calistoga Spa Hot Springs in northern California to be sacred. The springs later attracted 17th-century Spanish explorers who named them agua caliente, or "hot water." The same is true for the Spa Hotel & Casino in Palm Springs, which is still owned by the Agua Caliente band of the Cahuillia tribe.

The integration of European and American approaches to maintaining a healthy body and glowing skin has expanded the repertoire of services to incorporate seaweed, algae, and seawater at spas specializing in thalassotherapy or hydrotherapy. For the purist, dunking sans clothing in a communal outdoor hot spring promises the ultimate in stress reduction. But you may prefer soaking in a bathing suit, whether privately or in a public setting. The epitome of the shared hot-springs experience is perhaps Two Bunch Palms, in Desert Hot Springs, where artesian springs feed a giant pool. Visitors here don't chat, choosing instead to soak silently. But no matter how or where you draw your bath, you may soon be wishing you could stay in it forever.

Mineral Spring Spas for Water Connoisseurs (comming soon)