Editor Pick
Arie de Sevilla - an essential Arabian spa experience
I must admit I'm not usually one to be tempted into spas. Manicures, facials and massages aren't my thing, but I'm so glad my boyfriend and I went to this spa - it was amazing! I sincerely urge anyone visiting Seville to spend a tranquil few hours in this unique, Arabian spa located deep underground in Seville's medieval quarter.
The concept behind Arie de Sevilla is based on the centuries old tradition of bathing in thermal baths, popularised by both Arabs and Romans. Deep underground the Arie de Sevilla spa has a series of rooms decorated in a sumptuous Arabian style, complete with hanging lanterns and glittering tea lights. Each room has various pools - including an intimate vaulted jacuzzi room, a deep underground sea salt pool and a huge room containing a series of pools with water of various temperature. It was magical.
So how did we find such a hidden gem? We first heard about Arie de Sevilla at our hotel - they provided some complimentary shower soap in our room. The photos on the brochure looked appealing: deep red bathing rooms and cool tranquil pools. What was even better was the fact that for 31 Euros each we could get a 15 minute aromatherapy massage and enjoy the thermals baths. We asked the people on reception to book us in at once.
The impression we got once we arrived was one of grand tranquility. You enter through the ornate wooden doors of a typical Seville palazzo and wander into reception - located in the courtyard. Twinkly moroccan music was already playing softly in the background. We checked in, paid and received keys to our lockers and our swimsuits (for those visitors, like us, who don't naturally pack swimsuits for their city breaks the spa has both male and female swimsuits they can lend out). We were led upstairs to balconies overlooking the courtyards. Soft, squishy chairs and a cafe room looking very inviting, but the spas beckoned. We were escorted through a door, given our towels and taken to our changing rooms - a separate one for males and females. I should point out that the spa staff inside the spa didn't really speak English so we did find it a bit difficult to understand exactly what we had to do, but we watched other people and picked up what to do (the people on the front desk can speak several languages - so no worries there).
After changing I descended down the steps into the underground pools. It took a while to find each other and I would strongly suggest that if you are going as a mixed group that you arrange some sort of meeting place. The rooms and pools were just as beautiful as they had appeared in the brochure of our hotel. Actually, it was even better. The soft lighting, twinkling candlelight and subtle Moroccan music that we had heard in reception all combined to create a completely relaxing experience. We enjoyed the various pools, lounged in a mint-infused sauna, sipped some mint tea in a room off the main pools and generally let ourselves relax. While we were relaxing in the pools we were called by one of the masseurs to get our massages in a partitioned room behind the main pool room. I've had a few massages before and never really quite enjoyed them but this massage was superb. It was a full body massage, skillfully and carefully carried out and even though it was only 15 minutes I still can't remember a time when my body has felt more relaxed. My partner felt the same. We were both completely relaxed by both the pools and the massage and it was with great difficulty that we decided to go back up stairs and return into the "real world".
It was just an amazing experience, and one that wasn't too costly. If you wanted an even cheaper deal you could drop the massage and enjoy the baths which would cost 17 Euros. Whatever you chose to do I would urge anyone to go. A serious essential experience that really helps you remember that this part of Spain was once quite Arab in it's habits.
We have since learned that the spa has an informative website, where you can also make reservations: http://www.airedesevilla.com/eng/index.htm
From journal A Relaxing Weekend in Seville