Spend a Spa Week in Banyuls sur Mer,France!

Located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, Thalacap Catalogne is a little off the beaten path but the scenery you encounter enroute is absolutely breathtaking. It is located on the Mediterannean, only 15 km from the border of Spain, and is at the edge of Pyrnees Orientales mountain range. The contrast of the coast and the mountains has enticed artists and visitors for centuries.

On arrival you receive a physical exam by the spa physician to determine the most appropriate thallassotherapy treatment for you. If you have any specific concerns (illnesses, injuries,etc...)that you would like treatment for, you may want to bring a report from your own physician. You receive your 5-day schedule of treatments on a rotating basis which allows time to plan your day trips in between. Each day's session last about 3 hours which sounds like a lot but it is time well spent!

We took daytrips to Coulliere,Port Venderes, Port IIanchi(Spain),Ceret, Carcassone, Castenaudary,Villefranche de Conflent and others. My favorite is town of Colliure where you can walk along and view actual scenes painted by the likes of Matisse, Degas, Picasso and others. The nearby daytrips are interesting and scenic and provide a taste of the "real France".

Quick Tips:

I did not take full advantage of all the services and facilities offered by the spa and I regret it now. The sea water "thallasso" therapy has magical qualities that I did not fully appreciate until I returned home. It is a "health" spa not a beauty spa and men, women, new mothers and babies (no children) receive seperate specific spa treatments.

The food in the Maillol restaurant at Thalacap was outstanding, but stick with ordering wines for cocktails and dinner. The mixed drinks were atrocious. The staff at the spa were quite accomodating (many spoke Spanish, French and a smattering of English). One of my favorite activities was to sit on the balcony of our room overlooking the sea with a bottle of the excellent local wine, a bowl of the sweetest cherries I have ever eaten, a slice of marvelous Brie and a great book.

While speaking French is not a prerequisite, it certainly helps and the more you attempt the niceties the better you will be received.

For dinner, the outdoor cafes in Collieure are your best bet. There are a few "tourist friendly" restaurants in Banyuls but some of them even consider Parisians outsiders!

Best Way To Get Around:

This is one place where a car is absolutely mandatory. While you can get to Banyuls by taking a train or plane from Paris to Perpignan, you will inevitably need to rent a car in Perpignan. Do so from the AIRPORT. The reason is: check-in/check-out for Thalacap Catalone is Sunday and many car rentals in the town are not open. There is a local train from Perpignan to Banyuls and Thalacap Catalone will arrange a pick-up for you, but because it is located a mile or two outside of town at the top of a huge hill, you will want a car!

Best Things Nearby:
Lovely view of Mediterranean from balcony of rooms. Many wines available for tasting in local wine cellars. Banyuls sur Mer has a great open air market open on Thursday and Sunday morning. There are a couple of public beaches in Banyuls but I preferred to enjoy the view from under a cafe umbrella. Restaurants in towns along the coast (Port Vendres, Colliure,Argeles sur Mer) all serve fabulous mussels and other seafood. Day trips to Carcassone, Perpignan,Ceret are excellent diversions. Toulouse is also within a days reach if you are so inclined. Spain is only 15 miles away (but over some pretty mountainous roads).

Best Things About the Resort:
Probably the #1 amenity I loved about this timeshare was its balcony view of the sparkling Mediterranean. With a table and chairs provided, I practically lived outside. I couldnt get enough of the breezes, the sailboats,olive trees, vineyards, and beach. We kept the tiny "honor bar" in the room stocked with as much wine and cheese as we could cram into it. We tended to consume everything daily at lunch and "happy hour" and only bought enough for one day at a time. You can choose to have demi and complete pension for meals at the spa. We even had breakfast delivered to our room one morning(no extra charge) and ate out on the balcony.Everything you need to enjoy a luxurious,healthy and relaxing week are contained at Thalacap Catalogne itself.If you have seen the sights and just want to be pampered,wined and dined,you've come to the right spot! The restaurant food was excellent and service was efficient,sincere and showed a lot fo promise. The adjoining bar provides lively entertainment on weekends and a sports/health bar is located on the upper level near the outdoor pool and solarium. Our room was close to the main lobby,spa salons and restaurant. The layout seems a little confusing at first but in actuallity all available space was used quite efficiently. The "thallasotherapy" itself (which means it consists of sea water,sea algae,etc...)is absolutely the best thing I have ever experienced in terms of revitalization.

Resort Experience:
This Thalacap timeshare consisted of the room (2 twin beds or 1 double)with minibar, TV, bathroom, W.C.,plenty of closet storage and a beautiful balcony with view of the sea. Although there was no air conditioning in the room we found it really wasn't necessary with the cool Mediterranean breezes. In order to access this timeshare one member of party (2-people) had to agree to take a "treatment". This was an additional charge of about $350 for the week. This was actually a tremendous deal because on pricing the same treatments at day-spas in the U.S. I would pay well over $350 a day for the same level of services!

On arrival you receive a physical examination and the spa doctor discusses with you the type of "treatment" or "cure" you will receive. If you are recovering from a specific illness or injury you may want to include that information as there are quite a variety of different treatments available. Mine was "vitality and anti-stress" and consisted of a series of 4 or 5 treatments a day for 5 days.

The treatments take about 3 hours but you can continue the your entire day utilizing the additional facilities provided at the spa. I won't bore you with the details of the treatments (they were great!!)but will tell you that everyone receiving "treatment" is issued a lovely,fluffly robe,aquatic slippers, bathing cap and carryall bag on arrival. You wear a bathing suit under your robe for "communal" treatments(the most people in mine were 4). But there are several individual treatments in private rooms where removal of bathing suit is expected. The treatment rooms are immaculate and inviting,although they tend to have somewhat of a "hospital"feel to them. It is important to understand that this is a "health"treatment center rather than a beauty spa. While many beauty type treatments can be provided (pedicures, manicures,waxings,etc...) they are not the primary focus. Treatments that I received included; whirlpool and jet massage with sea water;exercise with weights in large pool;individualized exercise with jets in large pool;complete body massage;seaweed wrap, individual jet therapy with attendant;sea algae treatment;lap swimming;breathing exercises. The treatments were done on a rotating basis and each set took 3 hours per day. There were other facilities available such as spa, sauna,indoor and outdoor seawater pools. There were other treatments provided that i did not recieve but sounded great. A gift shop with various thallasotherapy products, hair salon, nail salon, facials,etc...must be reserved in advance. The schedule allowed plenty of time for sightseeing in nearby towns. Meals served in the restaurant were delineated by "weight control",etc...Service providers were all licensed and many were "over-qualified" for their position. They were not used to seeing many Americans but were solicitious and friendly and enjoyed opportunities to practice their English.

• Unit Type: Studio
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Not Available
• Service: Good

If you are not a local, this is THE absolute best restaurant in the tiny town seaside town of Banyuls sur Mer. Even though we did not speak French,we received first-class reception and service during our entire,unforgettable meal. Located on the main drag of Banyuls, its recently-renovated glass front provides memorable views of the Mediterranean. Service was so accomodating to English speakers that they even provided us with an English-French cuisine dictionary(I would love to find one!) to help with menu selection. I think we did very well. I selected Mediterranean style mussels for my appetizer and altho my dining partners were somewhat reticent they decided to take my lead. We were not disappointed; the mussels were tiny, tender morsels steamed just right in a garlicky herb-tomato broth. The wine list was somewhat daunting but again our very helpful wait staff assisted us in our choice of a moderately priced local wine which proved to be perfect. My choice of sea bass tasted like they had just caught it that afternoon. The Creme Catalan also proved to be an outstanding version of this Spanish-French dessert with lots of creamy caramel taste and crusty sugar topping. We lingered over our wine and dessert and the restaurant could not have been friendlier, filling us in on much of the local gossip, lore, etc... It was just the kind of dining experience I expect when traveling!

Thallassotherapy is a popular type of seawater therapy that can only be offered in locations near the sea. Water must be piped in directly to the spa. At Thalacap Catalogne the treatment for "vitality and relaxation" is presented through a series of treatments delivered over a span of 5 days with roughly 5 treatments a day during a 3 hour session. You are free to avail yourself of other amenities at the hotel but may want to save time for sightseeing. Treatments consist of a combination of whirlpool baths, jet baths, water resistance and aerobic exercises in large pools. Jet therapy is delivered in a large pool as well as individual high-pressure jet therapy, deep tissue massage and seaweed and algae wraps. The final effect was quite beneficial while I admit the processes were, at times, somewhat daunting.

Just about a 5 mile drive from Banyuls sur Mer is the fashionable, trendy yet affordable town of Collioure. This bay on the "Cote Vermeil" provides docking for Catalan fishing boats to deliver their catch of the day to local restaurants. Knowing that these same streets were once strolled by the likes of Picasso, Maillol, Matisse and many others is enough to thrill even the most jaded traveler. Everywhere you turn you encounter a scene pretty enough to paint. A simple, self-guided tour directs you to the exact sites painted by these artists. (They make great photo ops). Several high quality art galleries, including one featuring Carol Wattanabe and local watercolorists are tucked away in a charming side street. Making a decision on a watercolor was the toughest job I had all day! Inviting restaurants and cafes abound here as well. Since the fish are practically caught in front of you, you definitely want to go with seafood. Sit at an outside table to enjoy the balmy ocean breezes while you share a bottle of the delicious local wine. Collieure is a town to which visitors wish a return. I know I do!