I arrived back in Europa – to Andorra and was inspired once again. I headed to the incredible Caldea Centre in Escaldes Engordany to relax. It was an incredible night of pure relaxation and my body felt so good for the first time in months and months.
The magnificent Caldea in Andorra by night.
Caldea is as good as it looks. The building pierces the Escaldes Engordany skyline and gives the town a futuristic visual appeal. Put simply – Caldea is the largest spa and leisure centre in the south of Europe: 20,000 square metres of facilities for you to enjoy water in all of its states!
The natural thermal waters of Caldea sprout at 70 degrees and are special for their properties. The waters here are rich in sulphur, sodium and minerals and are greasy as thermal plankton. When you bathe in them, they produce an anti-algic, healing, decongestant and anti-allergic action naturally in your body .
The centre is so massive that it would take a week here to truly feel the relaxation and get full use of the facilities. Alas, I had one night to experience it, but I still loved it – here are just a few of the truly relaxing parts of Caldea that I enjoyed and a top 10 for you to enjoy.
Caldea – largest spa centre in Southern Europe
Hamam: Here in deep Andorran mountainside lurks a Hamam. Basically a Middle Eastern style bath. I previously visited Hamams in Turkey, Iran and Iraq.
Water Massage
Sauna: having picked up a load of bites in Central America, I have this idea that being in a hot sauna will help kill them off. I have no idea if this works or not, but it certainly felt like it helped.
Where do I start with the swimming pool? The main pools of Caldea are simply outstanding.
Main swimming pools of Caldea, Andorra
Underwater snap of Caldea
Jacuzzis: lots of baths in Caldea of all temperatures and states. Jacuzzis, still somehow feel like the most soothing place in these types of centres and I spent quite a bit of time in them.
Dark Room: if you want to escape everyone else, there is a tranquil dark room. You can literally go in there, close your eyes and just have a deep think. There are some wave like lights on the ceiling but that’s it.
Outdoor Jacuzzi
Massages: I didn’t have the time or feel the need for the massages but they have a range of massages and body treatments available too. Tailored to your needs.
One thing I really noticed here was that Andorrans are extremely well groomed, healthy and attractive.
Having just returned to Europe for my longest stay here in over 5 years, this was a perfect first stop off point for in Escaldes Engordany (I stayed in the Residencia Nuria Hotel) after crossing in from Barcelona and touring Andorra la Vella.
Changing Rooms in Caldea.
If you want to relax for a few days and nights – Andorra is simply perfect for it – it’s a small country with a low population (80,000) and with Caldea here in the heart of Escaldes Engordany you can truly relax as well as a night time tipple in one of the best bars in Andorra.
Jonny Blair is a self confessed traveling nomad who founded and blogs at Don’t Stop Living. He sees every day as an adventure. Since leaving behind his home town of Bangor in Northern Ireland ten years ago he has traveled to all seven continents, working his way through various jobs and funding it all with hard work and an appetite for travel. Don’t Stop Living, a lifestyle of travel’ contains over 1,000 stories and tips from his journeys round the globe. He wants to show others how easy it is to travel the world, give them some ideas and encourage them to do the same but most of all he aims to constantly live a lifestyle of travel. He is currently based in Hong Kong and on Twitter @jonnyblair.
