Whether you need a break from the daily grind, a time to relax and recalibrate, or simply a change of surroundings, wellness tourism is your best option.
“Wellness tourism” is defined as a vacation for the purpose of improving your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. In recent years, health and wellness tourism has soared; driven by growth in emerging countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Wellness tourism accounts for over $500 billion dollars annually as people travel far and wide to indulge in physical fitness activities, homeopathic medicine, meditation, stress-relief programs, and much more.
In the past decade, Israel has become one of the most prominent destinations for international health tourism. Across the country, there are dozens of luxury spa retreats, wellness centers, and hotels offering world-class residential health programs.
Here are our top 3 health and wellness destinations in Israel:
Dead Sea
Without a doubt, the Dead Sea is the country’s top destination for health and wellness tourists.
Famed worldwide for being the lowest point in the world, the Dead Sea is a saline salt lake, located on the western edge of the Judean Desert. The floor of the lake contains mineral-rich mud which provides a plethora of ascetic healing offerings.
The Dead Sea is also renowned for its buoyant qualities. The high level of salt concentration allows you to float across the water, without needing to exert energy to stay above water.
The lake’s shore is lined with many luxury spas, hotels, and wellness centers, as well as many shops and stores selling Dead Sea products, sourced from the lake’s floor. Some of the spas include:
- The Lot Spa Hotel
- The Synergy Spa
- The Dead Sea Clinic
- The Ein Gedi Spa
- The Dead Sea Herods Hotel
Each spa offers a unique wellness experience where you can truly relax, replenish, and reinvigorate. Due to the area’s extraordinary climate, the weather is warm year-round, and the water is hot enough to swim in, even in the midst of winter. Although, it can become quite hot in the summer.
Dead Sea Treatments:
Products, such as mineral-rich mud and salt, which are sourced from the Dead Sea are available at the local spas, treatment centers, and stores are used to treat a range of skin conditions and diseases. These include:
- Psoriasis: Many studies have proven that bathing in dead sea salts helps mitigate the symptoms of psoriasis. For millennia, people with this chronic skin condition have traveled to the Dead Sea to experience the salt’s remarkable healing effects.
- Eczema: Likewise, it’s also been demonstrated that the dead sea salts help to treat and cure eczema (atopic dermatitis). For those dealing with highly irritable and painful skin conditions, the Dead Sea’s salt and climate are a welcome source of relief.
- In addition to the aforementioned conditions, the Dead Sea’s minerals and salts have long been used as a treatment for a range of skin diseases. These include asthma, tendonitis, arthritis, and lower back pain. Unlike other forms of treatments, the dead sea offers long-lasting relief without any side effects.
Also, due to the region’s unique climate and UV index, visitors to the dead sea can benefit from climatotherapy. Simply bathing in the Dead Sea water for approximately 20 minutes twice daily prior followed by a short bout of sun exposure can help to rejuvenate your mind and heal your body.
The David Citadel Spa, Jerusalem
The David Citadel is one of the most luxurious hotels in Jerusalem. Located just outside the iconic old city walls, the David Citadel offers one of the most relaxing and reinvigorating wellness vacations in the regions.
The hotel’s glamorous spa boasts an all-star team of experienced therapists. The delicate lighting and pleasant music provide an idyllic environment for you to enjoy a variety of relaxing massages, beauty treatments, and care packs.
Customized spa and therapy treatments are available. Visitors can choose from a varied range, including Swedish or Bali massages, as well as Chinese acupuncture, facial treatments, and body wraps.
Ghattas Turkish Bath, Acre
The northern port city of Akre (Akko) is one of the country’s oldest and most vibrant cities. The walls of the ancient old city have been preserved for many centuries, and the city attracts thousands of tourists who come to marvel at the town’s classical archaeology.
The multifaith city is also home to one finest spa retreats in the country – the Ghattas Turkish Baths. The luxury Turkish baths are housed in the original Ottoman building which dates back several centuries. The structure was masterfully restored and repaired in recent years and now the baths offer a state-of-the-art wellness experience.
Visitors to the Ghattas baths are treated to a range of treatments, including traditional Turkish massages, skin treatments, and relaxation therapies. The Ghattas baths also house jacuzzis, saunas, and steam rooms.
