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spa/resort Igarata
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Can you say the word Igaratá?
This is the name of a very small town in Brazil located 87km North East of Sao Paulo. It is also where you will find a remarkable place called Resort/Spa Igaratá.
The Resort is part of a conservation area located in a valley at the outskirts of the Atlantic forest. It is quite hard to describe this multi faceted place completely. There is so much to do and to see. The average guest stays for 2 to 4 weeks, unfortunately my stay there wasn??t remotely close to it, but it gave me enough time to look around (of course I did not get to see the sunset from the ?furo*, filled with warm water and fragrances, sprinkled with rose petals).
After our team arrived at the spa, the lady at the front desk gave us, a time table of the activities and a menu with two options 1200 calories and 600 calories per day. She also gave us the keys to our rooms and booked our physical evaluation.
The physical evaluation was performed by a doctor and a physical trainer. Based on this you will get a list of exercises to do. They will also advice you about the most suitable diet plan to your body type. The medical evaluation is mandatory and very important as it will give you an honest opinion about your physical condition.
During the two first days the recommendation is for you to stick with less severe exercises, but don??t worry, the intensity will be increased gradually.
If you are really out of shape the advice will be to keep the word moderation in mind and in my case I was surprised when I was not told to go and find a nice place in the shade to rest. I would do it without complaining as it was a very hot day and my idea of out doors experience, frankly speaking, is the winter garden in a 5 stars hotel.
I would suggest that you always keep the map handy, especially if your sense of direction is a bit off. The resort offers over 40 attractions spread over a 7 acres area and at least a couple of activities are happening simultaneously.
The resort has only 46 rooms all of them are decorated in a rustic but nonetheless cozy style. The maximum number of guests is 102. The idea is to offer a very relaxing atmosphere; hence children younger than 12 years of age are not accepted at the resort.
The spa is owned by a renowned endocrinologist in Brazil. He has put together a staff of 40 very friendly people. Among them you will find, doctors, biologists, nutritionists, personal trainers, chiropractors, massage therapists and psychologists.
The activities are mostly out doors, so sun block and bug repellant are needed all the time,
Especially while exploring the hiking trails. Once a day, a biologist will guide a group of guests through one of the many hiking paths. Even I felt like I was having a really cool out doors experience in the tropical forest.
In order to give you a better idea of the place I will divide it in three categories based on energy level (you will probably send me a thank you note later):
-High energy: After you are done with the exercises suggested by the doctor you can go to the outdoors gym (that is more like a large gazebo), perhaps use the tennis court, play sand beach volley ball, exercise at the large work out field, participate of soccer/basket ball daily events, or enjoy the really nice swimming pool. Don??t forget that you can also attend the following activities: aerobic, dance, aerodance, Pilate??s yoga, and many more activities. At this point my dear reader I can share a secret with you:
Because we did not have two weeks to spend at the Spa, we had to choose the high energy level agenda, this way my team and I could show you as much as possible of the resort. I??m really sorry if I do not sound very enthusiastic about the super-ultra-extra empowering all fit experience day, but please keep in mind that we did it only and exclusively for you.
Second option: With energy but wanting something more scenic.
After your exercises chart, Hiking is probably your best option. Again you can do it with a group lead by the biologist, or you can just go ahead and chose one of the many trails to explore on your own.
All the trails will lead you into the tropical forest. I??m sure that you??ll see large amounts of exotic plants, and perhaps spot a cute sloth hanging from a tree.
If you do not feel very much into the adventure mood, don??t worry, there are many places to visit, such as: the macaw island, many aviaries with ducks, parrots, cockatiels, chickens and many more species of feathered animals.
You can also go to the stable, where many farm like creatures, such as cows, goats, lambs, emus, and peacocks are to be found. If you do not care much for animals but like plants, you will find a couple of nurseries and green houses, with some very exotic flowers and medicinal plants.
Lastly the low energy level option:
If you are like me and your intention is mostly to relax, you have a good amount of alternatives. Of all the alternatives I would recommend The Zen corner. It is a small bungalow surrounded by flowers, where you can do some yoga exercises or Tai chi chuan positions, it is also a place to do some meditation and try to get your body in tune with nature.
I would have enjoyed the hammock garden quite a bit; there is something almost magic about lying on a hammock, a soothing feeling, possibly because it is so close to that of a rocking crib.
If you like to fish, there is a lake full of fishes waiting for you. You are not the fishing type, but you brought your husband along with you, and he is not really into the hot stones therapy, don??t worry. Go to the front desk, borrow the fishing gear, and give it to your hubby. Don??t forget to give him a nice kiss, the bug repellant and the sun block. Also tell him to have tons of fun (It will probably help keep away the guilty feeling from spoiling your day).
Now, you are ready to feed the diva trapped inside of you. Some of the choices you have at your disposal are located at the beauty or the therapeutic parlors, where you can get all sorts of massages and be so pampered that you will feel like Grace Kelly before her wedding.
Once that you get into the princess mode just follow your map. It will lead you to a couple of indulging alternatives. You can choose between the ?furo - one of my top 10 all the times favorite relaxing therapies, a hydro massage and hot tub, or just have it all in one - go to the ?furo hydro massage combo. It is a huge mix of therapies, but honestly how cares? It will allow you to get the best of both worlds simultaneously.
After you are done with all the options above you can choose to seal your diva??s day with a golden key, while many people choose aerobic exercises to break a sweat, you can just pop in the dry or the steam sauna and get the same sweaty effect, but without the fatigue.
Finally if you feel like a million dollars, if meeting other guests, sounds like a good idea, don??t worry just go to the out doors hot tub, you probably won??t regret it.
The reason that I??m saying that you will not regret get-together with other guest is that it is a very secluded resort. You will most likely meet very interesting, friendly and welcoming people, specially the long stay guests who are very happy to see new faces.
At the resort you will also find three other very important items. I will mention them in prioritized order, following my idea of importance, from the least essential to the ??I can only survive without you for a day? kind of thing:
The game room is a good place to go if you feel more talkative and want to chit chat about your day with other guests?? mind you; no video games.
Then there??s the library ?? a very inviting place, where you can enjoy a good book. It is also the place where the guests gather to watch a movie projection on the wall.
Finally there??s the cyber café. It is not exactly the best cyber café in the world. The computers are far from last generation and the monitors are 15? and do not have flat screen. I have to add that, the computers are prehistoric intentionally, because the idea is not for you to spend day and night glued to the Internet, remember you should be there to enjoy nature.
All the meals are already included in the price; you get three meals and two snacks a day.
The food is really good, if you take in consideration that it is low fat. Carbohydrates are not mixed with proteins besides that the amount of sodium is also controlled. You are probably wondering about desserts, they are all made with aspartame or sorbitol (artificial sweeteners).
For those of you that find pizza, chocolate, hamburgers, fries and ice cream to be essential, no one will hold you back or strap you to a bed. You can go to the town of Igaratá and stuff yourself, but you will have to walk 4 hilly km either way.
If your goal is to loose weight and you follow the specialist??s recommendations, you will lose about 3kg a week ?? (based on an average build person with just a few extra kilos). An over weight person (something on the lines of 20 kg and above your recommended weight) will be able to shed up to 6 kg a week.
Spa Igaratá is also a great place for relaxing or eco tourism.
The best season to go is definitely spring, when is not too hot and you can really enjoy all the activities. Remember that spring in Brazil is around the month of October.
The prices are quite reasonable: The rooms start at US$ 50, 00 per person a night, with all meals and amenities included. The only prices that are not included are the services such as massages, hair dresser and therapeutic treatments. However these prices are also very low and you can book a full packet with all included, even the transport back and forth from the air port.
The only thing that you should be sure before you go is that you can post pone your departure. I heard that many of the guests that arrive at the resort for the first time end up by staying at least few extra days?
If you want more information??s about the Spa Igaratá, go to:
www.spaigarata.com.br
* Ancient Japanese style hot tub made of wood, commonly used to stress relief.
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