Sea to spa: 9 ocean-inspired wellness experiences

There’s something instinctively soothing about the sea. Whether it’s the sound of waves, the mineral tang in the air or the sensation of salt on sun-warmed skin, the ocean has long been linked to both physical and mental wellbeing. Now, the natural healing properties found in seaweed, sea salt, algae and even beach pebbles are being used in a myriad ways in spas across the UK and further afield.

More of us are seeking out rituals like these that reconnect us with nature, and the world of wellness is responding by embracing local sourcing, ocean-derived ingredients and low-waste, sustainable practices. Think hand-harvested kelp from in facials and Scottish seaweed wraps and Welsh sea salt scrubs. Some take a more immersive approach, such as salt pools for floating, cold seawater treatments, or the soothing sounds of waves in a beachside sauna. From wild Atlantic islands to serene Aegean retreats, here are 9 ocean-inspired spa experiences worth seeking out.

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9 ocean-inspired spa experiences

Brighton: Sea Salt Scrub at Field Trip Spa

The gorgeously designed Guesthouse Hotel in Brighton sits right on the seafront, with bedrooms that frame the waves through sash windows and freestanding bathtubs. Tucked behind the Regency façade is Field Trip Spa, a calming, cocoon-like retreat with natural plaster walls, a light-filled upper floor and a stunning copper bath cove made for couples.

The standout treatment here is the Deep Sea Scrub: a full-body ritual using mineral-rich Welsh sea salt from Halen Môn, hemp seed and adaptogenic herbs, personalised with aromatherapy to suit your mood. Mineral-rich sea salt gently exfoliates the skin, boosts circulation and helps sweep away dullness. The ritual of exfoliating with salt has roots in many coastal cultures. Ancient Egyptians are thought to have used sea salt mixed with fragrant oils to smooth and refine skin texture, while the Greeks and Romans used coarse sea salt for cleansing and circulation during communal bathing rituals. In more recent history, seaside communities in Northern Europe used rough-grain sea salt to slough off dry skin after bracing sea swims or manual labour. The Field Trip Spa treatment is invigorating yet still deeply soothing – more energising than a massage with a refreshing, reawakening quality that leaves your skin baby-soft and beach-fresh.

For a more low-key coastal reset, Beach Box Sauna is just down the promenade. This community-run beachside sauna offers homemade spa experiences. Try the £15 Body Treatment Platter which includes a salt scrub, nourishing hair mask and rhassoul clay face masks served in scallop shells. A perfect place to alternate between sea dips and sauna sessions.

Margate: Signature Seaweed Facial by Formerly Known as Haeckels

Swaying in the tide and clinging to wave-washed rocks, seaweed is one of the British coastline’s most overlooked natural treasures. From golden kelp to deep green bladderwrack, our shores are home to over 600 species, each rich in minerals, antioxidants and skin-soothing compounds. For centuries, seaweed has been harvested along the coast for its therapeutic benefits. In the Victorian era, seaweed was harvested from Margate as a manure, a source of ‘potash’ for the pottery industry, and even a medicinal cure. That tradition has found new life through Formerly Known as Haeckels, the pioneering brand that began in Margate and built its philosophy around the healing power of the sea.

Today, Formerly Known as Haeckels offers spa treatments at two locations – the original Margate clinic, where its seaweed is hand-harvested, and a minimalist, serene space in East London. Their menu of body and facial treatments is inspired by the sea and uses their in-house skincare made from marine extracts, algae, fermented kelp and B vitamins. We love the Signature Bespoke Facial, a glow-giving treatment that leaves skin soft, clear and visibly hydrated. It includes their signature seaweed mask which is rich in natural antioxidants.

Chances are, you’ll love it so much you’ll want to take the experience home with you, starting with their Eco Marine Cream and cult-favourite Algae Plump + B3, both of which deliver long-lasting hydration with that unmistakably ‘Haeckels’ scent of the sea. Their products are rooted in nature but backed by modern formulation. It’s a thoughtful, sea-soaked return to ancient coastal wisdom.

Anglesey: Seaweed Baths at Halen Môn

If you’ve experienced a sea scrub in a British spa, chances are you’ve felt the difference Halen Môn sea salt makes. It’s harvested directly from the tidal waters of the Menai Strait in Anglesey. Unlike many imported salts or industrially processed options, Halen Môn flakes are produced using traditional methods. It’s slowly filtered through mussel beds and sandbanks, gently heated under vacuum and hand-harvested once its signature crystalline flakes begin to form. Each batch is rinsed in brine until it shines, creating a clean, crunchy salt that’s become a favourite not just in kitchens, but in spas around the UK. With its trace minerals and soft, unrefined texture, it’s ideal for soothing, skin-friendly scrubs.

Halen Môn’s connection to coastal wellbeing goes beyond the salt itself. Just above the shoreline, its factory now offers outdoor seaweed baths in recycled whisky barrels, which are filled with warm water distilled as a by-product of their salt-making process. As the wild seaweed steeps it releases its mineral-dense oils to relax muscles, ease aches and calm the skin. The atmosphere is hard to beat: wide skies, salt air and sea stretching into the horizon. For a quieter ritual, Sunday morning sessions are set aside for silent soaking.

Scotland: Seaweed Body Wrap by ishga

Scotland’s Atlantic coastline is home to some of the most mineral-rich, unpolluted waters in Europe, which also contain Hebridean seaweed, prized for centuries for its healing properties. On the Isle of Lewis, the team behind ishga sustainably hand-harvest four species of wild seaweed using a rotation method that allows nature to replenish stocks. These marine plants are then blended with soft Scottish spring water and cold-pressed botanical oils to create some of the UK’s most effective, naturally active skincare. Their standout treatment is the ishga Detox Body Wrap. It starts with a sea salt and oil scrub to buff the skin, followed by warm seaweed gel applied head to toe. Cocooned in thermal layers, the body absorbs the nutrients while a slow scalp massage soothes the mind.

You can experience it as part of a spa day at Marine Troon, a coastal retreat on the west coast of Scotland. ishga’s wraps and facials are also available across the UK, from lochside hotels to boutique city spas. You can also experience the benefits of seaweed at home with ishga’s Invigorating Body Oil, infused with Hebridean seaweed extract, containing antioxidants, polyphenols, Vitamins A, C and E, minerals and amino acids to help regenerate your skin.

Whitstable: Ocean Sound Bath at Sea Scrub Sauna

There’s a primal calm in the sound of waves, from the hiss of tide on shingle to the slow, rhythmic pull of sea foam washing in. The University of Exeter’s BlueHealth research confirms that even just hearing ocean sounds can evoke a psychological state known as ‘blue mind,’ bringing mental clarity, emotional balance and a deep sense of peace. This study explains why after a sound bath participants often feel noticeably calmer, without even needing to get in the water. Sound vibrations, combined with warm infrared heat or sauna steam, tap into innate human responses to natural rhythms. The outcome? Reduced cortisol, slower heart rate and a deeply embodied sense of relaxation.

Sound baths are especially powerful because they often mimic the natural rhythm of the waves. Instruments like ocean drums (circular frames filled with tiny beads) recreate the soft, rolling sound of water moving over pebbles or sand. When used in sauna or beachside rituals, the effect is immersive: a soundscape that speaks directly to the nervous system. Sea Scrub Sauna in Whitstable is our favourite spot. As the heat envelopes you, live gongs and singing bowls resonate in time with the waves just beyond the door. Between sessions, guests step into salt air or take a brisk sea dip, layering heat, sound and silence in a deeply elemental ceremony. Check out our full guide to the best restaurants in Whitstable for more a gourmet treat post-experience.

Devon: Hot Stone Massage at Saunton Sands

The warm comfort of a heated stone pressed along your body echoes the gentle warmth of underfoot sand and flat rocks smoothed by the tide. Hot stone massages often draw inspiration from the shore (think of the feeling of a sun-warmed pebble beach), but in practice, the stones used in spas aren’t gathered from the coast. That’s because natural beach pebbles vary in size, density and moisture content, making them unsafe and unpredictable when heated. Instead, masseuses use basalt stones, a volcanic rock with an ability to retain and release heat evenly, allowing for long, soothing strokes that ease deep muscle tension without discomfort.

At Saunton Sands Hotel & Spa, this deeply relaxing treatment is delivered with a view to match. Perched above the long, dune-backed sweep of Saunton Sands, the spa looks straight out to sea, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the Atlantic. The massage itself combines smooth, heated stones with calming oils, releasing tension while grounding you in the rhythms of the coast. Guests can unwind in the marine-view sauna or step out onto the open-air terrace to take in the same elements the treatment evokes – sun, sea and ocean-smoothed stones.

Check out our guide to the best restaurants in Devon to make the most of a south-west getaway.

Further afield...

Athens: Thalassotherapy at Divani Apollon Palace

The Greeks have long turned to the sea for healing by bathing in mineral-rich waters, smoothing skin with sea salt and restoring the spirit through long, languid soaks. Thalassotherapy (rooted in the Greek word 'thalassa' for sea) continues this tradition, using heated seawater and marine minerals to stimulate circulation, reduce inflammation and deeply relax both muscles and mind.

Just outside Athens, Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso houses the largest thalassotherapy centre in Greece. Its expansive 270sqm heated seawater pool is fitted with over 16 hydrotherapy features, including underwater jets, bubble loungers and curved water streams. The experience is deeply meditative. You can float, stretch and let the mineral-rich water do its work. Spa-goers can also indulge in sea salt scrubs, algae-based detox wraps and affusion massages that combine warm seawater and essential oils. The setting is calm, coastal and bathed in golden Greek light, making it a modern-day temple to the sea.

France: Sea Wading at Thalassa Sea & Spa

One of the most immersive ways to experience oceanic therapy is simply walking in water, embracing the push and pull of waves. Sea wading is a long-practised ocean therapy believed to ease tension, improve circulation and bring a grounding connection to nature’s rhythm. In France, it’s often offered as "marche dans l’eau", meaning "walk in the water" – a gentle sensory experience that blends mindful movement with the tactile feel of the tide lapping around your body.

At Thalassa Sea & Spa, Quiberon (Accor’s flagship coastal thalassotherapy centre) guests can experience this tradition as part of structured water routines. The spa offers dedicated shallow seawater pools designed for guided aquatic walks, combining mild resistance training with serene salt-water buoyancy. Quiberon’s thalassotherapy pools and seawater circuits, perched just steps from Brittany’s wild beaches, allow you to practise marche dans l’eau in an authentic, mineral-rich marine environment.

St Lucia: Sea-Based Spa at BodyHoliday

BodyHoliday is a beachfront Caribbean retreat that goes big on sea-inspired rejuvenation. Think ocean-view yoga, mineral-rich seaweed body wraps and salt scrubs using local St Lucian botanicals, all just steps from the turquoise sea. The resort’s Wellness Centre offers customisable spa treatments tailored to your personal goals – from detoxifying wraps to stress-melting massage rituals using marine minerals. Our favourite? There are too many to choose, but luckily you don’t have to, as there’s a complimentary spa treatment per day – you can try the scrub, massage and facials available.

When you’re not at the spa, the setting itself does much of the healing. The warm, mineral-rich Caribbean Sea is not only ideal for swimming and floating, but it's known for its high magnesium content and low-pollution levels, making it kind to both body and skin. But even just being near the sea has measurable effects. Time spent near coastal water, or simply viewing it, has been linked to lower stress, reduced cortisol levels, lower heart rate, and improved mood and wellbeing, an effect neuroscientists call ‘blue mind’. UC Davis research found that people who looked at water landscapes experienced measurable reductions in heart rate and blood pressure. Whether you’re soaking in the view or the seawater, BodyHoliday makes a strong case for why wellness and the ocean have always belonged together.

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