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Aiming "to restore purity and health to mind and body," the spa offers healthcare advice and a wide range of Ayurvedic treatments, packages and specialist Kerala oil therapies carried out by qualified Indian Ayurvedic therapists. rom the air, the island of Gozo looks like a honey-coloured pancake floating in a sea of deepest blue. On closer examination, Malta's little sister is actually quite green, with fertile valleys and vineyards as well as picturesque limestone villages, dramatic cliffs and deserted sandy beaches. Located in one of the sunniest parts of the Mediterranean, Gozo is about 50 miles south of Sicily and is the perfect hideaway for a revitalizing spa break.

Gozo's most exclusive address is the beautiful Kempinski San Lawrenz Leisure Resort and Spa. Situated close to a spectacular coastline, it is surrounded by palm trees and colourful gardens. Traditionally built and furnished in the style of a Gozo farmhouse with stone floors, burnished woods and palms, its rustic ambience is both elegant and welcoming. Service comes with a smile, with everything needed for a pleasant stay thoughtfully provided in spacious rooms overlooking the gardens and outdoor pools.

Dining in the resort's Ortolan restaurant that first evening, I learned the secrets of the delicious and healthy cuisine - a warm Mediterranean climate and the preservation of proud Gozitans' rural traditions and skills. Most of the fish served is straight out of an unpolluted sea and the sun-ripened fruits and vegetables, bread, cheese and wines are all home-produced.

Walking to the spa the next morning, I noticed the range of leisure facilities; floodlit tennis courts; squash courts; a gym; indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a children's pool. A Dive Center offers the opportunity to discover Gozo's amazing underwater world, with its abundant marine life, caves, reefs, drop offs and visibility in excess of 40 metres. The island is a popular diving destination as tides and strong underwater currents are rare and the sea temperature averages a warm 75F from June to October.

Divers want pampering too, of course, and the Marine Care & Beauty Center offers a 'Divers Special' package that includes a body peel, blitz shower, body massage and a cold marine mask. The Marine Spa is located next to the indoor swimming pool and the extensive spa menu offers Beauty, Rejuvenation and Wellbeing packages; algae baths, seaweed wraps, exercise sessions in a separate hydrotherapy pool, hammam, massages, and Vichy and blitz showers. Regular facials, manicures, pedicures and hairdressing are also available. I opted for a seaweed wrap and soon dozed off to sleep as the warmth and marine extracts worked their magic.

My second treatment in the Ayurvedic Center upstairs was a very different spa experience. Here, the atmosphere is warmer and the rooms furnished in authentic Indian style. Ayurveda means 'science of life' and is one of the oldest healthcare systems in the world. Aiming "to restore purity and health to mind and body," the spa offers healthcare advice and a wide range of Ayurvedic treatments, packages and specialty Kerala oil therapies carried out by qualified Indian Ayurvedic therapists. These alternative treatments can help with health or lifestyle-related conditions such as stress, weight loss, pre and postnatal care, aphrodisiacs, aging and beauty care. Prices start at around $20 for a one-hour massage with oils, to longer treatment packages for specific conditions lasting days or weeks. Because the ayurvedic system of healthcare is strictly personal, all treatments, diets and internal herbal teas are decided only after a consultation with Dr. Vijayakumar, the spa's Ayurvedic doctor.

Dr. Vijayakumar prescribed an abhyanga massage with warm herbal oils "to aid my circulation and relax the mind." I would have preferred a female therapist, but my slight misgivings and stress melted away once the treatment started. Warm oil was poured onto my back and expertly massaged into my skin, softening muscles and easing out knots of tension in my shoulders and neck. Deft fingers worked in turn on my scalp, ears, backs of the knees, fingers, thumbs and each of my toes. At the end of the treatment, I was almost too relaxed to move off the treatment couch. When I did, I forgot about my oily feet and skidded into the shower cubicle. Tip: after a treatment with oils, ask for a towel to rub down your feet!

Later on, I had a longer consultation with Dr. Vijayakumar to determine my body type. According to Ayurvedic practice, our bodies consist of three doshas or life forces, which control all our physical and mental processes and must be in balance for health. The doshas are kapha (moon), pitta (sun) and vata (wind). After taking my pulse, the good doctor announced my dosha to be a combination of vata and pitta with a vata imbalance. He painstakingly wrote out three pages of personalized health tips for me to take away. I was amazed to find how many of these reflected my food preferences and habits, like avoiding yoghurt (I never eat the stuff), not sleeping too much (I rarely get more than 5 hours) and keeping fit by swimming (my favorite exercise).

Utterly relaxed after my time in the spa, I was ready for some energetic sightseeing on the last day of my stay. The tour started at the nearby Inland Sea at Dwejra - a huge pond of shallow water hiding behind towering cliffs and linked to the sea through a narrow tunnel in the cliff. We travelled down the tunnel in a rowing boat and out into the open sea, where we were rewarded with close-up views of the strange Fungus Rock and Azure Window.

"You must see the megalithic temples of Ggantija." our guide declared, as we piled back into the minibus. This World Heritage Site was built almost 7000 years ago and the temples are considered to be the oldest freestanding structures in the world. Where these massive stones came from or how they were transported remains an enigma to this day.

My favourite sight in Gozo was not the pre-historic stones, but the magnificent Basilica of Ta' Pinu. Standing in solitary splendour in open countryside, it is a national shrine and centre of pilgrimage. Inside a small adjoining chapel, gifts and letters of thanks to the Blessed Virgin for favours granted are displayed in glass cabinets, providing a unique insight into the character and faith of the Gozo people.

We lunched at a seaside caf before peeking into Calypso's Cave and marveling at the sands of Ramla Bay. Here, according to legend, the beautiful Calypso charmed the shipwrecked Ulysses into staying with her on Gozo for seven years. We pondered Calypso's fate as we sampled cheese and wine in the local market and admired the delicate Gozo lace and hand-knitted woolens on sale at bargain prices.

All too soon it was time to depart. A short helicopter flight took us back to Malta for our early morning flight home. It was still dark when we lifted off, so we missed the splendid views. A valid reason for another trip to Calypso's enchanting island and relaxing spa?

Kempinski San Lawrence Resort & Spa Gozo - Malta
Tel +356 21 558 649
E-mail: info@sanlawrenz.com
Web: www.ke
mpinski
-gozo.com
The resort is open from April to December 2005.

Catherine Beattie is a UK-based health and travel writer/publisher with a lifelong interest in spas. Her credentials include writing and publishing several consumer guides including Healthy Breaks in Britain & Ireland (the UK's first spa guide) and The Really Useful Guides. Beattie was founding editor of Spa Health & Beauty magazine and contributes to many UK national newspapers and magazines including The Sunday Times, The Express, Here's Health and Harpers & Queen. She is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers, Guild of Health Writers and Spa Business Association.