Greek Thermal Spa Weekend: Galini Wellness Resort

Indulging in a thermal spa weekend is a unique Greek travel experience to plan for. The Galini Wellness Spa and Resort, north of Athens, is a top option.

Thermal Spa Weekend: Galini Wellness Resort

Relaxing at a Greek thermal spa hotel is a unique travel experience to have in Greece — and a healthy one too. Several Greek hotel resorts are built around offering quality thermal spa services and the Galini is one of them.

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Thermal Spa Weekend in Kamena Vourla

The first thing that I liked about the Galini was its proximity to Athens. Located 170 km north, it took us about one hour and forty minutes to drive into the town of Kamena Vourla.

Galini Wellness Spa and Hotel Greece Thermal Spa Weekend (11) — In winter, Kamena Vourla is lovely too

Kamena Vourla is seemingly simple and quaint. In its heyday, it was considered the “it” summer paradise in Greece – the Mykonos before there was Mykonos. That was until the world “discovered” the Greek islands.

Today, the Galini Wellness Resort and Spa is a town landmark. Built in a neoclassical style, the sprawling whitewashed property is hard to miss, set on prime location right off the main road and steps from a beach. An added bonus was realizing the hotel affronts the dramatic slope of Knimis Mountain.

The town is also close to Thermopylae, the scene of the famous battle between the ancient Greeks and the Persians dramatized most recently in the Hollywood film 300.

Galini is situated here mainly to take advantage of the region’s biggest natural asset: fantastic hot springs. The waters are proven to be therapeutic for a variety of ailments with surface temps ranging from 30^oto 42^oC. The waters are pumped into the modern spa facilities of the resort including its therapy pools and into 40 of the bedrooms.

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The Galini Wellness Spa Hotel

The five-star hotel is an expansive property and guests are welcomed into its large marbled lobby and reception area. There’s also a café bar and a very large comfy living room lounge area. On occasion, you can even enjoy live music while relaxing on the sofas. Overall the décor is welcoming and quite cozy.

Thermal Spa Weekend: Galini’s Hotel Rooms

The standard room was quite large. The overall décor, like the hotel itself, was classic, cozy and comfortable. Our standard sea-view room featured a little balcony that overlooked the outdoor pool and the sea – quite lovely. An overnight snowfall made the scene even more special.

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The bathroom featured a full tub and a strong shower with excellent water pressure as well as a stock of Oliva bath products. The hairdryer was a permanently mounted vacuum-like version. So, if you are like me and prefer drying your locks with a ceramic ionic hairdryer — pack it. Bathroom slippers and fluffy bathrobes were supplied. I also found the evening downturn services to be quite good as well.

Dining and Fun at the Galini

The Galini also has a very large dining area and they make great use of it. A buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner is served for guests.

All meals of the day were spread out with a wide range of tasty options. I particularly found the evening service to be quite full of choices, making it difficult to choose. The spread included local Greek dishes to wood fired pizza, a fresh pasta section, Greek cheeses and cool salads. In general, the dining options can satisfy any craving. The service was very good too – friendly and accommodating.

Galini Wellness Spa and Hotel Greece Thermal Spa Weekend (7) — Many meal choices every day

We also spent time at the bar at night. Many guests simply lounged around the open and spacious living room spaces near the lobby. The area of Kamena Vourla also has some local night clubs and bars to check out.

The Galini Spa

The spa section was easily accessible from the hotel rooms via a separate elevator and staircase. Guests walked about in their hotel bathrobes and slippers comfortably without having to pass reception. I found this to be very convenient.

The spa menu was comprehensive including services ranging from back massage, facials, aromatherapy, foot tension, head massage and special thalassotherapy offerings. Stay tuned for an upcoming post about my experience testing out several treatments as well as the indoor and outdoor pool facilities.

At Galini, I also found myself dozing off into a bliss spa moment in an Arabic inspired, circular spa room called the rasul. Sound exotic? It was that and more. I also had one of the best massages of my life. Overall, the Gallini Wellness Spa and Resort delivered during my thermal spa weekend in many relaxing ways. Find out how, don’t miss a post! Be sure to sign up for my newsletter.

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Thermal Spa Weekend Conclusion

The location was ideal for anyone looking for a quick and relaxing trip away from Athens. At under a two-hour drive, Kamena Vourla is not too far and offers the options for a great thermal spa weekend. It’s a lovely winter getaway, as I experienced it. It also seems to be a great summer destination with its outdoor pools and the beach just across the street.

As for the overall service, I found the staff to be accommodating and friendly. While the rooms cannot be defined as designer luxury, they were cozy, kept up to be comfortable and inviting. They were also spacious offering basic amenities and good downturn services. Another plus to the hotel was the buffet style meals which were full of options and tasteful.

Since I experienced this with my partner, I can recommend Galini as a wonderful couples’ thermal spa weekend. Two other travel blogger friends were invited as well and came with partners too. We enjoyed the facilities and dining as a group, so I can highly recommended Galini for a fun getaway for small groups too. There were families present but children were not in the spa area.