eaden skies and heavy rain greet my arrival at the Forte Village - Italy’s most celebrated family resort. Instead of sunning myself on the beach, I spent the first few days of my visit dodging the showers and trying to dry off damp clothes in my comfortably appointed but unheated room. I was staying in one of the five-star Dune bungalows at the southern end of the resort, including a bedroom with two single beds, a small lounge area and an outdoor patio. Before dinner, I warmed myself up with a soak in my deep whirlpool tub and realized I could hear the waves breaking on the shore! For a townie like me, it sounded heavenly! The Forte Village, a Meridien resort, is situated beside a soft sandy beach on the southwest tip of Sardinia, one of the Mediterranean’s loveliest islands. It is probably the world’s leading deluxe resort, attracting an international clientele that includes movie stars, sports personalities and Saudi royalty. Wealthy families from all over Europe flock to enjoy its luxury accommodation and facilities that include seven hotels, 20 sumptuous suites, 19 restaurants, ten swimming pools, a floodlit football pitch, fitness club, water sports and an authentic Italian village square with an outdoor theatre and designer boutiques. Terracotta pathways criss-cross its 55 acres of tropical gardens, linking the diverse range of accommodation, restaurants and facilities. Everything is within walking distance, but you can get a lift on a golf cart or take the little train down to the beach, if you prefer. There’s a Mini Club for tiny tots and the Leisure Land area is perfect for teenagers, with discos, go-karts, bowling alleys and an outdoor ice skating rink. Set on one side of the complex is the spectacular Thermae Del Parco spa, with its extensive range of therapeutic thalassotherapy treatments to combat health problems like sports injuries, respiratory, skin and circulatory disorders and that scourge of modern life – stress. The spa is set in tropical gardens around five glorious thalassotherapy (sea water) pools with lava rocks and waterfalls, all linked with winding pathways. The pools are the spa’s main focus and each has a different salt concentration and temperature. You bathe in each one in turn, starting with the hottest at 100ªF and finishing with the coolest at about 50ªF. The whole thermal circuit takes about an hour and you can expect to feel quite rejuvenated afterwards. You start off in the murky 100ªF sea-oil bath, so dense that you can’t see the bottom. The water is heavy and buoyant and you immediately find your feet being lifted up to the surface unless you are gripping the handrail! The combination of sea oil and high levels of magnesium salt (denser than in the Dead Sea) accelerate ionic exchanges within the body, balancing bio-energetic fields and boosting the immune system. The water really stings if you have any scratches or grazes or accidentally splash it in your eyes. I stayed here for a short time before slipping into the main sea oil pool, where I floated cautiously for about ten minutes. Apparently, the high levels of magnesium and sea oil are particularly beneficial for problems affecting mobility, like osteoporosis and arthritis. Then I showered off the oily water and stepped into the clear warm waters of the saline pool, which is also buoyant enough to float. It certainly looks more appealing than the sea oil pool and I find it more relaxing. Gradually I made my way down through the different pools, enjoying the waterfalls, hydromassage jets and sprays. You are supposed to finish off the circuit with a plunge in the very cold main pool, which is great for the circulation and perfect in the heat of the summer. But on a cool day in September, a session in the steamy dark warmth of the Turkish hammam was a much more pleasant way to end my session. Whilst therapeutic thalassotherapy is the main attraction at Thermae Del Parco – with many guests returning every year – there is also a good selection of grooming services and pampering spa treatments for men and women. French Darphin spa products are used exclusively for beauty treatments, while handmade products made from indigenous Sardinian ingredients are used for the thalassotherapy. All treatments are strictly ‘hands on’ – the spa uses no machinery of any kind. Spa manager Ute Simon’s philosophy is simple: to enable clients to relax and feel at peace by bathing in open air thalassotherapy pools surrounded by beautiful gardens. Before or between treatments, you can enjoy refreshments in the spa café or exercise in the superb timber-beamed fitness club, staffed by friendly personal trainers with state-of-the-art Technogym equipment to help guests achieve their fitness goals. The spa’s 19 light and airy treatment rooms are close to the thalassotherapy pools and accessed by the same winding paths. They are constructed with one-way glass walls and doors, so when you have a treatment you can see people walking past, but they can’t see you! Both of my treatments – a body massage and a revitalizing salt scrub – were carried out by two highly experienced, if rather impersonal therapists, who unfortunately spoke little English. My first treatment (with a male therapist) was not particularly enjoyable and highlights the inhibitions we Brits have about our bodies – as compared with the more relaxed attitudes of many Europeans. After escorting me to the treatment room, my male masseur motioned me to disrobe, but didn’t leave the room while I settle onto the treatment table. Without asking if I want music, he put on some noisy Italian pop, and then got to work manipulating the knots of tension in my neck and shoulder muscles. Slowly, I begin to relax and enjoy his firm massage. Halfway through, he gestured for me to turn over onto my back, and to my utter amazement, started to massage my breasts! There’s no discussion about whether I want this or not, and I feel acutely embarrassed. Only my therapist’s matter of fact approach makes me realize having your boobs massaged is just part of this particular treatment. It’s not sexual or personal. Afterwards, sipping an herbal tea in the spa café, I noticed my therapist accompanying his next client up to the treatment room and wondered if her reaction would be like mine. There were no such issues the following day when I arrived at the spa for my body exfoliation. This time, a competent female therapist gave me an exhilarating salt scrub, followed by a deeply relaxing back massage using luxury Darphin products. I was so relaxed I fell asleep and had to be awakened when the treatment is over. As I walked back to my room, the sun came out and I experienced a sudden feeling of well-being. Whether it’s the magnificent food an environment I’ve enjoyed these last few days, or the effects of the treatments and thalassotherapy I’ll never know. I just grabbed my swimsuit and followed the sound of the waves to the beach. The Forte Village Resort and Thermae del Parco 09010 Santa Margherita di Pula (CA) Sardinia, Italy. Tel: +39 070 921 8033 The resort is open summer months only from May to September. For 2006 rates and spa prices visit www.fortevillageresort.com or visit Citalia on www.citalia.com for flight-inclusive packages from the U.K. 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. Catherine 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.