f you are seeking improved health and vitality, the prestigious five star Aldemar Royal Mare Village and Thalasso provides an inspiring holiday with long lasting benefits. Located alongside a sandy beach on the beautiful island of Crete, the resort offers luxurious accommodation, a choice of restaurants, great leisure facilities and a fabulous thalassotherapy spa.

The island's climate, diet and olive oil are all factors why Cretans enjoy long life expectancy and the lowest rates of heart disease and cancer in Europe. Cretan food contains all the elements of the Mediterranean diet with balanced intakes of cereals, grains, vegetables, dried beans, olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, seafood and fruit. Wine, free range lamb and poultry are taken in moderation but little or no animal fats like butter, cream and lard.

Most of Aldemar's 390 spacious rooms and suites are housed in low Cretan-style buildings set amid palm trees, gardens and swimming pools, linked by pathways edged with hedges of colorful hibiscus and oleander. There are also 100 rooms directly linked to the spa which is situated near the resort entrance. My comfortable room had a great bathroom and a sunny balcony overlooking a turquoise pool with the beach and all the resort facilities within walking distance. If you don't feel up to walking you can ring for a lift in one of the golf carts that zip about the complex. With two children's pools, mini club, tennis academy and water sports, the resort caters equally well for families as it does for couples and individual travelers looking for a quality sunshine break.

When Thalasso opened in 1995 it was Greece's first thalassotherapy spa. It uses seawater pumped directly from the Aegean Sea, cleaned and heated with solar energy. Over the years Thalasso's excellent treatments have won many accolades and in 2005 the spa was voted Europe's Leading Spa Resort at the World Travel Awards. The 40,000 square foot facility is impressive - designed over three floors with an indoor swimming pool, beauty center, aqua gym and Aqua Royal thalassotherapy pool on the top level; the main spa reception, changing rooms, thalassotherapy and other treatment rooms on the middle floor and a stunning new oriental hamman, large gym (with qualified trainers on hand to offer guidance and personalized training programs) and two squash courts on the lower level. Although the spa specialises in thalassotherapy, Thai and ayurvedic massage, aromatherapy, reflexology and reiki are also available. Entering the spa that first day, my initial impression was one of lightness and air - lots of turquoise and white tiles - and everywhere the cathartic sound of water - splashing, showering, running, flowing and cascading.

I was welcomed by a smiling English speaking receptionist and handed a clothes stand, bathing cap, robe and slippers. The first surprise was that the spa has no lockers or communal changing areas - just nice little private cubicles each with a mirror and chair. Your put your clothes and belongings in the stand which is securely stored away until you are ready to leave. A very civilised arrangement!

My spa treatments had been booked in advance, but if you are new to thalassotherapy or unsure about what treatments to try, it is a good idea to have a consultation with one of the spa's doctors. Because of the nature of the treatments (all that seawater, seaweeds and muds), thalassotherapy spas tend to be quite clinical places with tiled treatment rooms that are functional rather than luxurious. Therapists are briskly efficient so don't expect dimmed lights, candles or soft music! Most treatments last about 20 minutes and a typical program consists of three or four short treatments a day. The benefits of thalassotherapy are huge - seawater is similar in composition to blood and helps restore the body's state of balance through osmosis. The marine environment is exceptionally rich in nutrients and mineral salts, so what the body lacks is replenished by immersion and treatments. Thalassotherapy effectively reduces pain and stress, improves the circulation and slows down the degenerative aging process, so is an integral part of slimming and beauty treatments.