Are you keen to pamper a loved one for Christmas? Or perhaps you fancy an indulgent getaway from the endless shopping, or some me-time in January? If so, you could arrange a bus trip to one of Cumbria’s spas.
The county has a terrific selection of top venues, and many make the most of their prime position in the Lake District with views across water and fells.
We’ve picked 10 of the best in each corner of the county.
All can be reached by Stagecoach bus, and if that’s how you or your loved one travel then full advantage can be taken of that great spa tradition – prosecco on arrival!
Lodore Hotel & Falls Spa, Borrowdale
Bus route – 78
Bus stop – Lodore Hotel
Just being outside in the Lakes can feel like a spa treatment, and Lodore takes full advantage with its outdoor 16-metre hydro pool where you can look across Derwentwater and the Catbells mountain range.
Inside you’ll find five treatment rooms, a four-person steam-filled rasul mud chamber, salt and aroma steam rooms, herbal sauna, ice fountain and a laconium for sitting in gentle, dry heat.
The spa is for over-18s only and has a champagne bar serving light refreshments. And if that leaves you wanting more, you could book into the hotel’s Mizu restaurant that offers dishes from countries across the Far East.
To book, click here
Armathwaite Hall, Bassenthwaite
Bus routes – X4, 553 & 554
Bus stop – Trotters World/Castle Inn
Are you an early riser? Our buses start early so you could book a sunrise spa session at Armathwaite Hall from 7.30am to 10am that includes tea, coffee and pastries on arrival. Or spoil yourself at the other end of the day – the sunset spa session from 6pm to 8pm replaces breakfast with a glass of prosecco.
The facilities at this spa are extensive, including an outdoor infinity hydrotherapy pool overlooking gardens, an indoor 16-metre infinity edge pool, and a wallow pool that’s ideal for people who aren’t confident in water.
Then there’s a salt inhalation aroma room, steam room, sauna, 10 luxury treatment rooms, and a hush relaxation room with a veranda overlooking the nearby fells.
The hotel also adjoins a gym, and there’s changing rooms that can cater for disabled people.
To book, click here
The Swan at Newby Bridge, Ulverston
Bus routes – 6 & X6
Bus stop – The Swan Hotel
The Swan’s Holte Spa boasts a bothy for its guests – but basic bolthole it is not. Think log burner and soothing salt lamps, the Swan’s take on the Scottish mountain hut is a hideaway for unwinding during your spa visit.
The hotel goes further than the usual massage and facial offer with an outdoor Finnish sauna, 100% humidity steam room, ice buckets, cold plunge pool, hydrotherapy pools and showers that can mimic tropical rain, mist, monsoon downpours or cold waterfall.
And you can book specific treatments, a spa day or even use the venue to host a party.
To book, click here
Aqua Sana, Center Parcs, Whinfell
Bus route – 104
Bus stop – Center Parcs Whinfell Forest
Perhaps you’ve never considered visiting this spa since Center Parcs is a holiday destination. But you don’t have to be a resident on the complex to take advantage and Stagecoach runs a regular bus service right to the doorstep.
The whole point of Center Parcs is to get away from it all, and the Aqua Sana spa is hidden away in a beautifully tranquil forest setting.
As well as the treatments and facilities you would expect from a fully kitted-out spa, you can take part in instructor-led wellbeing sessions that include tips on better sleeping, sound bathing with Tibetan singing bowls, and skincare advice.
To book, click here
Netherwood Hotel & Spa, Grange-over-Sands
Bus routes – X6 and 530
Bus stop – Grange-over-Sands railway station
Spending time in a luxury spa doesn’t have to break the bank – at Netherwood Hotel you can enjoy access to facilities from £15 for 60 minutes. Once settled in you can move between wooden hot tubs, a cold plunge tub, aroma steam room, salt inhalation room, ice fountain and monsoon shower.
Pay more and you can choose from a long menu of treatments that include body scrubs, massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, waxing and tinting.
Or you could even make a night of it and book a room or self-catering lodge at the hotel, and order an evening meal in the restaurant which has stunning, sweeping views across Morecambe Bay.
To book, click here.
Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa, Windermere
Bus routes – 505, 516, 555 & 599
Bus stop – Low Wood Bay Hotel
Many venues put their personal spin on the spa experience, and at Low Wood Bay that includes spinning the decks with Sunset Sessions that feature a DJ beside the outdoor infinity pool.
The huge range of thermal features, both indoors and out, should be music to your ears too and include hot tubs, a fire pit, saunas, indoor vitality pool, mud room, a herbal-scented lounge with suspended loungers, and a dry salt sauna lined with Himalayan salt bricks.
Low Wood Bay makes the most of its location beside Lake Windermere, and if you’re feeling revived after the spa, you could visit its watersports centre for some paddleboarding, wakesurfing or waterskiing.
To book, click here
Bannatyne Health Club and Spa, Carlisle (near Stanwix, Carlisle)
Bus routes – 62 & 79
Bus stop – Moorville Terrace
As part of the Bannatyne gym chain, this spa has an emphasis on fitness and health. You can book a full range of treatments that include reiki therapy, Swedish full body massage, an Indian head massage and body scrubs in single or dual treatment rooms.
Beauty treatments are a speciality here too, with manicures, pedicures, waxing and even facials designed specifically for teenagers aged 13 to 17.
Bannatynes has wetside facilities alongside its swimming pools, including saunas, steam rooms and spa pools.
You don’t have to be a gym member to take advantage – treatments can be booked by clicking here and the spa facilities can be used by buying a day pass from reception – phone 01228 406800.
Brimstone Hotel & Spa, Great Langdale near Ambleside
Bus route – 516
Bus stop – Langdale CofE Primary School
The Brimstone is a top end destination – and only hotel guests can access the spa. But if you’re in the market for some super luxury, you can enjoy an outdoor relaxation pool with a swan neck fountain, a Finnish sauna, foot spa and ice fountain, Himalaya salt steam room with 100 per cent humidity, lava sauna, mineral steam bath, herbal sauna and relaxation zones inside and out where you can order drinks. Treatments, some by candlelight, cost £125 and upwards.
The hotel, which looks like a billionaire’s ski chalet from the outside, sits within the picturesque Langdale Estate. Rooms are vast with private terraces and personal butlers to provide five-star service.
To book, click here.
North Lakes Hotel & Spa, Penrith
Bus routes – X4, X5 & 105 (or 106, 508, 509 From Penrith railway station)
Bus stop – Skirsgill Gardens
You can make a night of it at North Lakes with a one-night spa break package – arrive, unpack, then head to the spa for a treatment and use of the spa’s whirlpool, sauna, steam room and pool.
Facials are a speciality here with five different treatments offered to boost your skin’s vitality, and you could combine one with a full body, back or shoulder massage.
Plus, if you enjoy your trip, you could buy an annual membership that includes one spa taster treatment and light lunch plus six visits to use the spa facilities each month.
To book, click here
Appleby Manor Hotel & Garden Spa, Appleby-in-Westmorland
Bus route – 563
Bus stop – The Sands
Just two hours is all you need to experience the calm of Appleby Manor’s garden spa, and with package prices starting at just £45 it’s a cost-effective way of getting some luxury me-time.
The spa’s staff have a journey mapped out – begin in the aroma salt inhalation room, enjoy the massaging jets of a pedidarium on your feet, then move on to the steam room and sauna. Cool down under a rain, sky and monsoon shower, then soothe muscles in the hydrotherapy pool before refreshing yourself in the outdoor spa bath.
If you want more, pick from a menu of treatments that include massages and facials, plus you can order lunch or afternoon tea.
To book, click here
