Well known as a place for family fun in the great outdoors, Katie Richardson finds Center Parcs also offers a haven for relaxation in its Aqua Sana Spa

I ALWAYS get excited at the thought of a spa day and have tried quite a few in my time.

However, I never expected to find one in a forest of all places.

But that’s exactly where my latest adventure took my fiancé Ali and I when we were invited to review Center Parc’s Aqua Sana Spa in the middle of Whinfell Forest, Penrith.

I must admit I had always considered Center Parcs to be more of a place that catered for families with a love of the outdoors who enjoyed log cabins and group entertainment.

So it never occurred to me as we were driving along the A66 that a centre for peace and relaxation was also available.

As we drove into the park the trees which were dusted with the first winter frost seemed to enchant the forest which really set the scene for blocking out the outside world for the day.

At the main gate we were instructed to park and follow a map to the spa which was hidden in the very centre of the park.

By the time we reached the reception I was a tad frozen and so thankful to the receptionist who found our reservation quickly and instructed us towards the changing rooms to change and don the compulsory fluffy robe provided.

We were asked to pop into the restaurant before we entered the spa so we could reserve a time and menu choice for lunch and but I must admit this took me a little longer as I actually got lost in the changing room trying to find which door I should use but thankfully reception managed to point me (back) in the right direction.

When I found Ali though we made it in the end and were surprised to find breakfast was also included.

This turned out to be a godsend as we had gotten up late and didn’t really have chance to eat properly so starting the day with a pastry and drink was a treat.

Now for the spa!

Walking in through big double doors, my first impression was that it had a distinct Roman-inspired theme with the neutral colours and different ‘stations’.

The first one we encountered was the reflexology foot spa – a circular arrangement with four places where you sit and let a bath of water gently bubble away around your feet.

I have never come across these before in any spa and they were very relaxing considering it was only on for a few minutes.

Our other favourite spots included the hydropool which was what I imagine a Roman baths to be like.

Not quite a hot tub or a pool; it combined the two with arching steel jets of water to power through any aching shoulders – at one point I lost Ali in here.

Braving the winter weather we also spent a lot of time in the heated outdoor pool which was not as warm as I would have liked but was still welcome compared to the cold of the outdoors.

Our favourite experience came later in the same pool as we were able to gaze up to the stars while drifting about.

After a lunch of lasagne and cannelloni, we were ready for our serial mud treatment for two.

After filling in some forms we were led to the serial suite where the therapist, armed with a pallet of different coloured muds, explained which ones to apply to certain parts of our bodies.

As a couple who has never had a mud treatment before this was highly amusing but actually strangely therapeutic to be sitting in our own darkened ‘pod’ covered in mud while the room filled with steam.

After about 20 minutes the steam started to disperse and we could see each other again.

It turned out washing the mud off was just as funny as putting it on but the handy shower jets in the sides of our seats did the job leaving our skin soft and nourished.

After leaving the treatment room (and feeling slightly guilty about the muddy mess we had left behind) we made our way to the after treatment relaxation room where we enjoyed a few minutes chilling out on loungers and staring outside at the woods.

We headed back into the spa for a few more hours where we enjoyed the different steam baths – some of which I never knew existed.

We also had a little snooze on the water beds that seemed to encompass you in a relaxing atmosphere.

Sadly we had to leave and walking back through the woods to the car, we got the chance to admire the Christmas decorations that seemed so magical when lit up in the heart of the forest.

All-in-all I would say I was pleasantly surprised with the spa – its facilities, staff and treatments were all of a high quality and it will definitely be somewhere I will be revisiting.

TRAVEL FACTS

Aqua Sana Spa, Whinfell Forest, Penrith, CA10 2DW. Call 0344-826-6205 or visit aquasana.co.uk. Spa days start from £75. Serail Mud Treatment is £55 per couple.