Cape Town, South Africa
Find your zen: a guide to the 5 best spas in Cape Town
Relax at these top spas in Cape Town
Life in Cape Town can be go-go-go – so carving out time to breathe deeply and reconnect feels almost revolutionary. In this guide, we’re stripping away pretension and getting straight to what matters – where you can soak, steam, sculpt and sip your way to calm. Think hidden hot-stone rituals, a mud-paint ceremony worthy of a canvas and even a subterranean labyrinth that feels like a secret club. We’ve done the legwork (and the lounging) to find the spots that actually live up to the hype. Ready to unwind properly? Here’s where to start.
Top photography courtesy of 12 Apostles Hotel
01
One & Only Spa
Located on a private 1,000-square-metre island at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, One & Only Cape Town’s spa offers true seclusion just steps from the city’s dining and shopping hub. The One & Only Spa recently got a celestial-inspired transformation, designed by Muza Lab, the visionaries behind One & Only Cape Town’s refurbishment and latest dining destination, Rooi. Inside, you’ll find soothing tones of blue and grey and twinkling star-like lights inspired by the southern skies and the travel-inspired nature of the Southern Cross constellation. The spa features treatment suites overlooking landscaped waterways, creating a sense of calm from the moment you arrive. Facilities include two vitality pools, an aroma steam room, a sauna, experience showers and a fitness pavilion. The spa’s recent update introduced a hair salon and beauty suites, inviting you to complete your head-to-toe transformations without leaving the island.
One & Only Spa
One & Only Cape Town
Dock Rd
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
Cape Town
South Africa
Photography courtesy of One & Only Cape Town
02
Librisa Spa at Belmond Mount Nelson
Housed within three restored Victorian heritage cottages at the Mount Nelson hotel, Librisa Spa combines period architecture with minimalist interiors for a quietly sophisticated feel. A recent design refresh retained the heritage façades while introducing neutral tones, plush linens and Italian marble detailing. The spa’s tech-driven offerings – think LED therapy beds and ultrasound facials – keep the Pavilion-style pampering contemporary. The go-to treatment? The Indoceane Mindful Ritual, which somehow balances firm Thai stretches with the gentlest African marula-oil kneads, leaving you feeling both invigorated and mellow. After your treatment, you can cool off in the plunge pool or detox in the Finnish sauna, then settle into the conservatory with herbal infusions and healthy bites.
Librisa Spa
Mount Nelson Hotel
76 Orange St
Gardens
Cape Town
South Africa
Photography courtesy of Mount Nelson
03
Spa at the 12 Apostles Hotel
Set on the cliff edge with sweeping Atlantic views, the award-winning spa at the 12 Apostles Hotel offers a spa experience surrounded by nature. We love the two open-air mountain gazebos, where you can enjoy a relaxing massage while enjoying the sea breeze and the chirping of birds as your background music. The spa also offers seven treatment rooms, where the interior’s whisper of coastal elegance featuring soft neutrals, natural stone and brass accents. The spa partners with Tata Harper and Elemis, blending farm-to-face botanicals with science-backed luxury formulations for custom facials and body therapies. We’re big fans of the Rasul chamber, where you can enjoy mineral-mud rituals and the hydrotherapy pools, one of which is a salt-water floatation pool.
Spa at the 12 Apostles Hotel
Victoria Rd
Camps Bay
Cape Town
South Africa
Photography courtesy of the 12 Apostles Hotel
04
Spa at The Winchester Hotel
Claiming a Cape Dutch façade on Sea Point Promenade, The Winchester Hotel’s spa occupies a heritage-restored building with three treatment rooms – single and couples – plus an outdoor relaxation courtyard. The Absolute Spa Escape package is a must. This treatment is inspired by the four elements of earth and designed to attain deep relaxation, connecting the power of body, mind and soul. Experience relaxation with steam-heated compressors and warm body clay to soothe your muscles and relieve tension. Breathing techniques ease you into the treatment, while flowing massage techniques, combined with pure fynbos oils and hot lava shells, target specific problem areas for healing and comfort. After your session, settle into the lounge with complimentary herbal teas before wandering onto the promenade for a post-spa stroll.
Spa at The Winchester Hotel
221 Beach Rd
Sea Point
Cape Town
South Africa
Photography courtesy of The Winchester Hotel
05
The Grotto Wellness Spa
Hidden beneath the cityscape at The Capital 15 on Orange, The Grotto is Cape Town’s most atmospheric spa – an underground labyrinth of steam rooms, sauna oases, polar plunge pools and reflection-heated hydrotherapy. Designed with a dark, moody palette of obsidian and slate, this sanctuary allows you to choose your own aromatherapy oil, room scent and curated playlist for total personalisation. After your treatment, head to the juice bar where the resident liquid chef whips up elixirs of turmeric, ginger and cactus pear that taste like sunshine in a glass. For something a bit different, opt for their Night Spa package – enjoy your treatment accompanied by live music and a flame-lit dinner in the adjacent Emerald Lounge Restaurant, with an optional overnight stay at the boutique hotel above.
The Grotto Wellness Spa
The Capital 15 On Orange Hotel
Corner of Orange Street and Grey's Pass
Gardens
Cape Town
South Africa
Photography courtesy of The Grotto Wellness Spa
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