Spa of the Week: Portopiccolo Spa by Bakel

Located along the North Adriatic Sea in Italy, Portopiccolo is a charming village full of karst-stone buildings, luxury hotels, and red-roofed homes, all with incredible views over the sparkling Gulf of Trieste. Portopiccolo is well known as a beach town and has a marina and yacht club, restaurants and bars, shopping and luxury villas. While travelers visit for an indulgent getaway, it’s also a wellness destination for those looking to accomplish a certain health or wellness goal come to relax and recharge.

Portopiccolo’s Spa by Bakel is the ultimate destination for rejuvenation. The 38,750-sq-ft health spa is a modernly designed oasis with exceptional views over the sea, from the lounge areas to the indoor swimming pool. Founder of skincare brand Bakel, Dr Rafaella Gregoris, focuses on beauty and wellness treatments crafted in part with scientific researchers to address aging skin, dryness and more.

There is a seemingly never-ending list of treatments, but be sure to book The Sublime treatments. Exclusive to Spa by Bakel at Portopiccolo, these treatments help fight aging and improve the skin’s radiance. The 80-minute Firming and Lifting Effect Face Treatment is absolutely divine; it uses Bakel Only, an intense anti-aging formulation that reduces the number and depth of wrinkles. The treatment concludes with an alginate mask, which produces firming and lifting effects. There is also a Sublime body treatment and treatments targeting specific areas, like the back, feet, neck, shoulders and legs.

Spa by Bakel has treatments inspired by the Fruilli region, including facials, scrubs, massages and full body treatments that address specific issues. There are also wellness and fitness amenities, like a hammam with a tepidarium, calidarium and frigidarium; bio sauna; Finnish sauna; whirlpool bath; Technogym fitness equipment; indoor and outdoor pools; salt cave; and saline tank. For fitness buffs, there’s a private workout space, which you can book with one of the spa’s private trainers.