LEISURE 35
19 February 2022 THEWEEKTravel
InnorthernNewMexico,“health
isin theair”;youcan almostfeelit
inthe“feathery-light”high-desert
atmosphere.Anditisoneofthe
bestplaces“togo insearchof
geothermalgoodness”,says
Chris Wallace intheFT, with hot
springs“positivelylittered” across
fieldsandmeadows.The Spanish
conquistadorsbelievedthey were
fountainsofyouth,andtodaythey
attractallmanner of“escapists,
adventurersand dreamers”.
Science is“ambivalent”aboutthe
objective benefits ofbathingin
theirwaters,“thick with heavy
metals”.Butitcan’tdoanyharm,
andpeoplefind itleaves themfeelingwonderfullyrefreshed,
thanks inpart tothewild beautyof the surroundings.
ManbyHot Springs,inthe RioGrandegorge near thetown
of Taos,arethebestknown.DennisHopper and PeterFonda’s
charactersinEasyRiderstopoffthereontheirdusty,roughroad
tripalong Route 66,and itis“easily the mostexuberant” scenein
the 1969 film. Today,you must
walkafewmilesdownriver from
the JohnDunnbridgetoaccess
them.Easiertoget toare the
nearbyBlack Rocksprings,which
arefrequentedby“campers,bikers
andbackpackersin searchofthe
hippiemeccaimaginedby
Hopper here”,andwhichafford
superbviews downthe gorge (“an
800ft-deepgroove inamillions-of-
years-oldlavaflow”).But even
moreastonishing–indeed, “Lord
oftheRingsmajestic”–arethe
viewsfrom the SanAntonio
spring.Here,thetubsdescend
downthesideofacanyon, and
varyinheatfrom“near-scalding”toa“mossy-coolplunge”.
Amongthe area’s best resortsaretheFourSeasonsnearSanta
Fe,theJapanese-influencedTenThousandWaves, and theOjo
SantaFe.But notallof thesehavetheirownhotsprings –and
noneof theirbathsisas“wondrous”as thoseat OjoCaliente,
theoldestformal spatohavebeenbuilton ahotspringintheUS.Thisweek’sdream:NewMexico’sglorioushotsprings
Gettingtheflavourof...
PerfectCornwall break
Stay2nightsatthe charming
andprivatelyrun Merchants
Manor, with its far-reaching
views across Falmouth Bay,
from£140pphalf-board.020-
36080135 ,secretescapes.com.
Depart 11 March.
All-inclusive in Jamaica
Admirethe golden sands of
Seven Mile Beach on a7-night
stay at the Azul Beach Resort
Negril. From £1,495pp
(includingManchester flights).
020-8175 1145 ,loveholidays.
com.Depart 7June.NorthernLaos hike
This7-day tourbeginsand
endsin theancient and magical
Unesco WorldHeritage town
of LuangPrabang.From
£890ppb&b (excluding
flights).0800-802 1046,tour
radar.com.Arrive15April.A17thcentury Ludlow inn
Named“the most handsome
inninthe world” by TheNew
YorkTimes, The Feathers
HotelinLudlowhas a2-night
break from £108pp b&b. 020-
35649000 ,travelzoo.com.
Arrive 20 March.An idyllicvillagein SouthAfrica
Setinbeautifulcountrysidetwohours’drive
southofCapeTown,thevillageofStanford
isthe“epitomeofruralcharm”, says Pippa
de Bruynin TheDailyTelegraph. Itwas
builtinthelate19thcentury,andits pretty
cottagesandwell-tendedgardens have
changed littlesince.Butits chief gloryis
itslocation,rightbeside thegloriousKlein
Riverlagoon –alake-like estuary,hometo
flamingoesandmany other,rarerbirds–and
thedunesand beachofWalker Bay, the most
importantwhalenursery inAfrica.There’s a
greatItalianrestaurant,La Trattoria,in the
village,and wineriessuchas Maanschijn
nearby–there’spleasantaccommodation
too,includingStanfordValleyGuestFarm
(an “affordableoasis”),andPerivoli Lagoon
House, MosaicLagoon Lodgeandthe Coot
Club(due toopeninJuly), which allhave
exquisiteviewsof the lagoon.Visitstanford
valley.co.za,mosaiclagoonlodge.co.za,
perivoliafrica.comandcootclub.com.AcolourfulNeapolitanisland
It has longbeen overshadowed by its
glamorousneighbours,Ischiaand Capri, but
the tiny island of Procida–40 minutes by
ferryfromNaples –ismorecharacterful than
both,saysMia Aimaro Ogden in The Sunday
Times.And while it willhost 150 arts events
this yearas theofficial ItalianCapital of
Culturefor 2022, noneislikelytooutdoitslastingcharms–17thcenturypastelfishing
villages(featuredinfilmssuchasThe
TalentedMrRipleyandIlPostino),
Renaissancepalaces,baroquechurches,and
wildbeachesthatare “near-deserted”outside
July andAugust.Foodhereisgoodtoo–
“inexpensive, generallyexcellentandserved
withlove”,and therearefineplacesto stay,
includingLa Suite (an18thcenturyhilltop
palazzo), thechic SanMicheleinMarina
Corricella,and themini-apartmentsofCala
Cala.Visitlasuiteresort.com,sanmichele
procida.comandcalacala.kross.travelfor
moreinformation.Afar-flungGreekgetaway
Toofar from Athensfora“socialscene”,
andwithno large hotels,the Greekislandof
Symiisa“quietlysophisticated”placeringed
by beautifulbeaches,said AoifeO’Riordain
inHouse&Garden.Reputedlythe
birthplaceof the mythicalThreeGraces,it
is amongtheeasternmost oftheDodecanese
islands, andbestreachedbyferry from
Rhodes.Its harbour town is like an Italian
village –an“enchantingtumble” of pastel-
colouredmansions,one of whichrecently
openedasacharacterful hotel, the1900. It
doesn’t have arestaurant, butyou caneat
at theexcellent Tholos, 20 minutes’ walk
away,and spend yourdays exploring the
mountainous interior or lazing in secluded
coves.See1900hotel.com.SeahamHall,County
Durham
LordByrongotmarriedatthis
Georgianpileonaseacliffin
CountyDurhamin1815.Today,it
combines“statelygrandeur”(vast
gardens,chandeliers,openfires)
withmodernluxury–makinga
stayheredizzyinglyindulgent,says
SherelleJacobsinTheSunday
Telegraph.Thespais“jaw-
dropping”,withaZengarden,
ahammamandnumerouspools.
Suitesare“vivaciouslydecorated”,
andsomehaveoutsidespaces
withhottubs.Thehotelhastwo
restaurants–onespecialisingin
Britishdishes,theotherinpan-
Asiancuisine.Therearelovely
coastalwalksnearby,andDurham
itselfisa20-minutedriveaway.
Doublesfrom£295b&b;seaham-
hall.co.uk.Hoteloftheweek
Last-minuteoffersfromtoptravelcompanies
Covid-19:please check governmentwebsitesfor testing and quarantinerequirements,and the rules surroundingchildren(gov.uk).TheOjoSantaFe:amongthearea’sbestresorts