Our seaside town was conceived over 100 years ago as a resort destination where the therapeutic benefits of saltwater and sea air would attract visitors from all corners of the world. While the development of the island has evolved, that early foundation of health and wellness is rock solid: Coronado Island continues to beckon the tired, stressed and overworked for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation.

Where once there was one hotel, today there are three world-class resorts, plus a burgeoning variety of day spas, salons and studios that take advantage of Coronado's restorative atmosphere, ready to make visitors and locals feel great, stay fit and mellow out.

A visit to a spa can kick-start a healthy lifestyle change. Spas are now attracting visitors of all ages who want to experience what the wellness trend is all about. Spa packages are being aimed at niche markets - couples, teens, pregnant women, mothers/daughters - and these days men make up over 25 percent of spa clientele.

Resort spas are the perfect place to sample new bodywork treatments since many of their guests are novices. And hotels are investing in their spas like never before. "This is a 34 billion dollar industry and growing fast," says Alice Bergendorff, director of the sparkling new Spa at the Del. "It's growing because it works. People can feel the benefits of visiting a spa while on a vacation," she says, "and they come back again and again."

Cynthia Hinojosa, spa manager at the Coronado Island Marriott, agrees that the spa experience is one of the top criteria couples and families evaluate in selecting a vacation destination. "Vacations aren't just about sightseeing anymore," says Hinojosa. "People want to come back from their holiday transformed." The Marriott is also investing heavily in their spa facilities, and will open a completely new spa where tennis courts and the north parking lot are now as part of an extensive $34 million resort renovation.

The good news for locals is that Coronado's three resort spas cater to day visitors as well as hotel guests. And all have clubs that residents can join to enjoy their pools and fitness centers as well as receive ongoing discounts on spa services.

The club at Loews Coronado Bay Resort currently has 132 members, drawing heavily from the neighboring Coronado Cays. "Even though we're in Coronado's back yard, it feels like you're a world away from it all when you're here," says Spa Director Krystal Mason, who helped open the Loews spa less than four years ago.

Many Coronado residents choose smaller local businesses for their regular spa and wellness services. "We're primarily here to serve the local community, although we obviously welcome visitors," says Cheri Paquin, owner of Bamboo Yoga and Bodywork Center. "We get involved in long-term rejuvenation and rehabilitation for some of our clients, working with doctors and physical therapists if it's necessary. We form relationships that last for years."

Be warned, most Coronado massage therapists have loyal clientele and full appointment books, so once you find one you like, it's best to schedule regular, ongoing treatments well in advance.

Resort Spas
It's easy to feel like you're on a minivacation when you visit one of the island's hotel spas - all offer an astounding menu of services and amenities in exquisite, luxurious premises. Day users reap the benefits of ordering healthy spa cuisine and relaxing in steam rooms or whirlpool baths, lounging in plush robes in relaxation rooms, and utilizing recreation facilities like swimming pools and tennis courts not found in the smaller day spas. All validate parking.

Spa at the Del
1500 Orange Ave.
(619) 522-8100
www.hoteldel.com/spa

The Spa at the Del is located just north of the resort's 1500 Ocean restaurant. In keeping with the hotel's traditional architecture, the spa blends classic Victorian style with elegant modern decor. Luxurious lounge/ locker rooms include a steam room, sauna and whirlpool. Spa visitors can enjoy the newly opened private spa terrace with a fire pit and infinity pool where the vanishing edge merges with the expansive blue Pacific beyond. The spa was just voted a "2007 Hot Pick" by Conde Nast Traveler.

Size: 21 treatment rooms including two couple's suites and two hydrothertreatment rooms with Swiss showers (an invigorating, standing shower with multiple hot and cold water jets).

Signature treatment: The Del Massage. A combination of Swedish massage, deep tissue and oriental therapies adapted to your individual needs. $145 for 50 minutes.

Indulge yourself: 80-minute Sea-Salt Scrub. Experience the new hydrotherapy "capsule" - get soaked, steamed, massaged and scrubbed with natural sea salt to revive your skin and replenish minerals. Scrubs and wraps are "results oriented" and you'll feel the difference to your skin right away. $270 for 80 minutes.

Membership program: Club at the Del.

Sea Spa at Loews Coronado Bay Resort
4000 Loews Coronado Bay Road
(619) 628-8700
www.loewshotels.com/en/Hotels/ Coronado-Bay-Resort

Despite its spacious 10,000 square feet, Sea Spa feels luxuriously intimate. Like most resort spas, there is a waiting area in the locker room, but don't miss spending some pre- and post-treatment time in the co-ed relaxation room on comfortable rattan chairs with overstuffed cushions and ottomans at the entrance to the enchanting spa garden. Enjoy healthy spa cuisine and the co-ed whirlpool in the garden, or treat your senses to an outdoor massage in one of the curtained-off open-air treatment rooms.

Size: 11 treatment rooms, 4 outdoor massage rooms, 2 couple's suites.

Signature treatment: Watsu Flotation. Shiatsu massage performed in a specially designed body-temperature pool with guided stretching and massage. The sensation is not unlike returning to the womb. $160 for 60 minutes.

Indulge yourself: Sea Spa Signature Massage. A sampler of aromatherapy, hot-stone massage, reflexology and scalp massage. $195 for 80 minutes.

Membership program: Resort Club at Loews members receive a health and fitness membership, tennis court and pool use, and discounts ranging from 15 to 30 percent on food and beverages, shops and services (minimum 25 percent on spa treatments). Also includes 6 fitness guest passes, 2 resort room nights.

Spa Coronado at the Coronado Island Marriott Resort
2000 Second St.
(619) 522-3043
coronadoresortmarriott.com

A comfortable and friendly spa located apart from the main hotel, the two-story complex features treatment areas and locker rooms on the first floor which open to the adjacent private lap pool. Locker-room facilities have a sauna but no steam room. Upstairs, the spa's fitness center has beautiful bay views and is the site for yoga and other exercise classes.

Size: 6 treatment rooms.

Signature treatment: Hungarian Moor Mud Wrap. Using 20,000-year-old mud, this wrap re-mineralizes the body and detoxifies. Especially beneficial for people undergoing chemotherapy. $85 for 60 minutes.

Indulge yourself: Day at the Beach. Five hours of pampering includes a facial, pedicure, massage, scrub or wrap, and lunch at the pool. $340 plus 18% gratuity.

Membership program: Members of Spa Coronado have access to the main pool and lap pool, use of the fitness center and classes, and receive a 10 percent discount on spa treatments, shops, and food and beverages. Also includes five guest passes and one free massage or facial. Family dues: $108.33/mo, $2,000 initiation fee. The only resort in Coronado to offer day memberships; $25.

Day Spas
For years, the perception was that only the rich and glamorous could afford to spend a day at a spa. But times have changed and spas are catering to the everyday person. These oases provide a place to de-stress and take care of yourself, offering massages, facials and other body treatments.

Coronado Body Massage
1317B Ynez Pl.
(619) 435-8626

If you're not after luxury, and pampering makes you a bit uncomfortable, this is the place for you. These no-frills offices also offer acupuncture, detox programs, herbal remedies and weight control treatments from Dr. Byeng Choi.

Size: 2 treatment rooms.

Signature treatment: Mimi's Healing Massage. A full hour of therapeutic bodywork combining Asian massage, hot stones and reflexology. $85 for 60 minutes.

Indulge yourself: Try structural integration (also known as Rolfing) from Steve Gray. Better alignment can relieve chronic pain and increase flexibility. $105 per session.

La Petite Comfort Day Spa
1309 Ynez Pl.
(619) 425-9200
www.LaPetiteComfortDaySpa.com

Homey and casual in a maze of rooms, each with its own personality. Independent operators lease space in the upstairs facility and offer a wide variety of treatments including hair and skin care, manicures and permanent makeup. Operators have their own phone number and set their own hours.

Size: 2 massage rooms, another for facials.

Signature treatment: One-hour European Facial. Includes deep cleaning and extractions, mask, and face-and-neck massage. $75.

Indulge yourself: Colon Hydrotherapy from Angelic Waters. For the adventurous, colon cleaning is the ultimate detox treatment that some say helps with weight loss. $60 for introductory visit, $75 per visit thereafter.

Sanctuary
132 B Ave.
(619) 437-1760

A small and serene refuge in the Albertsons shopping plaza, Sanctuary has expanded to include a salon for hair and nails. Will be adding acupuncture in 2008. Plenty of free parking.

Size: 2 treatment rooms

Signature treatment: Sanctuary massages are a blend of Asian modalities with a focus on deep tissue and sports massage. Optional Moxibusion, or "moxa," is an ancient therapeutic treatment that uses a burning powdered herb near or on the skin to warm acupuncture points and stimulate circulation. $85 for 60 minutes.

Indulge yourself: Oxygenation Facial. One-hour treatment using cherry bark and hemoglobin that brings oxygen to sluggish or tired skin due to environmental damage, smoking, medication, aging or improper diet. Also recommended for acne. $85 for 60 minutes.

Spa Nicos
801 Orange Ave.
(619) 435-2600

This beautiful new facility has been designed to be calming and restorative. A resort spa feeling in a quiet rooftop location with private outside entry. Plenty of free first-floor parking and elevator service.

Size: 3 treatment rooms

Signature treatment: Diamond Tip Microdermabrasion Facial. A skinfreshening technique that helps repair skin. The diamond-tip method eliminates the gritty leftover common to standard dermabrasion. $115 for one hour.

Indulge yourself: Watch for monthly specials and packages that combine a facial with an integrative, soothing massage on a heated table. $100 and up.

Coming Soon...

Bloom Skin and Body
1222 First St.
(619) 435-8555

Other Wellness & Fitness Centers

Bamboo Yoga and Bodywork Center
1127 Loma Ave.
1016 C Ave.
(619) 435-9119
www.bambooyoga.com

Tranquil Zen-like oasis a half-block off busy Orange Avenue. Holistic health and wellness center offering a full range of yoga and Pilates classes from two locations. Also offering meditation, dance classes, acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Size: 2 treatment rooms.

Signature treatment: Each massage is a unique blend of techniques personalized for each client, filled with compassion and the mind-body connection. Clients are encouraged to find balance through their own unique healing process. $80 for 60 minutes.

Indulge yourself: Craniosacral Therapy. The practitioner "listens through the hands" to your body's subtle rhythms and any patterns of inertia or congestion. Using subtle palpatory skills, the practitioner can identify places where "issues" are held and aid healing as directed by your own physiology. $80 for 60 minutes.

Motion Center at Sharp Coronado Hospital
250 Prospect Place, Third Floor
(619) 522-3729
www.sharp.com

For people who prefer a supervised medical environment for their body treatments and physical rehabilitation, the motion center is open to anyone in the community on a drop-in basis, with many classes targeted to seniors as part of a total health-care program to stay fit for life. Staff is clinically trained.

Size: 1 treatment room for massage and acupuncture.

Signature Treatment: $65 for 60-minute massage.

Membership program: $30 per month includes unlimited classes featuring Pilates and yoga, and discounts on massage and acupuncture.

Salon Spas
While the noisy, chatty atmosphere of most beauty salons is not always conducive to peaceful relaxation, many salons aspire to provide a "spa" level of service for their facials, manicures and pedicures. The following salons also offer massage treatments:

Coronado Beauty Salon
1010 C Ave.
(619) 435-8262

Facials, relaxing reflexology (foot massage) as optional part of pedicures, and chair massage. $1 per minute for chair massage. $80/hour for out-call massages.

Mariann's Skin Care
1330 Orange Ave.
(619) 435-5664

One treatment room for facials and massage. Therapeutic body wrap using Biomaris Marine products that claim healing properties and cellulite reduction. $65 for standard massage. Outcall massage treatments offered for additional charge.

Roses the Salon
1016 Isabella Ave.
(619) 435-2300

One treatment room for facials and massage. One-hour manicures/pedicures include neck/hand and massage. $65 for standard massage.