Spas & Wellness
Outdoor massage (Albert Normandin photo)
The restless ocean provides no end of restful and restorative spa treatments for Sooke visitors.
Seaweed collectors pick through the vegetal flotsam and jetsam on the edge of Whiffin Spit outside the Sooke Harbour House. And their salt-infused, supremely healthy and surprisingly tasty finds are promptly sent to spas, cosmetics makers and five-star restaurants throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Bright-green sea lettuce, leathery dulce, iridaea (aka "rainbow seaweed"), rockweed and alaria (which pairs beautifully with wild salmon) are among the catches of the day for the increasingly renowned "seaweed ladies of Sooke" – namely Diane Bernard (responsible for the Outer Coast Seaweeds collection of skin-care products), Christine Hopkins (a French Beach aromatherapist and spa professional) and Amanda Swinimer (who plucks edibles from Muir Creek west of town).
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Sooke Spas
Seaweed treatments are top of the menu at both the Sooke Harbour House and Hopkins' From the Garden ... At French Beach spa. The country inn's Sea-renity Spa offers seaweed soaks, sea-salt exfoliation treatments and massages using locally harvested seaweed oil. For her part, Hopkins specializes in thalassotherapy soaks, seaweed facials and aromatherapy massages utilizing the ocean's bounty. Relaxing in saltwater while watching strands of multi-coloured seaweed expand to their original size is a unique experience.
Wellness Treatments
Spa services are also available at the Goodlife Wellness Centre (2113 Otter Point Road). Trained practioneers in the arts of Reiki, shiatsu, acupuncture, herbal therapy and massage work here. A 45-minute session inside the centre's infra-red sauna is a quick fix for cleansing toxins and rejuvenating the body-mind.
Other local spas include Le Sooke Spa (2915 Otter Point Road), which is known for its romantic couples packages; and Pure Elements Spa (6689 Goodmere Road), a specialist in serving the many wedding parties that arrive in Sooke for the big day. Clover Care Massage, meanwhile, provides mobile massage and reflexology services to guests at local B&Bs.
Yoga
A growing number of yoga teachers welcome drop-ins to classes in local studios, the SeaParc Leisure Complex and Edward Milne Secondary School.
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Things To Do
Food, Wine & Relaxation