Making wellness beautifully intrinsic. In the same way that the Six Senses weaves sustainability into every aspect of its physical design and spiritual ethos, they have managed, with their stunning Kaplankaya property, to create a wellness experience that transmits through the resort in an effortless way. 

I know I am in good company when I say that as far as holidays go, most of us would like to be able to enjoy a glass of wine at dinner, eat incredible food throughout the day (whilst not feeling like all the work gone into training and healthy eating has been zapped into thin air!), and just generally, feel relaxed and in love with your surroundings. Whilst Six Senses Kaplankaya is certainly not a dedicated ‘detox retreat’, it has landed perfectly somewhere in between this and pure, untouched luxury which makes it a destination fit for all.

It offers some of the most impressive (and sizable) facilities that I’ve seen to date, with the largest and most spectacular spa in Europe, part of the 10,000 square meter wellness facility (more on that below) and beautiful, uninterrupted views of the Aegen sea. It’s private, enriched with stories from the local ancient land and the perfect sunshine getaway.

The Property

Kaplankaya is just north of Bodrum, and after an hours drive from Milas-Bodrum airport, you’ll arrive at the newly renovated Six Senses Kaplankaya property flush with olive groves and impressive rock formations. It was previously a Canyon Ranch hotel, the infamous wellness programme from the US, but after some political grievances and something about the strictness of the Canyon Ranch programme not quite hitting the sweet spot with the masses,  Burak Öymen decided a partnership with the renowned Six Senses hotel group was in order, and I for one am glad he did.

Now, it’s accurate to describe the property as an integrated wellness resort. State of the art facilities meets immaculate beaches and dreamy infinity pools. It suits families but also caters to the couples who want privacy and a touch of romance. Using the same New-York based design house which renovated the Six Senses Douro Valley property (Clodagh Design), the Kaplankaya resort is the perfect balance between contemporary architecture and authentic local culture.  The roofs are layered with greenery and the property itself is carved into giant rock formations so from the minute you walk in, the smell and sight of the turquoise sea will have energy running through you!

There are three outdoor pools to soak up the afternoon sun with, pictured above is the clubhouse which is part of the Six Senses Kaplankaya property but set higher up in the hills for the captivating views and the ultimate infinity pool. The resort provides complimentary shuttle-bus transfers from and to here, along with their neighboring bohemium-style beach club Anhinga which is a must-see!

The Rooms

There are 141 rooms at the property, split up between ones in the main building and the Ridge Villas. My sister and I stayed in one of the beautiful Ridge villas with its own pool. As far as relaxing and private rooms go, the Ridge Villas hit the sweet spot! Whilst the size of the rooms is not that of their expansive fitness facilities, it is, as expected with Six Senses, beautifully and immaculately designed and pieced together.

We enjoyed one too many cocktails watching the sunset over the hills from the deck! The rooms are flooded with natural light and make one of their wellness programmes “Sleep with Six Senses” far too easy to indulge in with their handmade mattresses and organic silky soft bed linen.

Wellness at Six Senses Kaplankaya

So whilst the property doesn’t even hint at a guilty conscious should you want a glass of rose wine in the sunshine or a large serving of sourdough to soak up that rich olive oil, it would be a lie to say that you can’t feel the wellness ethos echo throughout the property. With everything from a health & healing center with on-site Doctors, to fitness facilities boasting basketball courts, a fully equipped pilates, yoga, and cycling studio as well as the impressive and expansive Technogym itself, it’s hard not to feel inspired to give your body a little TLC.

Upon arrival, I had the non-invasive wellness screening which gives you key physiological markers about your body and areas that you should be focusing on during and after your stay. From there, you can devise a treatment plan with the Doctors to address what you want to. They also have, rather impressively, the Bod Pod, which is one of the most accredited and accurate ways to measure your body composition as well as cardio-metabolic testing and a whole list of bespoke programmes to choose from.

Should you not fancy the fitness side of things, the spa is plentiful to keep you occupied. The traditional Turkish hammams are really quite stunning, starlit and head-to-toe with beautiful cream marble. There are 20 treatment rooms, an indoor swimming pool and a Watsu pool (which is one of only two in the whole of Turkey), as well as the hydrothermal area complete with a Finnish sauna, crystal steam room, salt grotto and more. You certainly aren’t short-changed!

P.s If you don’t know what Watsu is, it’s a treatment that takes place in warm water with a practitioner one-on-one. It used to purely be about stretching but now it’s changed to much more of an energy and emotional-based treatment. It was my first ever Watsu Therapy and I was honestly blown away by the treatment and how it brought emotions and feelings to the surface I didn’t even know were there. The watsu therapist at Six Senses Kaplankaya, Banu Alagöz, was nothing short of incredible and I would recommend everyone to give the treatment a go, even if it hasn’t been specifically recommended to you by the team.

Even having this type of therapy as an option shows how Six Senses Kaplankaya exceeds expectations in the wellness space.

The Restaurants

The food at Six Senses Kaplankaya is all about sustainable, fresh and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine that showcases the best of Turkish influence throughout the restaurants. The resort has it’s own Organic Garden with a dedicated gardener who pours his love into producing the tastiest produce energized from the Aegen sea, as much as possible of which is used to serve guests at the property.

With three main restaurants and three unique bars, the options are plenty. My favorite experiences were at their ‘Meze by the Sea’ restaurant, serving some of the most delicious meze platters I’ve tasted (beware of over ordering!) as well as the healthy, raw-inspired 5-course meal we enjoyed at the Alchemy Bar. This is a special experience that Six Senses can arrange for you and a plus one or a table of up to 14 people. Jordy and I also tried our hand at making our own face scrubs using a concoction of natural and local ingredients at the Alchemy bar – you then get to take the artisanal scrubs back with you.

Pictured above: Meze by the Sea

Pictured below: Alchemy Bar

Fresh fig and falafel salads served at the Wild Thyme restaurant …

Six Senses Kaplankaya is a stunning, luxurious property that if you want it, has some of the best wellness facilities in the world and if you don’t, still offers the perfect destination for a relaxing and enjoyable getaway in the sunshine. I think they’ve struck what is a difficult balance to achieve incredibly well and will prove very popular in the years to come for that reason.

If you have any questions about my stay here or comments on the blog, please do leave them below! Would love to hear from you <3

Carly x