The spa comes to you, in Gaia

For many people in Gaia, a spa still means crossing the Douro. At rush hour the Arrábida and Freixo bridges fill up, and parking in the Ribeira is slow and expensive. RHEA does the journey the other way round: the therapist comes to your home in Gaia with a professional table, hot towels, linens, hypoallergenic oils and ambient music. You stay on your side of the river, and the time you would have spent in traffic becomes part of your evening.

Gaia is several places in one. In Canidelo, Madalena and Valadares there are houses and condominiums a few minutes from the beaches of Miramar and Granja, with the Senhor da Pedra chapel on the rocks. Mafamude and General Torres are mostly apartment blocks with lifts and garages. Afurada, the old fishing village, has low houses and narrow stairs, and around Cais de Gaia there are flats looking across to the Ribeira. In every case, a living room or bedroom with some clear space is enough.

Clients near the sea tend to book late afternoon, after the beach or a walk along the coastal boardwalk. In the central areas, Saturday mornings and weekday evenings are the most popular times. We book every day from 7am to 10pm. If you are visiting and staying in a holiday rental near the port wine cellars, we come to you too, and the process is exactly the same.

If you spend your day driving between Gaia and Porto, deep tissue can help ease tension in the shoulders and lower back. After surfing or a run on the seafront, sports massage is the usual choice. If you simply want to switch off, Swedish massage is the most requested. Two of you at home? A couples massage can be done one after the other, or with two therapists at the same time.