Drift Spa lounge at Castaways

Blog Post

How and where to recover from the trail

Cameron McGavin

TNQ Writer

Five spas to rest your tired muscles and recuperate. Plus, three recovery tips from a MTB pro.

There are seemingly endless mountain-biking trails to explore in Tropical North Queensland. But maybe your muscles are tired, your body is aching and you need to recharge the batteries – what then? Well, this region might be an outdoor paradise but it’s no one-trick pony. When your body is crying out for rejuvenation, you’ll find a wellness facility to suit your needs nearby, whether you’ve been tearing it up in Port Douglas or down on Mission Beach.

Healing Waters Spa

Healing Waters Spa at Silk Oaks Lodge overlooking the Daintree Rainforest

This award-winning luxury spa, set within the Daintree Rainforest at Silky Oaks Lodge (30 minutes north of Port Douglas), immediately calms the soul with its beautifully tranquil surrounds and offers an outstanding array of restorative possibilities, from massage and Vichy therapies to jaw-droppingly gorgeous outdoor baths.

Vie Spa Port Douglas

Vie Spa at Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort & Spa

Located just off the sands of Four Mile Beach, Vie Spa lies within Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort & Spa. The award-winning facilities offer a range of luxury services and treatments tailored to your specific needs. Set amidst a tropical oasis, Vie Spa is the perfect place to escape after a long day on the trail. You’ll also find Vie Spa at Palm Cove or in Cairns.

Eléme Day Spa

Eléme Day Spa at Riley

Part of the five-star Crystalbrook Riley on the Cairns waterfront, Eléme Day Spa sequesters you away in contemporary, calming surrounds. The extensive spa menu covers everything from half-hour foot treatments to indulgent five-hour head-to-toe treatment packages. Riders with tired bodies will like the Muscle Meltdown, a 60-minute session that combines essential oils and deep-tissue massage.

The White Lotus Tropical Day Spa

Tropical entry

This spa, located in Trinity Beach not too far from the Smithfield Mountain Bike Park, has the air of a Balinese village with its tropical gardens, huts and water features. Relax with a deep-tissue massage, warming Vichy shower or other tension-easing treatment before sipping tea in the outdoor relaxation garden.

Drift Spa

Drift Spa lounge at Castaway's Mission Beach

Kick back with a remedial massage, hot-rocks massage, spa bath or go the whole hog with a 210-minute full-body treatment as you gaze on beautiful white sands and palm trees at Drift Spa, located at Castaways Resort & Spa Mission Beach.

Recover like a pro

The cold water of Tropical North Queensland's waterholes will help ease your muscles

Mountain-bike racer, firefighter and long-time Cairns resident Nathan Sandford won the solo men’s division of the 2018 Reef to Reef stage race, a tough four-day test, so he knows how to back up after a hard day on a mountain bike. If you’re looking to pack in multiple days on the bike in Tropical North Queensland, here are his top three tips for recovering well.

Cool down
After your ride, go out and have a swim in some nice, cool water somewhere like Crystal Cascades, Behana Gorge or some other swimming spot. The cold water will really help your muscles recover.

Refuel
Your body needs to recover and refuel, so you need to eat well. Here we’ve got lots of good places to do that and some good breweries, too, such as Hemingway’s and Macalister Brewing Company out near Smithfield.

Sleep
On a stage race, most racers are probably in bed by 8 or 9pm, so don’t stay up too late. Try to get to bed nice and early so your body has plenty of recovery time.

Adventure & Explore

Now that you’ve rested and recharged, it’s time to get back out there.