Mud Bath in Castro Marim

Mud bath in Castro Marim

Give your skin and your soul the gift of rejuvenation. Cake yourself in mineral rich mud and then soak in the natural salt spas of Agua Mae in the Eastern Algarve.

Tucked into the far corner of the Eastern Algarve right against the Guadiana River, which marks the border between Spain and Portugal is the town of Castro Marim. It is in this village famed for basket making and natural salt production that you will find the Agua Mae Spa.

We drove past it twice, almost ending up in Spain while performing emergency u-turns that clearly indicated we were lost tourists struggling with a left hand drive. Then we saw the small sign on the side of the main road pointing us towards salty Nirvana.

Not what you expect

A short dirt track brought us to a wider patch of sandy ground that we guessed must be the parking lot. All around us people were loading bags of salt onto a tractor trailer. Nothing looked like the brochure. Up ahead was a non-descript building that did not suggest luxury spa. It was the only viable destination so we grabbed our towels and set off.

As we rounded the building concrete gave way to a traditional Portuguese façade of white with blue trim coupled with wooden screens and a veranda populated with comfy looking couches. The staff were friendly and instructed us on the ins and outs of what to do whilst plying us with alcohol free cocktails.

My wife and I were game to get started but our daughter Angel looked at us like were mad. We coaxed her into trying the oil you rub onto your skin before applying the mud. She rubbed it in whilst narrowing her eyes but as we started to cake ourselves in the clay she shook her head and went in search of a lounger to recline on.

Float in muddy bliss

Once we were entirely encased in skin nurturing clay we took the inflatable neck pillows we had been give and slipped into the salty waters of the spa pool. I use the term pool loosely here, there was no sparkling blue liquid but rather a brown murkiness more reminiscent of a pothole filled with rainwater. There was a wooden staircase that descended into the water and as our toes hit the bottom they squished into the soft clay that fed the water. The saline nature of the water gave it extra buoyancy and we floated under the hot Iberian sun, brown mud people lost in salty paradise. My daughter just shook her head and went back to her book.

Salt the traditional way

The Agua Mae Company was started in 2008 but Luis Horta Correira with the idea of manufacturing salt the traditional Portuguese way, instead of heavy machinery, all the work is done by hand with rakes and shovels. In 2015 he opened the spa by turning one of the pans into a “mud bath”. His thinking was that it would increase the popularity of Portuguese salt and make learning about it more fun for the public. You can even do a tour of the saltpans and see how the muddy water is transformed into some of the whitest salt crystals I have ever seen, all natural and organic.

When we had had our fill of floating we decamped to the sun loungers on the edge of the pool to bask in the warm sun. Next to each recliner was a bucket of mud so that you could plaster up any gaps that had been washed away. When the mud had dried we all reached for our phones and snapped a selfie or six to WhatsApp back to all our friends at home. Nothing says I’m on holiday sucker quite like a photo of your entire family caked in mud while lying next to a murky brown pond.

Nothing like a hot shower

It takes quite some doing to get all the mud off your body when you are finished especially the chunks crusted behind your ears and under your fingernails. Obviously aware of this problem Luis has provided some great showers with strong water pressure to complete the experience.

I’m not sure of the science behind the marketing but I stepped out of the bathroom with the softest skin I have ever felt. I sat next to my daughter and sipped a mango cocktail.

The town of Castro Marim has its own charm and is worth a wander through when you have finished at the salt baths. Park your car near the town square and then walk up to the medieval castle on the hill. From the battlements you can see all the way to Spain across the river. When you are done walk the cobbled streets while licking a gelato. It was an unforgettable day.