Bath Time

The moors ruled Andalucia in southern Spain from the 8th to the 12th centuries, and among their more sybaritic legacies are the hammams (bathhouses) found in the city of Granada. They were originally inspired by Roman baths, but the Moorish versions took opulence to new heights — featuring stuccoed alcoves, lavish geometric mosaics and horseshoe arches. The functions of the hammams weren't strictly utilitarian either: they were used by both sexes as places to drink tea and socialize as well as to maintain personal hygiene. For cloistered Muslim women, a morning at the hammam was a welcome chance to groom, gossip and spot potential brides for their sons.

Today, visitors to Granada's two surviving hammams can enjoy the same convivial rituals, although facilities have been upgraded to cater to a modern clientele. Gone are the burly bath attendants and sadistic scrubbing mitts of old. In their place are gentler staff touting New Age aromatherapy massages. Experience one for yourself at the Hammam Baños Arabes, tel: (34-958) 22 99 78. Set in the shadow of the stunning Alhambra palace of

the Nasrid emirs, the 15th century Hammam was once the private, wood-fired bathhouse of a fabulously wealthy family, and still looks like something straight out of the pages of A Thousand and One Nights. Lit by star-shaped skylights and flickering candles, its waters are perfumed with a heady blend of cinnamon, rosemary and mint oils. Water in the marble fountains trickles and flows from one steamy room to another; a traditional teahouse, complete with belly dancers, awaits upstairs.

For a more understated but equally pleasurable alternative, try the Aljibe de San Miguel Baños Arabes, tel: (34-958) 52 28 67. Beyond its brass-studded wooden doors are six pools heated to different temperatures and spiked with skin-softening sea salt. Sip the gratis mint tea while soaking, and afterward enjoy a soothing aromatherapy massage for a mere $8.50.