Longevity Senses Caiscais, Portugal – the future of wellness?
But my interest in longevity comes from a fairly sensible place. You know the saying: “It’s not the years in your life, but the life in your years.” That’s what appeals to me. I want to keep travelling, discovering new places and enjoying myself for as long as possible, ideally with enough energy to appreciate it all.
I don’t think every longevity measure is a fad or without foundation (although thankfully I skipped the boiled cows bones movement). I am, however, discovering that collecting information about your health and knowing what to do with it are two rather different things.
Testing & Results
Take my ZOE experience. I did the testing, including those huge blue biscuits, and received some encouraging results: an excellent gut microbiome score and blood sugar response, plus good blood fat control. Lovely, but I wasn’t entirely sure how to turn that information into anything meaningful.
My 23andMe genetic health results felt slightly more useful. Pretty much a clean sheet in terms of gene variants, with one exception. They flagged variants associated with an increased risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), later in life. That isn’t a diagnosis or a prediction that I’ll develop it, but it’s information that I can act on.
Smoking is an established risk factor for AMD, so had I been a smoker, that would have been another good reason to stop. For me, I tell my optician about the results, and they scan my macula. So far, reassuringly, everything looks healthy.
What Next?
Of course, there is a slight contradiction in all this. My husband is exercise-mad and I’m pretty sure that he is ageing in reverse, but me? Not-so-much. While I say that I’m enthusiastic about wellbeing, I’m considerably less enthusiastic about exercise, and my work involves far too much sitting down. I can spend quite a long time reading about healthy habits without actually getting out of my chair.
Which brings me to something that might tempt me into action: Longevity Senses Cascais, a boutique hotel and clinic on Portugal’s Atlantic coast.
Its programmes include options focused on fitness, wellbeing and longevity, with medical consultations and personalised diagnostics available through the clinic. Every programme begins with diagnostics, so guests leave with a clear picture of their health and a plan to keep going at home, and that’s what interests me. The prospect of help interpreting the findings and making a realistic plan, alongside the pleasure of being somewhere lovely. I haven’t tried it, but it has certainly caught my attention.
As clinic director Dr Xenia Leonardis puts it, the approach centres on “knowledge, prevention and truly personalised care”. That sounds appealing, particularly if the advice translates into habits I can carry home.
Caiscais
I’ve visited Cascais several times (we even honeymooned there!) and I can hand-on-heart say that I love this beautiful former fishing town on the Atlantic Coast. It is about 30 minutes from Lisbon and well worth a visit in its own right, but combine it with a wellbeing programme in luxury surroundings and that sounds like my kind of break.
Shoulder season adds the possibility of mild days and quieter coastal walks – a tempting setting for someone who needs a little encouragement to move more. Perhaps that’s the version of longevity I’m looking for: useful knowledge, manageable changes and plenty of reasons to get outside and enjoy being alive. If a beautiful Portuguese hotel helps get me started, I’m certainly willing to listen.
Check out these programmes if you’re interested in kick-starting your wellness journey –
A Touch of Longevity Wellness (2-4 nights)
Focusing on restoring harmony of body, mind and soul, this programme combines therapeutic holistic wellness and healing. Including 60-minute massage, healing dome therapy, medical pressotherapy and healing bath, wrap or scrub.
Prices from 703 Euros for 1 person in a single-occupancy room
Touch of Longevity Fitness (2-4 nights)
This programme focuses on enhancing strength, boosting vitality and elevating performance with holistic fitness and wellness. The programme includes personal training, full-body cryotherapy treatment, medical pressotherapy lymphatics, high-intensity electromagnetic trainer and healthy bath, wrap or scrub.
Prices from 734 Euros for 1 person in a single-occupancy room
Art of Detox (5-7 nights)
This transformative detox journey aims to eliminate toxins, restore balance and revitalise the body from within, integrating advanced medical detox therapies, holistic treatments and personalised nutrition to support cellular regeneration, digestion and deep purification. Guests receive a personalised herbal tea and meal plan, a detox kit including enema or Epsom salts and detox supplements, a nutritionist consultation, lab diagnostics, biophysical evaluation and perfusion IV therapy, among other treatments.
Prices from 4,102 Euros for 1 person in a single-occupancy room
You can view Longevity Senses Cascais’ full list of wellness programmes here: https://www.longevitycascais.com/wellness/
By Sally Bendall
Information and pricing correct at time of publishing
Image with permission
