What should you try? What’s new for 2026?
During its first fully operational season, Tella Thera staff are especially amenable to customizing guests’ stays. The morning after my arrival, I sat down with Foteini Mavromataki, head of guest experience, and described my dual loves of hiking and gastronomy. Within a half hour, she’d sent me a bespoke plan featuring hikes to Balos Beach and up the Sirikari Gorge with Vangelis Milonakis from Strata Tours, with a planned stop to harvest horta (wild greens) needed for my favorite Greek dish: hortopita (Greek greens pie). One afternoon I was chauffeured to a private wine tasting at a magical nearby winery called PoTolo, where I sampled (and bought) spectacular low-intervention wines. On my final night, Tourkomanis, Ganis, and I decided to test out Tella Thera’s new electric bikes from Unicorn Mobility, which we rode down olive-lined lanes to reach Gramvousa, a farm-to-table restaurant in nearby Kissamos. Yes, a magnesium-oil massage and antiaging facial—mine were by Asimina Gkraikousi—are essential to the Tella Thera experience. But you’d be remiss to pass up opportunities to visit local sites and producers. As Tourkomanis put it: “‘Wellness here is a holistic approach. It’s not just having a spa. It’s the food, it’s the connection with people, it’s community. We showcase the great work being done all around us.”
Photo: Christos Drazos/Courtesy of The Florentin Tella Thera
What else do we need to know?
Tella Thera is not a spa to go to if you’re hoping to do a juice fast or lose those last five pounds. It’s a place to go to relish everything Crete has to offer, from nature to culture to food and wine.
Who can go?
Both the spa and restaurant are open to nonguests.
Booking details for Tella Thera
Address: GJ3J+J9H, Kissamos 734 00, Greece
Read more from Vogue’s Global Spa Guide.
