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COMO Cocoa Island — the multi-award-winning Maldivian private island resort in South Malé Atoll, a 40-minute speedboat ride from the international airport — reopened to guests after a substantial renovation. This will include a renewed focus on the holistic wellness ethic that sits at the heart of the founder’s vision.

The resort’s renovation emphasises the island’s natural elegance, while giving guests even more space and time to focus on their wellbeing. A third of the private island is occupied by COMO Shambhala Retreat. Facilities are spread out to maximise feelings of privacy and quiet, with hammocks and swings strung from trees. There are only four treatment rooms, two of which have been expanded to accommodate couples. A new Pilates studio has been added. The yoga studio, which sits in an elevated position to take in the 360-degree lagoon views, is open-sided to allow for the natural flow of sea breezes. The hydrotherapy pool is now among the most significant such facilities in The Maldives, and is used for specialised water-based treatments, including joint-mobilising massage and injury-free exercise.

The Retreat’s spa manager, with the company since 2002, will continue to design every guest program from the moment of arrival. This is made possible by the intimate size of the resort: just 34 overwater villas, all of which have been recast top-to-bottom with clean-lined, contemporary interiors by Singapore-based Lekker Architects.

Natural materials have been used throughout: kajan thatch roofing, Maldivian coral-rock walls, and wood. The clean-lined, light-soaked aesthetic makes for meditative spaces to relax, sleep and recover. Some rooms have pools; all have platforms from which you can step directly into the lagoon. Every accommodation is supplied with COMO Shambhala’s aromatherapy-based, parabens-free body, bath and hair products.

To complement the wellness experience, COMO Shambhala Cuisine is available on all menus, allowing guests to pursue vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, nutritionally-rich and additive-free wellness diets during their stay. COMO Shambhala wellness juices, infusions and teas are also available for in-room dining. Other dining options at the resort’s easy-going Ufaa restaurant include Mediterranean, Indian and Maldivian cuisines, including excellent local seafood.