Home to breathtaking landscapes, endless opportunities for a wild swim, and some truly delicious restaurants and cafés offering platefuls of hearty, local fare, Cornwall is a wonderful setting for some TLC, whether you fancy blowing the cobwebs away with a clifftop wander or hitting reset with a spa day.
Taking the county by soothing storm, the Finnish practice of saunas by the sea is on the rise in Cornwall - and we’re so here for it! Combining the meditative qualities of simply sitting and enjoying the moment with the muscle-relaxing effects of heat, saunas boast some excellent health benefits. Throw in the refreshing waters of the Atlantic Ocean and you’ve got the makings of a wonderfully restoring day out.
Capitalising on Cornwall’s coastal charms, these mobile saunas have found their home on the Cornish coast, with beautiful beachfront locales promising unbeatable views and sea swims aplenty – something we doubly recommend in the winter months when cold water and steamy saunas combine for the ultimate experience for body, mind, and soul.
Ready to ease into your own sauna experience? Visit one of Cornwall’s incredible saunas by the sea for an epic mix of sea, sand, and steam.
Top tip: These mobile saunas can move around, so make sure to check their social media for up-to-date information.
Saunas by the Sea
Best for: Saunas on the sand
With locations currently in Polzeath and Padstow, soaking up the charms of Cornwall’s stunning north coast has never been easier – or more relaxing! Situated right on the beach at Baby Bay and Harlyn Bay, you can enjoy some cold water therapy with a bracing dip in the sea, before strolling across the sand to an eco-friendly sauna for an instantaneous warm up. Both saunas make the most of their Natural Landscape (formerly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) settings (also known as National Landscapes), with unforgettable coastal walks on their doorstep. Individual and group bookings are available, so you can either gather up some friends or meet some new ones there.
Olla Hiki Sauna
Best for: Post-surf sweat
Fistral, Newquay TR7 1HY
ollahikisauna.co.uk
Home to Cornwall’s famous surfing hotspot and a whole host of beachfront cafés, Newquay is the perfect spot for a sauna by the sea. Stationed here until May, Olla Hiki enjoys a prime position above the northern reaches of Fistral Beach, with a long window offering uninterrupted sea views. This beachside locale offers the wonderful opportunity to try Cornwall’s favourite pastime of surfing, before shrugging off the wetsuit for the relaxing appeals of this wood-fired wonder. Nothing eases surf-sore muscles like the heavenly warmth of a sauna! Kick your experience up a notch with one of their special treats, from salt scrubs to a traditional felt hat to keep the head cool while the body luxuriates.
St Moritz Wild Spa
Best for: Full spa experiences
St Moritz Hotel, Wadebridge, Trebetherick PL27 6SD
stmoritz-hotel.co.uk/Wild-Spa
Looking for clifftop views and the chance to dip your toe into the world of cold water and heat therapy? St Moritz has it all with their fantastic Wild Spa, boasting a Lithuanian-style wood-fired sauna and three wood-fired hot tubs for soul-warming moments, and a plunge pool and drench showers for an invigorating rush of endorphins. Each of the sessions last two hours, giving you total free reign of the space – you can dart between the temperatures for maximum health benefits or relax in one of the clifftop tipis with a cocktail in hand, the choice is yours!
Rising Embers
Best for: Wild swimmers
St Anthony Gardens, Penzance TR18 4HH
risingembers.com
Created in 2023 to warm the hearts of Cornwall’s year-round sea swimmers, Rising Embers enjoys a prime spot above one of Cornwall’s top wild swimming spots. With a pretty garden setting and views across Mounts Bay to St Michael’s Mount, the sauna here is rather special. You can start your visit with an optional swim in the sea or you can head straight to the welcoming depths of the sauna for a blissful steam. Essential oils are provided to add a touch of luxury, and you can opt to finish your experience with a bucket of water over the head or dunk in the ice barrel – the perfect way to cool down!
Ocean Soul Sauna
Best for: Spectacular sauna events
Crooklets Beach, Bude EX23 8NF
oceansoulsauna.co.uk/location
Overlooking Bude’s beautiful Crooklets beach, Ocean Soul Sauna is a blissful mix of sea and sauna, with the incredible halfmoon window looking out over the sand and crashing waves beyond. Balance the balmy heat of the sauna with a dart into the sea or a plunge in the ice bath – it’s the best way to hit restart on the senses! Alongside their usual sauna offerings, a series of special events keeps the calendar wonderfully relaxed, from full moon steams to soundbath saunas. Before or after your swim, why not pay a visit to nearby Summerleaze beach for a dip in the famous sea pool!
Escape Swims
Best for: Cornwall-wide saunas
Travelling between Hayle, Maenporth, and Carlyon Bay, it’s fantastically easy to escape to a sauna for half an hour with Escape Swims. Each of their locations, which open on different days of the week, sit next to a wild swimming spot, so you can cool down during and after your session with a splash in the sea. They offer public and private experiences, as well as wild water wellbeing courses that introduce you to the wonderful world of cold water swimming.
Kiln Sauna
Best for: A bespoke experience
Tailor-made to ensure ultimate soul-soothing, Kiln Sauna is made for sitting back and relaxing. Panoramic windows provide endless ocean views, while the sauna’s position on Kiln Quay Beach allows you to enjoy the age-old tradition of cold and hot therapy with a bracing sea swim during your steam. Bookable as private or community sessions, you can create the perfect experience a stone’s throw from Flushing.
Tips for cold water swimming and saunas
While very different places to be, cold water swimming and saunas actually share a lot of the same advice. It’s best to start small - whether that’s a very short dip in cold water or a shorter steam - and make sure you stay hydrated, as this helps your body to regulate temperature. When it comes to sea swimming and beach safety, always keep an eye on tide times and weather conditions, and only enter the sea if you are completely confident that it is safe to do so, especially in the winter months. When going straight from the sea to the sauna, the sudden change in temperature can make people feel dizzy, so make sure to take things easy and always tell someone if you feel unwell. Sea swimming and saunas are an excellent way to care for the body and mind, and each sauna will have its own advice on best practices.
Ready to melt away in a sauna by the sea? Explore our beautiful holiday cottages in Cornwall and start planning your revitalising getaway today.