Boost your wellbeing and happiness at these coastal saunas in Britain
It’s probably no coincidence that the Finns – who originally invented saunas as communal spaces for getting together, relaxing and cleansing in harsh Nordic winters – are the world’s happiest nation, according to the World Population Review.
With a list of benefits that includes improved sleep, stress reduction, detoxification and a whopping boost for your immune system and energy levels, it’s easy to see why the sauna-loving population is so cheerful.
Now, the Finnish sauna experience is heading to our shores, with a series of these hot boxes cropping up beside beautiful British beaches. Plus, the prospect of a bracing sea dip provides the winning combo of hot and cold therapies, amplifying the wellbeing benefits and helping participants feel even more blissed out.
So, to celebrate the UN International Day of Happiness on 20th March, we’ve compiled a list of saunas by the sea around the Britsh coastline. Pop along to one of these on your next holiday to discover what the Finns have got to be so happy about.
West Coast Beach Saunas UK
Olla Hiki, Fistral Beach, Cornwall
Home to one of the UK’s biggest surfing communities and a burgeoning bunch of sea swimmers, Fistral Beach in Newquay is – unsurprisingly – now a popular spot for the growing sauna culture. Perched a few sandy footsteps from the sea, Olla Hiki sauna has bagged the perfect spot, whether you want to warm up after a surf, a wild walk, or a dip – or simply want an excuse to watch the waves while boosting your wellbeing in a wood-fired hotbox. Following in Finnish fashion it’s become quite the social hub too, with special events such as breathwork sessions, sound baths and full moon rituals, as well as extra little treats such as salt scrubs, essential oils and birch whisk massages.
Ocean Soul Sauna, Crooklets Beach, Bude
Whether you holiday on the west coast of Cornwall or Devon, it’s worth taking a day trip to the buzzing beach town of Bude – Cornwall’s final surfy enclave before you cross the border. It’s up to you if you want to brave the waves, join the year-round sea swimmers in the historic 90-metre sea pool, or kick back in the chic cocktail bars and eateries lining wide, sandy beaches. But there’s really nowhere more sublime to soak up the panoramic views and put a smile on your face, than behind the half-moon windows of Ocean Soul Sauna on Crooklets beach.
Wildwater Sauna, Pembrokeshire
Filming and travelling in the Nordic regions of Estonia, founders of the Wildwater sauna, Richard Lynch and Scott Chalmers, were captivated by the sauna culture of fire and ice. Cue the introduction of the ancient tradition back on their home shores of Pembrokeshire. Handmade using Aspen timber, their mobile sauna hops from one sandy beach to the next, promoting health, wellbeing and community in stunning locations around the Welsh coastline. (At the time of writing Wildwater Sauna was located on the award-winning Whitesands Beach, just outside of St Davids).
South Coast Saunas in Britain
Seaside Sauna Haus, Dorset
Ever noticed how happy with life the Dorset locals seem? Well, they might just have been sizzling out their stress on Seatown Beach, in the Seaside Sauna Haus. After all, regular saunas can reduce stress and anxiety, improve heart health, eradicate toxins, improve sleep and fight illness. Find out for yourself while you’re on holiday in Dorset, and you’ll also connect with a very jolly sauna community, that also gets together for spectacular full moon sessions beside the ocean. Pitched on the beach opposite The Anchor Inn, once you’ve eradicated all those toxins, perhaps you’ll have earned a little top-up tipple in this popular locals’ tavern.
The Bayside Sauna, West Bay, Dorset
Offering Nordic wellness by the sea, The Bayside Sauna invites you to relax in a Swedish wood-fired sauna with sweeping views of the Jurassic Coast. Perfect for groups up to 8, it’s a peaceful spot to warm up before a refreshing cold-water plunge.
The Nomadic Sauna, Southwick, nr Brighton
If you’re holidaying between Brighton and Shoreham, there’s quite the pick of seaside saunas. For it was Brighton’s Beach Box Spa that kicked off Britain’s outside sauna trend when it popped up in 2018. And now, alongside the new Sea Lanes Open Water Centre, there’s also the Luna Hut Sauna beckoning swimmers to warm up post dip. However, if you prefer something more intimate, just 20 minutes away in a sheltered nook where the River Adur meets the ocean on Kingston Beach, awaits The Nomadic Sauna. The brains behind this sweaty sanctuary include an ultramarathon runner who smashed a 400km race across the Gobi desert using the sauna to aid his acclimatisation to hot climates, and a keen coldwater swimmer who uses the sauna to manage menopausal symptoms.
Shoreline Sauna, Lyme Regis
Now the Finns actually have a saying: “Everyone is created equal, but nowhere more than in a sauna.” And if the cultural roots of sauna-ing are so engrained in such a happy nation, why not try it for yourself while enjoying eye-popping views of the Jurassic coast at Shoreline Sauna? Reap the health benefits of sweating it out with sea views, tip-toe across the beach for a revitalising dip, then repeat. Rosy cheeked and relaxed, you can set off on your next seaside adventure – fossil hunting, coastal walking or, perhaps, simply refuelling in one of the famous seafood restaurants in Lyme Regis.
North Coast Beach Saunas in Britain
Saltbox Sauna, Various locations in the Outer Hebrides
Personally, we think that just visiting the wild and raw location of the Outer Hebrides can instil a sense of calm, a happier soul and relieve stress. So imagine amplifying this sense of utter wellbeing in a wood-burning barrel sauna conveniently plonked on a sublime Hebridean beach. Hopping from cove to cove across Lewis, Harris and other islands hemmed by the North Atlantic, the Saltbox Sauna truly is an incredible space to tap into the healing powers of heat and cold water, surrounded by humbling landscapes.
Haar Sauna, Bigton, Shetland
One step further north than the Hebrides, when you step onto the wild Shetland Islands, you’re almost halfway between Britain and Norway – a stepping stone closer to the Scandi culture from where saunas hailed. So there’s really nowhere quite like Haar Sauna, on the shores of Bigton, to dip into the wellbeing benefits of this ancient tradition. Here, not only will you boost your health in the hotbox, but you’re bound to feel blissed out surrounded by sugar-white beaches, wild ponies and pristine island landscapes that feel millions of miles away from the stresses of everyday life.
East Coast Beach Saunas in Britain
Elie Seaside Sauna, Fife
Boasting marram-knitted dunes and a glassy bay, the little town of Elie, at the mouth of the Firth of Forth, is home to a thriving sea swimming community. A hardy bunch, considering the water temperatures this far north. However, with the opening of the Elie Seaside Sauna, there’s nothing stopping you joining them for a dip, before warming up behind the full-length glass wall of the sauna, which is angled towards the views and the setting sun. A fine way to end a day of sightseeing before returning to one of our holiday cottages in Fife.
Sauna Box, Norfolk
Keen to spread happiness through wood-fired wellbeing following a trip to Finland, Tom Sutton converted his horsebox into a sauna and has been spreading warm vibes of health and community ever since. Convinced that there really is nothing better in life than pairing a sauna with a sea dip, he’s been careful to pitch his handmade hot boxes within footsteps of the ocean. Currently hunkering from the storms in Cart Gap, Happisburgh, he’ll be moving his Sauna Box back out to Sea Palling, just north of Great Yarmouth, in time for Easter, and has also bagged seafront locations for his custom-built saunas at Sheringham and Dunwich. So you’ll have your pick of saunas to sizzle in while staying in a holiday cottage on the Norfolk coast.
Ready to immerse yourself in the bliss of a seaside sauna in the UK?
Book yourself a coastal cottage in one of our stunning locations dotted around Britain’s coastline, and dip into the Finnish culture of a sauna beside the sea.
