Five unique saunas in south Wales

Jules Millward

Wales might be known for its rugby and its castles, but with the wellness industry booming right now it is quickly becoming a hotspot for the ancient Finnish tradition of heat and contrast therapy.

With the British Sauna Society listing over 16 Saunas in Wales last year and at least two new ones opening in Cardiff in the first half of 2026, the nation is embracing a new ritual of self care, community and a shared space to disconnect. It is a quiet return to conversation and a slower pace.

Frequent sauna use has significant physical and psychological benefits, from boosting the immune system, to reducing cardiovascular disease and easing inflammation. Studies have also shown that four to seven sessions a week offers a 66% lower risk of dementia, 65% lower risk of Alzheimer’s, 62% lower risk of stroke, and 40% lower risk of all-cause mortality.

Wales has really embraced the sauna life and while no two saunas are the same, the south of the country seems to have gone one step further, with a host of urban hotboxes like no other.

From floating saunas, whiskey barrel plunges, and safari tents, these saunas in south Wales give you more than just a warm place to go this winter.

Taffside Sauna

Nestled in the banks of the River Taff, next to Llandaff Rowing Club, Taffside Sauna has created a contrast therapy experience like no other. Their riverside location means visitors can escape to the wood-fired barrel shaped sauna for a moment of clarity surrounded by trees, wildlife and the sound of the river.

The traditional wood-fired sauna has room for up to ten people, and guests are invited to pour water on the hot coals, creating steam as well as adding wood to the fire themselves, allowing them control over the heat, while the two whisky barrel ice cold plunges look out to the River Taff.

There is also a dedicated changing tent, and a heated tent used for yoga, pilates, sound baths, and other holistic therapies.

Taffside Sauna has been welcoming visitors across south Wales since June 2025, and what started as a vision to transform wellness, and build a community where people could connect with each other and just be, has grown into something bigger than they could have anticipated.

Owner Steve Johnston started Taffside Sauna because he knows what it feels like to be burnt out and disconnected. He said: “I wanted to create a space that brings people back to themselves and closer to nature.

“There is something powerful about sitting in deep heat by the river, stepping into cold water, breathing fresh air, and remembering that you are alive.”

What started as a vision to transform wellness, and create a space where people could come to relax, be refreshed and look after their mind as well as their body has grown into something bigger than they could have anticipated.

Along with creating a unique community where guests can prioritise both their mind and bodies, Taffside sauna offers a weekly run club that fosters support and encourages connection.

They also support charities and mental health groups, collaborating with Single Parents Wellbeing, along with Help U Cymru – a men’s mental health charity, both guided by Steves own experiences.

Sauna Flô

Located in Penarth Marina, chosen for its beautiful and calming views across the water, Sauna Flô will be Wales’ first floating sauna and ice bath experience.

This unique sauna will join other independent business, including Boat Folks floating hotel rooms and South Wales paddle boarding school, where guest can paddle board directly to the sauna.

Built in Lithuania, the Humm heated sauna, honours the rich traditions and natural heritage of its homeland, and crafted with care from high-quality materials, it blends authentic roots with modern luxury.

The sauna is fully equipped with precise temperature control, offering a tailored experience for guests, along with professional grade ice baths with carefully regulated temperatures that make it suitable for the first-timers as well as experienced cold water users.

It will also offer guided sessions that include breath work, contrast therapy guidance and mindfulness-led experiences, with some of these sessions being offered in Welsh.

There is also a dedicated changing area, cold shower, and access to the marinas on-site facilities.

Founder Rory Heslop said wellness has always been a part of his life, with his parents running an outdoor activities company, and his relationships with saunas coming through competitive skiing, and representing team GB, with sauna and heat exposure becoming an important tool in recovery, weight management and cardiovascular conditioning.

He said: “That background strongly influences how we approach this project: not as a trend, but as a grounded, restorative practice with real benefits.

I’ve owned and used my own sauna and ice bath setup at home for years with my family, and this project is a natural extension of that creating a space that’s welcoming, inclusive, and rooted in community wellbeing.”

He added: “Our aim is not just to offer a sauna, but to create a place where people can slow down, connect, and feel better, physically and mentally while also giving something positive back to the local community.”

Sauna Flô will open February 2026.

Hikitalo

Hikitalo, is a wood-fired sauna in Sandy Bay, Porthcawl, offering an authentic sauna experience, along with the option for cold water dipping in the sea. While the cliffside sauna is unique in itself, Hikitalo is bringing a ‘first of it’s kind’ sauna village to the capital city, and along with it, the UK’s first purpose built multi-plunge experience.

Its aim is to bring contrast therapy, relaxation, calm and community to the heart of the city, creating an urban escape like no other.

The village, tucked behind Meanwhile House, on the Curran Embankment, will consist of three bespoke wood-fired saunas, three hot and cold plunges, showers, changing facilities and a communal courtyard with space for refreshments.

Founder William Jenkins said Hikitalos sauna village is “the first of in its kind for Wales”, bringing the growing wellness scene, and sauna community to Cardiff in a way that reflects the Finnish tradition authentically.

Saunas give you more than a just health benefits, they are a space  to pause, to find connection, community, and reflect, without the pressures of the outside world.

Hikitalo was born through his experiences abroad, and a long journey with his mental health. His journey started in 2019 with cold exposure, which eventually led him to discover the power of heat, and along with it, the community that came with saunas

He said: “I am very passionate about the social element” and added that he wanted to create a space that would benefit others.

Hikitalo has collaborated with a number of mental health groups, worked with grieving groups, and has run specific sessions for blue light workers and NHS nurses to help with stress.

They are also currently in talks with an addiction recovery centre to host free off-peak sessions. This initiative is based on Nordic studies showing how saunas can assist in recovery through detoxification.
The sauna village is due to open in April 2026.

Mountain Yoga

Mountain Yoga is a wellness studio and retreat space hidden in the mountains of south Wales. Their Safari Sauna is a nature-immersed sauna experience designed to feel grounded, earthy and connected to the landscape.

Along with a natural spring-fed cold water plunge pool and infinity decking, it was built as an extension of their existing studio, forming their Fire and Ice experience.

The canvas structure softens the experience, making the space feel less clinical and more experiential, and open to all of the possibilities of health, mindset and wellbeing. It is professionaly heated and temperature controlled, delivering a consistent and powerful heat experience, while preserving the raw, back-to-nature aesthetic.

The entire space was designed by Craig McCormack, Co-Founder and Co-Director of Mountain Yoga, and their Fire and Ice experience was created as a way of teaching practical nervous system regulation, helping guests learn how to manage stress, breathe through discomfort, and build resilience in a safe, guided setting.

Along with Craig, the Fire and Ice experience is taught extensively by Josh Odell, and Chris Flynn. Josh said that the intention isn’t just relaxation, it’s education through experience and that guests leave with a deeper understanding of how to control their breathing under stress, increased confidence in managing discomfort, a noticeable reset in mood and energy, and powerful sense of achievement.

He added: “The Fire and Ice experience was created to complement our yoga, breath-work and our wellbeing offerings, expanding what we do into a more immersive, nature-led environment.

“Our focus has always been simple: whoever steps onto our site, whether for daily yoga classes, the Fire and Ice experience, wellbeing retreats, sound baths, or any of our offerings, leaves feeling better, both mentally and physically, than when they arrived.”

Hot 2 Cold Sauna Co

Created by the Dawn stalkers, an outdoor swimming community in south Wales, the popular wood-fired, barrel pop-up sauna is back in Penarth for it’s third winter on the seafront, it’s longest stint of the season.

Situated outside the yacht club, on the seafront, Hot 2 Cold Sauna Co offers a unique way to embrace the elements. Guests can relax inside the dome-fronted sauna, and take in the spectacular sunrise, with wide, panoramic views of the sea.

Each session includes a host, storage box for personal belongings, and for those not brave enough to dip in the sea, but still keen to experience the benefits of contrast therapy, there is access to a cold beach shower.

While they are in Penarth until March 1, the beauty of their pop-up ethos is that they aren’t fixed to one location. When Hot 2 Cold Sauna Co isn’t calling Penarth its home, you can often find them at Spit and Sawdust in Cardiff, and they will be popping up at a number of festivals this summer.

Co-founder Grant Zehetmayr said it was born from “a number of the crews enthusiasm for contrast and the idea of this at our own seafront.”

He added: “We still run a ‘free-for-all’ session every Sunday 7 till 9am – it can be busy, but then also there’s been the odd week where the odd lucky person gets a private sauna and sunrise.”

These free community sessions makes the the benefits of the sauna and contrast therapy accessible to those who might not otherwise be able to experience them, ensuring that cost is not a barrier for those who want to experience the physical and mental benefits of hot and cold immersion.