For the past seven years, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world. There are, no doubt, dozens of contributing factors, but few would overlook the impact sauna has on the national disposition.
The majority of Finns enjoy time in a sauna at least once a week, and it’s thought that regular sauna use may help to improve our circulation, cardiovascular and immune function, skin, sleep quality, mental health and more.
Here in the UK, we’ve been catching on to the benefits – and finding ways to combine sauna time with the increasing popularity of year-round sea swimming in our waters.
Steve French founded his mobile sauna business, Saunas by the Sea, in 2022. Based in Weybridge, he says he came up with the concept while building bespoke homes on the Cornish coast. “I saw an opportunity to produce wood-fired mobile saunas that could be positioned on some of the stunning natural locations of north Cornwall,” says Steve, “and it’s been a real hit.”
The hand-built saunas, made from 100% sustainably grown timber, feature a window so guests can enjoy the view. They are wood-fired and stand on wheels, all of which means they can be moved and safely positioned on sand, ready to warm up sea swimmers before or after a dip.
Today, Saunas by the Sea’s (relatively) permanent locations include the wonderfully scenic Harlyn Bay, where the parking spot, as it were, for a mobile sauna was approved by the committee that oversees the beach.
There is also a sauna at Pentireglaze Haven in Polzeath – a beauty spot that is better known by its nickname of Baby Bay. “It’s a small inlet that becomes separated from Polzeath’s main beach at high tide and is a really tranquil place,” explains Steve, “so it’s another perfect setting for us.”
Steve has also recently opened the Wild Spa & Wellness Garden in Polzeath. As well as saunas and plunge tanks, the new 5,500 sq ft space offers massage, reflexology, yoga classes, fitness classes, sound bathing and more. “People can really step back and unwind here,” says Steve, “even if that’s just to relax in a hammock with a book.”
Before becoming a carpenter, Steve spent eight years in the army. Today he finds that time in the sauna helps to speed up his recovery after an intense workout. “That, and stress relief,” he laughs. Some news outlets have even suggested recently that saunas are challenging UK pubs as places to meet and socialise.
“We’ve hosted corporate events and we even have stag dos that come and spend an afternoon in the sauna,” says Steve. “The whole dynamic is changing rather quickly. People want to remember the day [on a stag do] rather than spend the whole time boozing.”
Perhaps it’s also all part of a wider, more subtle lifestyle change in the UK. “These days, there’s more of an overlap between hospitality and wellness.”
And while we can’t argue with the Scandi adage that sauna is the poor man’s pharmacy, we much prefer Frans Eemil Sillanpää’s take on it. Finland’s first Nobel prize-winner for literature said, “The thoughts and feelings that emerge from being on the sauna bench could never appear anywhere else in the world.”
That’s how we feel about a lot of the best things in Harlyn Bay, actually.
Guests at THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay receive a 15% discount on Saunas by the Sea. Speak to our friendly reception team to find out how. See more about the experience at saunasbythesea.co.uk.
