The 5 best seaside saunas in Cape Town

One of the first to bring mobile sauna culture to Cape Town’s coast, Hot Huts remains one of the City’s most popular options. The setup is simple: a wood-fired Finnish-style sauna parked close to the water, usually beside some of the city’s best-known swimming spots. You sweat, step out into the sea or tidal pool, then return to the heat for another round. The Hot Huts sauna was crafted by a master Finnish sauna builder and is made from imported Norwegian Spruce. Wood-fired, it seats up to seven and is heated to between 70 and 90 degrees. 

Hot Huts operates three mobile saunas, and the ever-changing locations give each session a distinct character: Dalebrook for a False Bay morning swim (followed by coffee), St James for the classic colourful tidal-pool backdrop, Camps Bay for Atlantic Seaboard views, Saunders’ Rock for a little glam and the Sea Point regulars, and Long Beach in Simon’s Town for a swim that’s a little wilder and more spacious.

When and where: Dalebrook Tidal Pool on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays; St James Tidal Pool on Wednesdays; Camps Bay Tidal Pool on Wednesdays and Saturdays; Saunders’ Rock on Fridays and Sundays; Long Beach, Simon’s Town on Saturdays and Sundays. Schedules may change seasonally. Follow Hot Huts on Instagram for the latest schedule.

Price: Walk-in sessions cost R100 for 15 minutes. Three- (R1250/month) and six-month (R950/month) memberships, offering unlimited sauna at all locations, are also available.

Launched in January 2024, ShuShu Sauna takes its name from the isiXhosa word for ‘hot’ and has steadily built a following among cold-water swimmers, health enthusiasts and locals seeking something more memorable than a quick post-swim coffee. Founded by Finnish-Canadian carpenter Jari Salminen, the idea began while Salminen was visiting family in Finland. His partner, Mix, suggested building a floating sauna in Cape Town, but False Bay’s rough seas soon put an end to that plan. Happily, the idea evolved into something more practical: a sauna on wheels that could bring Nordic-style heat culture to Cape Town’s tidal pools and beaches.

Salminen sets up the chairs outside, gets the wood fire going, and lets bathers settle in for sessions lasting 30 minutes to two hours, rotating between a sea plunge and time in the sauna. Private hires are also available, with occasional events offering a local take on the Finnish vasta, in which soaked eucalyptus branches are used to stimulate circulation.

When and where: Kommetjie/Long Beach on Mondays; Hout Bay on Tuesdays; Simon’s Town on Wednesdays; Saunders’ Rock, Hout Bay and Witsands on Thursdays; Fish Hoek on Fridays; Glencairn on Saturdays; Camps Bay on Sundays. ShuShu also uses an admin-only WhatsApp group for real-time location updates.

Price: R150 for 30 minutes, R200 for one hour and R300 for two hours. 10-visit passes for the 30-minute and one-hour sessions are also available, offering discounts up to 25%.

Go Sauna offers much the same experience as the others, with a mobile wood-fired sauna fired to between 80°C and 95°C, and a schedule focused on the Atlantic Seaboard. Camps Bay is an obvious draw for a swim-sauna session beside the tidal pool, while Saunders Rock works well for Sea Point and Bantry Bay locals who want a quick pre- or post-work session. Go Sauna is also the only operator to head out along the West Coast, with regular sessions at Blouberg beach, offering a sauna and a postcard view. Sessions can be booked online, and the shorter 15-minute format makes Go Sauna useful for anyone wanting a quick blast of heat rather than a longer ritual.

When and where: Camps Bay Tidal Pool on Mondays and Fridays; Saunders Rock, Sea Point on Tuesdays,  Wednesdays and Saturday mornings; Kleinbaai Tidal Pool, Blouberg on Sunday mornings.

Price: R100 for 15 minutes, R150 for 30 minutes and R220 for an hour. Unlimited use membership costs R1100 pr month.

Although it’s not mobile, its location in Prom Park on the Sea Point Promenade puts you close to the ocean, with Lion’s Head views, Promenade vibes and fresh sea air all part of the experience. Unlike the come-and-go options of other mobile saunas, the SaunaHaüs experience centres on 60-minute guided sessions – ‘Flow’, ‘Deepy’ and ‘High’ – that combine sauna, cold plunge, showers, music and breathwork. It is not the barefoot tidal-pool experience of the mobile saunas, and the cold plunge is in purpose-built pools rather than the Atlantic. For guests wanting a more structured seaside sauna experience, this is the one to book. It is also the best option for regulars who want memberships, multi-session bundles and a more consistent weekly routine.

When and where: Prom Park, 160 Beach Road, Mouille Point. Sessions run throughout the week, from 6.30am to 7pm.

Price: R200 for an open-hour drop-in session (unguided, includating sauna and cold plunge). R300 for a single guided drop-in session. Packages include R800 for a multi-ticket special, R1530 for six sessions and R2880 for 12 visits. Membership deals of R1950 per month allow unlimited open-hour visits and guided sessions, with member events and in-store benefits.

In November 2025, one of the iconic Muizenberg beach huts was converted – in partnership with Hot Huts – into an unforgettable seaside sauna, perched metres from the sand and a short jog from the waves of False Bay.

“Locals loved seeing life in the huts, and it gave them an opportunity to feel part of maintaining the history of the much-loved colourful huts,” says Vanessa Yelseth, owner of Hot Huts Mobile Saunas. “It also proved to be a draw for international travellers who make a point of coming to Muiz for one of the ‘must do’ activities while visiting the City.” 

But with the overhaul of the Muizenberg beachfront, the sauna hut (understandably) had to close while construction got underway. That project is in full swing and is expected to wrap up by December 2026. So will the Muizenberg sauna hut make a return?

 “As the replacement huts have not yet been constructed, the City has not yet determined how future occupancy and allocations will be managed,” said Angela Gorman of The Beach Hut Trust. 

Hot Huts is hoping to be allocated a hut for a seaside sauna, but for now nothing is confirmed. Watch this space!