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Saunas have seriously taken off in recent years. To meet the demands of Britain’s growing sweating obsession, they’ve been popping up on beaches, in woodlands, on city rooftops and, even, on water. The UK’s very first floating sauna opened in Liverpool at the end of 2024 and more appeared in London, Dorset and the Isle of Wight last year. Now, there’s a floating sauna docking in Wales.
Sauna Flô will be the very first floating sauna in Wales. It’ll be moored on Penarth Merina, just four miles from Cardiff city centre.
The Nordic style sauna will be able to fit eight people at a time and has benches that offer views out of a large glass window onto the water. The pontoon will also feature ice baths and a cold shower so that guests can do some contrast therapy, alternating between sweating in up to 40C heat and shivering in freezing water.
Switching between the hot and cold temperatures supposedly helps with muscle recovery and blood circulation. There are changing rooms and warm showers for before and after sessions, too.
Once open, Flô will also run guided breathwork, contrast therapy and mindfulness sessions available in either Welsh or English. It plans to collaborate with local groups to arrange wellness events and give back to the community, too.
The brains behind Sauna Flô is MMA athlete and former Team GB skier Rory Heslop. He said: ‘Sauna has been part of my life from a young age, starting from training with Team GB and competing in MMA to becoming a staple of family life. This project is a natural extension of that, creating a welcoming, inclusive space grounded in genuine wellbeing, not just following a trend.’
Sauna Flô opens at Penarth Marina on Friday March 6. You’ll be able to book a session on its website here.
You can make a whole weekend out of your visit by checking into a room at Boat Folk’s floating hotel on the marina, booking a session with South Wales Paddle Boarding and dining at Goose on the Loose. If it’s a particularly special occasion, you could even venture away from the marina and pay a visit to Penarth’s Michelin-starred restaurant Home.
Did you see that the UK’s biggest beach spa is opening this month?
Plus: This game-changing sailing ferry across the English Channel is coming back for 2026.
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