A brand new wellness experience is about to arrive on the Welsh coast, and it is a first for Wales.
A floating sauna is set to open at Penarth Marina, bringing heat, cold plunges and waterfront views together in one very calm setting. The project is the work of Sully-based entrepreneur Rory Heslop, who has spent months searching for the right location before settling on the sheltered waters of the marina.
Moored on the jetty behind popular bar and restaurant Goose on the Loose, and next to the Floating Hotel, the sauna sits right on the water with views across the marina and boats drifting past. It is a setting that feels a world away from busy city life, despite being just minutes from Cardiff.
Rory’s connection to sauna goes back years. Through competitive skiing with Team GB, heat exposure was a regular part of his training and recovery. Later, while competing in MMA, sauna and cold exposure became key tools for conditioning and managing weight. Combined with a family background rooted in outdoor activities and physiotherapy, those experiences helped shape Sauna Flô as a long-term approach to wellbeing, rather than something built around short-lived trends.
The sauna itself has been built in Lithuania, a country with deep sauna traditions. It uses high-quality materials and a Huum heater, designed to create a softer, more even heat that allows people to stay comfortable while still getting the full benefits of a sauna session.
As well as open sessions, guided experiences will also be available. These include breathwork, mindfulness and contrast therapy coaching, helping guests get more out of the heat and cold. Sessions can be delivered in both English and Welsh, reflecting the project’s roots as a Welsh family-run business.
Everything has been designed to keep things simple and welcoming. The sauna has on-site showers and changing facilities built in, with additional changing rooms available in the building directly behind the jetty. Whether you are new to sauna culture or already a regular, the set-up is designed to feel relaxed and easy.
Floating saunas have become increasingly popular across Scandinavia and more recently right here in South Wales, but this will be the first of its kind in Wales. With calm waters, marina views and a strong focus on wellbeing, it is set to become one of the most unique sauna experiences in a growing wellness community.
Bookings are now open through the sauna’s website, with the first sessions expected to begin in March. If you have been looking for a different way to switch off, reset and warm up by the water, this could be one of the most unique wellness spots to land in Wales this year.
Sauna Flô– Penarth Marina, Penarth Portway, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, CF64 1TQ.
