Here in Cornwall, outdoor culture is flourishing. From oceanside saunas to clifftop spas, off-grid retreats and open-air feasts, the county is buzzing with bright ideas and unique experiences to bring you closer to the wild.
Join us as we tap into this nature-immersed community and speak to some of its trailblazers to discover what’s behind the Southwesterly outdoor wellbeing boom, the proven health benefits of being active al fresco – and why sociable beach saunas could replace the pub.
Kiln by @jennafoxton
Heat rises, guards drop, breathing slows, smiles broaden – and just beyond the fragrant cedar wood walls, waves lap the shore, inviting a cooling dip before returning to the sauna’s warm embrace…
According to The British Sauna Society – a not-for-profit organisation spearheading “the second coming of steam in the UK” – there are now over 100 public saunas in Britain, with over 30 popping up in the last six months alone. And, from Saunas By The Sea in Polzeath to Rising Embers in Penzance, Bude’s Ocean Soul Sauna and Ollahiki Sauna at the Bedruthan Steps, many of them call the Cornish coastline home. "Sea and sauna are the perfect combination," states the Ocean Soul Sauna website, encouraging bathers to cool off in the waves, "sea pool, bucket shower or sea breeze."
“Waterside saunas are thriving thanks to a more widespread understanding of the benefits of hot and cold therapy, an ever-growing sea swimming community, and the huge cultural shift – sparked by the pandemic – in people seeking open spaces and fresh air for their mental and physical wellbeing,” says Kathryn Tyler, the Cornwall-based architectural designer behind Kiln Sauna. An authentic mobile community sauna, Kiln has been lighting up the south Cornish coast since its inaugural residency on Flushing’s Kiln Quay in January 2024.
Kiln by @jennafoxton
“Our name Kiln came about as a creative homage to Cornwall's extensive lime burning heritage, characterised by kilns along the coast and tidal rivers for convenient coal transportation,” Kathryn explains. “Enriching this historical backdrop, we discovered the Korean tradition of Hanjeungmak (한증막; 汗蒸幕), and Japanese Kama-Buro, where the residual warmth of extinguished charcoal kilns was repurposed for traditional sauna sessions. This fusion of cultural and historical elements beautifully informed the identity of Kiln Sauna.”
When you step into Kiln’s sauna, “you feel the tranquillity wrap around you,” says Kathryn. “The gentle heat, the fragrant scent of wood and the soft wisps of steam create a serene atmosphere quieting your mind. You can look out on an ever-changing coastal vista, as the light shifts and sparks across the sea and the world outside melts away, replaced by a comforting stillness.” And when you emerge, a refreshing dip in the ocean awaits.
This feeling of wellbeing is certified by scientific research. Studies show that regular sauna use may be linked to several health benefits, including a lower risk of dementia, heart disease, lung disease and early death, as well as alleviating inflammation and pain.
Kiln by @jennafoxton
Cornwall’s outdoors state of mind
But it’s not just saunas heating up Cornwall’s outdoor wellbeing scene. From wild spas such as Water and Stone to off-grid retreats like Kudhva, firepit gatherings and open-air feasts by Woodfired Canteen and the Hidden Hut, alfresco culture is thriving in this corner of the Southwest. So, why Cornwall, and why now?
“Cornwall has absolutely loads of what I call natural capital,” says Thom Hunt, founder of the wilderness retreat 7th Rise. “It has all of the natural resources you need, in abundance. There are no major cities, no real light pollution. It’s one of the few remaining properly wild places in the UK.”
Thom recalls reading a statistic that said "per capita, Cornwall is the poorest county in the whole country. And yes, in financial terms it is poor – but naturally and historically it’s unbelievably rich, with such a deep-rooted sense of community.”
7th Rise
Thom’s chosen spot for 7th Rise, perched above south Cornwall’s River Fal, is especially bountiful in ‘natural capital’. The tree-dappled, 15-acre site is nestled amidst woodland, a freshwater stream and wild hedgerows. Reconnecting people and the wilderness since 2012, this outdoor idyll features a treehouse, shepherd’s hut, outdoor kitchen and feasting table, bushcraft area, hot showers with river views – and the all-important firepit. A weekend at 7th Rise might see you fire-cooking, wild swimming, foraging, bird-spotting, or simply switching off.
“When I first saw the venue, I instantly knew it had everything we needed,” remembers Thom. “It had the remoteness, that sense of being disconnected – and no phone signal, which was a big plus!”
7th Rise
And yet this disconnection from the plugged-in world seems to create a greater feeling of connection for 7th Rise guests; with themselves, each other and nature. “Everyone experiences the same almost indescribable sense of peace and connection,” says Thom. “Being so immersed in nature taps into the cave person that’s inside all of us. We’ve evolved for millions of years in these wild environments – we’re designed for them, deep in our DNA – and that’s what makes it feel like a homecoming.”
7th Rise
Elemental invigoration
“Homecoming” is the same way Jana Virian, yogi, holistic health expert and co-founder of Porthtowan’s Soul Sweats wild spa, describes the emotions conjured by a session in their clifftop sauna.
“Nothing will make you feel more nourished from the inside than sitting in the womb of our Cedar Sauna overlooking the rough Cornish coastline and ocean,” she says. “And nothing will make you feel more alive than sitting in an ice bath while feeling hail and 40mph gusts on your skin.”
Soul Sweats by @risen_wild_photography
Running a spa “overlooking the wild Atlantic ocean”, extreme weather comes with the territory. “We love exposing ourselves to the elements,” says Jana. “It helps us connect to mother nature.” Many Soul Sweats events (the spa offers yoga, sound healing, breathwork, meditation and ecstatic dance alongside hot and cold therapy) are planned around nature, attuning to “seasonal changes, solstices and the moon”.
Soul Sweats by @wearetheclarks
Kathryn from Kiln Sauna feels the same. “We love 'bad' weather,” she says. “There’s nothing better than sitting in a toasty sauna with a gale and storm blowing outside. It's a weird and wonderful juxtaposition looking out at the squall through our huge picture window while inside you can only hear the subtle crackling of wood burning on the stove. It's immensely satisfying and comforting.”
Soul Sweats by @wearetheclarks
Community spirit
While a session in a wild sauna might bring you closer to nature, it can also bring you closer to your fellow sauna bathers – and cultivate a strong sense of community.
“It's definitely a 'third place',” says Kathryn, referencing the term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg to describe a space outside of home and work where people can gather, relax and socialise. And with traditional ‘third places’ such as pubs, churches and libraries under threat, the emergence of new, outdoor communal hubs like wild saunas, spas and retreats couldn’t have come at a better time.
Kiln by @jennafoxton
For Soul Sweats co-founder Jana, “There’s no surprise that we find the most beautiful and nourishing conversations happening in the sauna.” A shared, often cathartic experience, group sauna sessions are “an embrace”, she says. “Embracing your body, embracing all that you are. Embracing the potential discomfort within a group. Embracing the cold, the heat, the elements.”
You might enter the sauna as strangers, but you’ll likely emerge as friends. “I've met so many people in saunas over the years who I wouldn't have crossed paths with elsewhere,” recalls Kathryn.
The welcoming, neutral ground of the sauna provides “a unique environment which paves the way for deeper, more genuine conversations”, she says. Studies back this up, showing how people who sweat together are more likely to connect and co-operate. “In the sanctuary of heat, walls come down, and hearts open wide,” Kathryn wrote on Kiln’s social media. “It’s a space where the sweat of bodies is the great equaliser, dissolving the distance between souls.”
Kiln by @jennafoxton
Back at 7th Rise, they might not have a sauna, but they do have a communal firepit – which founder Thom credits with this same equalising and unifying power.
“The firepit is our favourite spot for bringing people together outdoors,” he says. “The circular firepit setting works naturally, but it’s also something I learned from old tales like The Knights of the Round Table. If you have a head of a table, it creates hierarchies. It has a value system built into it, travelling from greater to lower importance. But in The Knights of the Round Table, and at the 7th Rise firepit, everyone in the round is equal.”
Made out of an old tractor wheel which Thom fills with sustainably-gathered wood from the local forest, the 7th Rise firepit is positioned right at the heart of the site, “so you can see the house, the forest, the feasting table and the creek where we go swimming,” says Thom. “There’s something about that connection between earth, wind, fire, water. It’s elemental.”
Back to nature
This back-to-basics, total immersion in nature is central to Cornwall’s burgeoning outdoor culture. “It’s not the adding of things that creates the magic,” says Thom. “It’s the removal of things: devices, distractions, an overly full itinerary. You have to become confident in letting the environment and the experience do the talking. You create space for it, and that magical feeling naturally flows.”
The same ethos of stripping away rather than overwhelming rings true for Kiln Sauna and Soul Sweats. “The entire design and concept of Kiln has been influenced by the notion of Japanese Tea Houses, which are places of utmost simplicity with no distractions for escapism and contemplation, says Kathryn. Plus, “you can’t sit on your phone in a sauna!”
“Hot and cold therapy, mindful movement, breathwork – there are all modalities that help us connect to ourselves and the world around us,” says Jana. “We need to minimise the external noise to connect to our inner wisdom.”
Soul Sweats by @risen_wild_photography
Gather outdoors
If all this talk of getting together and unwinding in the elements has stoked your appetite, why not find inspiration for outdoor Cornish gatherings of your own with our friends, Beach Retreats?
From evenings in the sea-view hot tub at The Croft to showering under the stars at Heron House, sundowners round the firepit at Watergate Lodge and sharing good food – cooked in Gwynver Beach House’s garden kitchen, gather your gang at a spacious self-catering retreat, moments from the Cornish coast and made for celebratory get-togethers in nature.
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