Sauna FAQs
Answers to some frequently asked questions
Sauna FAQs
Answers to some frequently asked questions
We hope the following will answer any questions you may have. If not, please contact us.
Please wear swimwear throughout your sauna experience. Although being naked is part of some sauna cultures, we ask that all users wear appropriate swimwear. We recommend this does not have metal fastenings as these can heat up and cause injury. Please remove jewellery for the same reason.
You will need:
Swimwear (no metal fasteners as these will heat up and can cause injury)
Two towels (one for sitting on in the sauna and one for drying off afterwards)
Drinking water (no glass or metal bottles please)
Weather-appropriate clothing or dry robe to change into after the sauna
Appropriate footwear for walking from changing room to sauna (approximately 30 metres across grass)
Appropriate beach footwear if you want to use the sea as a cold plunge
Please ensure you bring coins and a payment card if you intend to park in the pay and display parking on the beach front or a smartphone to pay via the Paybyphone app.
Upon arrival you will be welcomed by a member of staff who will show you the facilities and carry out a quick safety briefing.
Remember that you will need to bring your own towels and suitable bathing attire. See our other Frequently Asked Questions for more on what you need to know before experiencing our sauna.
After leaving your personal belongings in one of the lockers at reception, you will walk across the grass (approximately 30 metres) to the sauna trailer. Here, you will leave your spare towel/robe, shoes and locker key in the changing area. Wearing your swimwear and with towel in hand, you will then head through the glass door into the sauna, which will be hot and ready for you. You aren’t expected to worry about the wood fire that heats the sauna stove – we take care of that, including adding more logs should it be needed.
Once inside, you’ll see that there are two tiers of seats in the sauna: the higher bench and the seats closest to the stove will be hottest. Choose your spot and sit on the towel that you have brought with you.
A traditional sauna experience incudes alternating rounds of warming up in the sauna, and then cooling down, resting and hydrating. You should only stay in the sauna for as long as feels comfortable – this can be as little as 3-5 minutes or up to a maximum of 15 minutes at a time. During this time, enjoy the warmth and allow your body and mind to relax and unwind.
When you are ready to cool down, you can rest and take in the views in our purpose-built ‘cool-down’ trailer, or outside in the fresh air. You may want to rinse off in the cold water shower – or the outdoor bucket shower if you are brave enough! And if you want to fully embrace the hot and cold experience, take a dip in our cold-water plunge pool. If conditions allow, you could use the sea as your plunge pool, but this is at your own risk – please take care and be aware of tides and sea conditions!
Whichever way you choose to cool down, remember that people have different tolerances to hot and cold, so listen to your body and go with what feels right for you – this is your experience and there is no pressure to do anything other than what you are comfortable with.
If you do immerse yourself in cold water or use either type of shower, please go slowly and give your body time to adjust before going for the full dip or rinse. For most people, going from a hot sauna into cold water isn’t something your body struggles with, however ‘for some people this may pose a health risk – especially if you have any underlying health conditions. If in doubt, we always recommend checking with a medical professional first.
After you have cooled down, head back into the warmth of the sauna, and repeat the cycle until the end of your session. (Please allow enough time for changing within your booked time slot if using the changing area).
In the changing area at reception you will find lockers for your clothing and bag. In the entrance to the sauna you will find hooks for your locker key and spare towel/dry robe, and a bench with space underneath for your shoes to be stored while you enjoy the sauna. Please keep personal belongings to a minimum, and leave high value items at home.
If you have bulky items (e.g. rucksack or bike) that you are unable to leave at home or in your car, please contact us before your visit.
The minimum age to use our sauna is 16 when accompanied by an adult, and 18 otherwise.
No! We strongly advise against this. For experienced sauna users, we advise sessions of up to 15 minutes in the sauna, alternating with periods of cooling down and resting outside. If you are new to saunas, aim for shorter sessions of up to 5 minutes at a time to start, alternating with cooling down, and work up to longer if it feels comfortable for you.
Not at all. You may find that standing outside in the fresh air is cooling enough for you. At the sauna we have a cold water shower, and an outdoor bucket shower for the brave! We also have a small cold water plunge pool for those who want to embrace the rejuvenating cold water experience without going into the sea. Using the sea as a cold plunge can be a lovely way to cool down, and you are welcome to do this at your own risk – for your safety, please be aware of tide and sea conditions on the day, and bring suitable shoes for walking to the water.
We can offer a full refund or reschedule your booking with 48hours or more notice. If you cancel with less than 48 hours notice we are unable to offer a refund unless we have been able to fill your session.
To cancel or reschedule more than 48 hours before your booking, please do so online by clicking/tapping the Change/Cancel button in the booking confirmation email you will have received.
Please contact us for changes less than 48 hours before your booking.
Changing facilities – We have four changing cubicles in the reception building (approximately 30 metres away from the sauna), and lockers for your personal items. We also have two outdoor changing cubicles. The changing cubicles can get very busy, so whenever possible we recommend that you arrive ‘sauna ready’, wearing swimwear beneath your clothes, this way you can simply leave personal belongings in one of the lockers, and head straight up to the sauna. If you are using the changing cubicles, please allow enough time for this within your booked sauna slot.
We also have a small ‘ante room’ on the way into the sauna. This is not private, it is just enough space to remove outer clothing and footwear in the entrance to the sauna. Here you will find space to hang your spare towel/robe and locker key, and a bench with space for your footwear underneath.
Toilets – We have a portaloo with hand sanitiser on site. Public toilets are located near the pay and display car park at Criccieth sea front (2 minute walk away).
Shower – we have a (non-private) cold water shower, and an outdoor ‘bucket rinse’ shower for cooling down/rinsing off. We ask that you please do not use any soap, shower gel, shampoo or other detergents in the shower. We do not have warm-water or private showering facilities.
Cold plunge pool – We have a beautiful Nordic spruce barrel for cold bathing, that is deep enough to immerse the whole body. This is housed next to the shower in our ‘cold trailer’, a glass fronted trailer adjacent to the sauna, allowing you to enjoy cold-water therapy and stunning views, whatever the weather. For hygiene reasons we ask that you please shower before using the plunge pool.
Storage – In the changing area at reception you will find lockers for your clothing and bag. In the entrance to the sauna you will find hooks for your locker key and spare towel/dry robe, and a bench with space underneath for your shoes to be stored while you enjoy the sauna. Please keep personal belongings to a minimum, and leave high value items at home.
Pay and display parking is available on the promenade in Criccieth, a short (2 minute) walk from the sauna. Please ensure you bring change and/or a debit card to pay for parking or a smartphone to pay via the Paybyphone app. Street parking (non pay and display) is available elsewhere in Criccieth, this will be further away from the sauna so please allow enough time to walk to us before your session starts. We do not have parking facilities on site, but space for one vehicle close to the sauna can be arranged by prior agreement to help accommodate those with severe mobility problems. Please contact us to enquire.
Sawna Criccieth Sauna, Esplanade, Criccieth LL52 0HU
We are located at the reception area of Criccieth Multi Golf, next to Dylan’s restaurant on Criccieth’s eastern sea front.
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Buying our Gift Vouchers is very simple. Just select the value of the Voucher(s) you want to buy then follow the payment instructions.
After payment has been processed, you will immediately be sent an email containing a printable certificate and a special voucher code.
Please be very careful when entering your email address during the order process to avoid your certificate and code going missing. Please also check your spam folder if it doesn’t seem to arrive immediately. Please contact us if you have not received your confirmation email and voucher code
You can then send the certificate and code to the recipient of your gift by email or, if you print it out, by post.
The recipient then only needs to click on the Redeem Coupon button and enter the special code during the checkout process when they book their Sauna Session.
If the value of the Gift Voucher is greater than the cost of the Sauna Session they select, the remaining balance will not be lost. Instead it will remain as a credit on their account for use when they make a further booking. In cases where an account isn’t created, they can redeem the balance by re-entering the same code during checkout.
If the value of the Gift Voucher is less than the Sauna Session they select, they can simply pay the difference using a debit or credit card.
Please note that vouchers expire two years following the date of their purchase.
Terms and Conditions apply to the use of Gift Vouchers. Please see our Terms and Conditions page for details.
Choose how you want to sauna
Private or Communal
At Criccieth Sauna your session can either be Private, for you and your party of up to 8 people, or you can book a place in a Communal Session with other members of the public.
For your comfort, we limit the number in a communal session to 6, to allow everyone a little more space.
Sauna sessions are available in 50 or 80 minute blocks, including time for changing.
We are regularly open from Friday to Monday every week; please see our booking page for available sessions.
If you would like to arrange a bespoke sauna experience or private hire outside of our normal opening hours, please contact us.
WHY USE A SAUNA?
health benefits
Not convinced? We aren’t medical professionals, but the people who wrote this paper entitled Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence certainly are. Then there’s What to Know About Saunas and Your Health from WebMD, and Let’s talk sauna and mental wellbeing from the British Sauna Society. And of course there’s plenty of other information on the Internet for you to search for.