Edwin B. Flavin

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 9 months ago

Great welcome from Sarah the owner at Swede sauna. Sauna was 100 degrees plus. Fabulous views over Roberts cove. The sea was clear and the beach clean. One of the best sauna experiences of my life.

Jodi Burke

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 11 months ago

10/10 the best sauna experience I’ve had. The sauna was at a perfect temperature between 95-100 degrees. Robert’s Cove is a sand beach so no need to worry about walking on stones! Sara is an amazing host and even provides a skin scrub for your final dip!

Grainne O'Donovan

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ a year ago

Incredible sauna. Just had the loveliest swim/ sauna session. Sara is a 10/10 host. Head and body feeling great now. She also has a sugar scrub, skin feeling very soft

Thomas Thornton

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 years ago

Swede Sauna is an amazing amenity located in Roberts Cove! The facilities are perfect for anyone looking to experience hot and cold therapy! I think it is an ideal way to enjoy swimming in cold open water during the winter months and as soon as we tried the Sauna once we are hooked! The owner Sara is very friendly. She is really enthusiastic about her business and keeps her Sauna spotlessly clean! She is always looking into new ways to help make the session a more immersive experience for her customers! Some of the things Sara does is that she adds essential oils to the water bucket inside the sauna. Then as you pour this water over the hot rocks the steam is infused with the oils. She also holds birching Sauna sessions, Yoga Sauna sessions and full moon Sauna sessions! The Sauna: It is a traditional wood framed Sauna which uses a wood burning stove to produce the heat. The stove is fuelled from the exterior while the body of the stove and chimney is on the inside. There are rocks surrounding the body of the stove and are constantly being heated. There is a bucket of water beside the stove with a ladle and this can be used to pour water over the rocks to create steam! There is a hygrometer and a thermometer allowing the customer to monitor conditions within the Sauna. There is also a sand timer in the Sauna rated in 5 minute increments and a maximum of 15 minutes. This ideal to track your session and wearing an electronic watch or metal watch is not ideal in the hot and humid environment of the Sauna! Benefits for me: I'm not going to claim all the benefits that some people say that Saunas and cold water swimming can aid to however, I do feel amazing after a session and Sara's Sauna is in the perfect location for me. I love immersing myself in the cold water for a few minutes and then going for about a 15 minute sweat and then back into the water. Each time that we have went so far we have gone for an hour and we aim to get 4 to 5 dips with each session. The amount of swims or how long you want to spend in the Sauna is all up to you and I find the sand timer great for this! Cost: I think the Sauna is very reasonable at €10 for half an hour or €20 for a full hour. This is for an open session where you and others can come and go as you or they please. There is the option of booking a private session for €85 for an hour. This is also reasonable in my opinion as if you can split it with 5 or more friends it works out cheaper than an open session! Tips: I would look at the tide times so that you can avail of the high tide and don't have to walk to far from the Sauna to get to the water. Opening times change everyday as I believe Sara follows the high tide so it could be a morning session or an evening session that she is open for. Bring 2 towels as you will need a fresh towel to dry off afterwards and I recommend to sit on a different one so that you keep it clean/hygenic for other Sauna users! Overall opinion: I think that the experienct you get at Swede Sauna is brilliant! Sara is very friendly and the location can't be beaten! I highly recommend giving it a try, you won't be disappointed!

Nicola Byrne

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 months ago

Have visited Swede Sauna 3 times in the last couple of months with family and friends. Visited at the weekend and 2 out of the 3 times Sara had overbooked the sauna so wasnt as enjoyable experience as other saunas I tried around Cork. Online booking says it holds 8 people but Sara has over booked it to be 12 people. Its too much of a tight squeeze and then youre coordinating with other between re who is in the sauna vs in the sea. The first time it happened Sara said it was an accident that it was overbooked by mistake but then it happened a second time I visited so I think its something that happens regularly. Such a shame as its a gorgeous location, just not very relaxing when youre packed in with too many people. Won't be back unfortunately.