Saunas in Donegal

Donegal is the wild north-west: long beaches, sea stacks, the cliffs at Sliabh Liag above Teelin, the Inishowen Peninsula pushing north past Culdaff and Shrove, and water that never really warms up. A sauna here earns its heat. The county has taken to the idea with real enthusiasm, and the saunas listed run the whole coast from Bundoran and Rossnowlagh in the south to Rathmullan on Lough Swilly and Downings on Sheephaven Bay.

Rossnowlagh, a long surf beach, has saunas of its own. Arranmore has an island sauna at the seaside, Narin has one by Inishkeel, and the Gweedore and Dunfanaghy coast is covered at Carnboy and Portnablagh. Inishowen has The Sea View Sauna at both Culdaff and Shroove. Most are barrel or wood-fired saunas, a good number have a sea view, several take group bookings, and Letterkenny has a mobile sauna that travels. Donegal is a long way from everywhere, which is the point; when you are there, a sauna at dusk on an empty beach is as good as it gets. Sligo and Leitrim are the counties to the south.