A Scandinavian wellness ritual has found its way to Wine Country, and its growing popularity suggests Northern Californians are willing to sweat for better sleep, lower stress and a brief escape from their phones.
From the Sonoma Coast to the redwoods, saunas are appearing across the region, tucked beside rivers, marinas and boutique resorts. Central to Nordic culture, the practice of sitting in a small heated room has been linked in studies to benefits ranging from stress reduction and muscle recovery to improved cardiovascular health and sleep quality.
“There’s a benefit to it, both physically and mentally,” said Alex Zelaya, founder of Sundrop Sauna in Petaluma. “I love just educating and informing people.”
More than a decade ago, Zelaya traveled alone to Finland, where he spent a late-summer day at a lakeside sauna. The experience introduced him to a culture of wellness built around heat, cold water and slowing down, something he felt was largely missing on the West Coast outside spas and health clubs.
With a background in architecture, construction and the glamping industry, Zelaya pivoted in 2023 to focus on building high-end prefabricated saunas with expansive windows that connect bathers to the outdoors, whether framed by forests, rivers or the Pacific coast. He built the first mobile sauna in his parents’ Sonoma backyard, launching what would become Sundrop Sauna.
Warming Wellness
That backyard experiment quickly expanded. About two-and-a-half years ago, Sundrop’s mobile sauna hit the road, first parking at Boon Hotel + Spa. Among its earliest clients was the team behind Shelter Co., the hospitality production company perhaps best known locally for creating Guerneville’s River Electric resort and swim club.
Word spread quickly. Soon, Sundrop pop-ups were appearing at Grand Central Petaluma, Valley Swim Club in Sonoma, Old Caz Beer in Rohnert Park and Johnson’s Beach in Guerneville.
In August 2024, Sundrop Sauna opened its first permanent location at Lakeville Landing Marina along the Petaluma River. Community sessions include shared access to a sauna, cold plunge, outdoor shower and lounge areas. Heated by propane, the sauna typically reaches 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, enough to produce a serious sweat within 10 to 15 minutes.
Ninety-minute sessions are capped at eight people and cost $45. Memberships offering multiple visits each month are also available.
“Our vision is to have multiple locations that we own and operate and create these immersive experiences where you can sauna and get in the cold water in nature, directly outdoors,” Zelaya said.
The team behind River Electric was impressed enough by the experience that they invited Sundrop to host a two-week residency during the resort’s inaugural season last summer.
“The response was incredible, and we’re already planning to bring it back this year,” said River Electric co-owner Kelsey Sheofsky. “There’s something magical about moving from the heat of the sauna to a cool outdoor shower, then slipping back into the warm pool, all surrounded by towering redwoods. It’s the ultimate water therapy ritual.”
Sauna FAQs
In countries such as Finland and Sweden, sauna culture often includes nudity, even among strangers — a practice generally viewed with little self-consciousness. At Sundrop Sauna, however, bathing suits are required.
Guests are encouraged to sit on towels, as wooden benches can become extremely hot and to hydrate before, during and after a session. Glass and metal water bottles are discouraged because they can quickly heat up in the sauna.
Mostly, though, sauna culture asks participants to surrender to something increasingly rare: stillness.
“You can’t bring a phone into a 200-degree space. Conversations happen, friends meet each other, people meet each other,” Zelaya said. “It’s this really cool way to just disconnect.”
Turn Up the Heat in These Saunas Across the Bay Area
Timber Cove Resort, Jenner
The Sonoma Coast hotel recently introduced a Reset & Restore Suite that pairs recovery technology with sweeping Pacific views. Alongside air-compression boots and zero-gravity recliners sits a rock sauna heated to 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, plus a 37-degree outdoor cold plunge overlooking the ocean.
The experience is available to both hotel guests and the public from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Hour-long sessions cost $95, with an additional $45 for a second guest. 21780 Highway 1, Jenner, 707-847-3231, timbercoveresort.com
Stanly Ranch, Auberge Collection, Napa
Perched above Napa Valley, the Halehouse spa at Stanly Ranch spreads across several buildings anchored by an adults-only infinity pool. The co-ed sauna, powered by four electric burners and heated to roughly 180 degrees, features massive windows framing vineyard views.
Non-hotel guests can access the sauna with the purchase of a 60-minute spa service, a $300 day pass or an $850 monthly Halehouse Unlimited membership. 200 Stanly Crossroad, Napa, 707-699-6260, aubergeresorts.com/stanlyranch
Lodge at Marconi, Marshall
After hiking the nearly 5 miles of trails winding through Marconi State Historic Park, hotel guests can recover in the property’s gas-powered sauna overlooking Tomales Bay. Access is complimentary and available on a first-come, first-served basis. 18500 Highway 1, Marshall, 415-663-9020, lodgeatmarconi.com
Fjord, Sausalito
Built from upcycled shipping containers mounted atop a salvaged marine barge, Fjord’s floating Finnish saunas are docked in Sausalito with panoramic views of Tiburon, Angel Island and the San Francisco skyline. Electric heaters warm 300 pounds of stones, bringing the saunas to roughly 190 degrees Fahrenheit before guests plunge directly into the bay.
Bookings open at 9 a.m. on Sundays. Shared 90-minute sessions cost $45 and accommodate up to eight people. 2310 Marinship Way, Sausalito, thisisfjord.com