Sweat State
Where the Bay goes to sweat
WRITER Flora Tsapovsky
Richmond’s Good Hot sauna. Image by Aysia Stieb.
I normally wouldn’t recommend getting your life advice off of Instagram, but a post I saw there recently really hit home. It simply stated: “The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea.” As an avid crier and a frequent beachgoer—fog or sun—I wondered: “But do I sweat enough?” Surely, we all perspire throughout the day, but I envisioned the kind of cathartic, purifying sweat that could count as self care. For that, I thought, it’s best to hit the sauna.
This was an evolution. There was a time when sweating wasn’t for me. But on recent trips to Guatemala and NYC, I found myself happily drenched in beautiful, communal sauna settings, enamored by the way the heightened temperature slowed my mind, by the fact saunas practically dictate a phone-free interlude, by the freshness of reemerging back into the world a little warmer and a little less jaded.
Luckily, the sauna had piqued my curiosity in a timely fashion. In a September 2025 article, the Wall Street Journal had declared the sauna as the “hottest place to network,” which means it’s been well embedded into the wellness conversation. This is right in line with the meteoric rise of the ritual’s alter ego, the cold plunge. More importantly, there’s never been a better time to sweat in the Bay Area, as saunas of different kinds, vibes, and cultural backgrounds have been popping up from Richmond to Sausalito. Offering tranquility, invigoration and, in many cases, community, these are the best saunas to dip your toes into this winter.
A pre-pandemic initiative reborn, Onsen, in the Tenderloin, taps into Japanese bathhouse culture with a compact but very satisfying setup: steam room, dry sauna, and an ice-cold shower around a lightly warm soaking pool, all situated under a skylight in a cozy, brick-clad room. The best way to partake is to establish a circuit. I like to start with the hot dry sauna, then pop into the steam room, then let the cold shower shock me and wake up the senses, then soak, hang on the wooden chairs scattered in the area, repeat. You’re guaranteed to get hungry, and luckily very well-chosen snacks are available; nothing is better after a hot-cold bath day than a plump onigiri made by the local purveyor Onigiri Em. Monthly food pop-ups can turn the visit into a more elaborate experience.
Price: $50 for two hours.
Pro move: Bring a book! There’s plenty of time between the soaking and steaming sessions to enjoy a thoughtful pause with a good read.
Address: 466 Eddy St, San Francisco
onsensf.com
The drive towards Point Molate Beach in Richmond is one of the most magical in the Bay. Past the boarded-up former military structures, by the water, just when it seems like there’s nowhere farther to go, a touchpad gate opens up to the little new wonder that is Good Hot. Five individual dry saunas—red cedar interior, reclaimed douglas fir exterior—are spaced out on the serene beach, each featuring either a skylight or a scenic window. While there are cold showers for “plunging”—the cold-hot alternation benefits circulation—I opted for a quick dip in the Bay, just steps away. While everyone is welcome, Good Hot started as a project to center queer and BIPOC bathers; there’s an inclusive manifest by the entrance, bottoms only required for all, the changing cubicles are all-gender, and there’s programming offering days for queer and trans bathers monthly.
Price: $110–130 for 1.5 hours at one of the saunas.
Pro move: Book the gorgeous Big Sky sauna for a group—then pop over to Sailing Goat, just a short drive away, for a Mediterranean dinner.
Address: 1950 Stenmark Dr, Richmond
good-hot-booking.com
Of all the memorable experiences I’ve had recently, sweating inside one of Fjord’s floating saunas while kayakers, paddleboarders, and birds flying over the Bay pass me by, was by far the coolest. There are only two saunas on the site of this new project, inspired by Finnish plunging and Oslo and Copenhagen’s urban baths, plus humble changing rooms and a shower to rinse. Jumping into the water straight from the sauna’s platform, as the midday sun gently grazed Sausalito, took my breath away for a second and reminded me how lucky I am to live in California. The experience stayed with me way after, as I continued to gaze at the Bay and refuel after the sweat session at Joinery, Sausalito’s finest roast chicken joint.
Price: $45 for a shared 1.5 hour session, $270 for a private session at one of the saunas.
Pro move: When changing into your swimsuit, don’t forget to look at the art: each cabin is outfitted with a photograph sourced from the Sausalito Historical Society.
Address: 2320 Marinship Way, Sausalito
thisisfjord.com
One of the sweatiest—and most zen—saunas of the Bay Area is hiding inside Worthy, an inconspicuous but incredibly chic wellness studio in Berkeley. Owner Meliza Mokrani had fashioned the space with her North African heritage in mind: cozy poufs and vintage travel posters of Algeria hide behind the handcrafted wooden doors, where the lounge connects to two infrared saunas and a cold plunge room. Worthy offers a guided plunge—which I found to be a thoughtful and enriching experience and which, combined with a wicked-hot sauna session, whipped my mind into a soft cloud. A cup of Mexican hot chocolate from the Casa de Chocolates next door is a must.
Price: $55 for a 30-minute sauna session, $55 for a cold plunge, or $75 for a combined session. Monthly memberships are available.
Pro move: Book the contrast therapy session for the ultimate hot-cold experience, but first opt for a guided plunge to get comfortable with the chills.
Address: 2633 Ashby Ave, Berkeley
worthyselfcare.com
MORE AHEAD: Looking for more warmth? Check out Archimedes Banya and Alchemy Springs in San Francisco, Sundrop Sauna in Petaluma, and Watercourse Way in Palo Alto.