On the coast of Porthcawl, where sea-salt twists in winds from the lungs of South Wales, stands a handcrafted wooden building that’s perched on the edge of a sand dune.
Its mirrored windows reflect the ever-changing sky, the lighthouse beyond, and a shoreline shared by a cold dipping community.
This is Hikitalo – a name that, in Finnish, means ‘sweat house’. But for its founder, Will, and the growing community that gathers here, Hikitalo is much more than a place to sweat. It’s a ‘third space’: a modern sanctuary for connection, healing, and belonging.
From breakdown to breakthrough
Two years ago, Will’s life reached a junction. “I suffered a breakdown and decided to hit the road,” he recalls.
What followed was a journey across fourteen countries and through more than seventy saunas. From Finnish lakeside cabins to Guatemalan sweat lodges, and the bustling bathhouses of Germany, Will immersed himself in the world’s sauna cultures.
Each space offered him something he hadn’t found elsewhere. “Sauna had become that space, somewhere incredibly grounding and restorative,” he explains.
Returning home to Porthcawl, Will knew he couldn’t step back into his old career. Instead, he wanted to serve his community, to create something that had helped him heal. The answer was a sauna – a place that could become a new kind of social hub. Hikitalo began to take shape.
A nod to tradition and transformation
The name was inspired by a Finn called Santeri, now a good friend, that Will met while participating in a sweat lodge ceremony in Guatemala.
“It felt like a nod to both traditional sauna culture and the healing, communal energy I experienced on that journey.”
The word itself, sweat house, evokes images of ancient rituals and communal warmth, but also the release and renewal that comes with letting go.
Will’s vision for Hikitalo was shaped by more than just Finnish traditions. The Temazcals of Latin America, with their spiritual focus and communal energy, left a deep impression. So too did the German sauna culture, where regular visits are as normal as brushing your teeth, and saunas are respected as spaces for both body and soul.
But what struck Will most wasn’t just the heat or the ritual. It was the social element. He explains, “That feeling of being socially connected just by sharing space with strangers, without even needing to speak. It had a profound impact on my mental health. I really believe sauna is what helped heal me and continues to support me on a daily basis.”
Sauna as a ‘third space’ in today’s world
At Hikitalo, Will set out to bring some of that energy into Wales, to the shores of Porthcawl, to the beach of Sandy Bay. The goal wasn’t just to offer a place to warm up after a cold sea dip, but to create a space where people could come together and find connection.
“We’re trying to make sauna more accessible and part of a natural routine. We’re still in the early stages compared to Finland, but I believe we’re in an emerging market.”
From the beginning, that’s what Will has seen. As traditional ‘third spaces’ such as pubs close and digital life leaves many feeling isolated, saunas like Hikitalo are being called ‘the new pub’, creating burgeoning hubs where sweating and socialisation mix.
“A lot of what’s happened has been organic, which is beautiful, but creating that sense of connection was always part of the vision. It’s the thing I’m most proud of. Loads of people have created their own WhatsApp groups through the sauna. They meet up for walks, coffee, dips, outside of the sauna too. It’s beautiful to see those real friendships form from just spending time on the bench together.”
Transformative healing and belonging
Here, people gather not for a drink, but for the company and everything that comes with it. That’s the restorative wood-fired heat, a cold plunge, and immersive löyly – steam that rises from the hot stones like the soul of the sauna.
Those who find solace here say the space has had a profound impact. Hikitalo even hosts monthly events such as open talking spaces to support mental health, making the sauna not just a place for physical wellbeing, but for emotional support and community care.
“People have shared some really touching stories, how they were suffering from loneliness before coming to the sauna,” Will explains.
The success stories and love for Porthcawl’s first Hikitalo has been gripping. Sellout bookings that bring together a staunch collective of regulars and those that just want to experience what Hikitalo has to offer means that Will has grown his vision.
Porthcawl now has two Hikitalo saunas, with a second venue opening on Rest Bay. The town is flanked by a ‘third space’ on the east and the west. Each Hikitalo sauna, almost a mirror image of the other, is complete with a trademark sunrise stained glass window and two-tier seating conducive to catch-up. It’s a space to chat while overlooking environments that are so well loved.
“In countries like Finland, Germany, and Lithuania, the sauna is a true ‘third space’, not home, not work, but somewhere in between where people come together. We used to have that kind of culture here in the UK, and I think we lost it along the way,” Will explains.
“But it’s making a comeback, and I genuinely believe it’s here to stay. The more public saunas we have where people can connect, the better.”
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