If you find yourself on Garryvoe Beach during a full moon, chances are you’ll spot groups gathering along the coast for a sea swim and sauna session.
The Full Moon Sauna at Coastal Cabin has become one of the venue’s most popular events, bringing together swimmers, locals and sauna enthusiasts for an evening of heat, cold water and connection.
John Hickey from Coastal Cabin Sauna goes the extra mile to make each event feel like a special occasion, with fire pits and s’mores on the beach adding to the atmosphere.
“We make it an occasion,” says John.
The Full Moon Sauna began around three years ago after a customer requested the experience. Since then, the sessions have been booked out almost every month.
They have proved particularly popular with local swimmers, many of whom return month after month. But you don’t have to come as part of a group — plenty of people attend the Full Moon Sauna on their own.
“There’s nothing nicer,” says John.
For many, the experience offers an opportunity to slow down, reconnect with their bodies and take some time to reflect on the month ahead. Each full moon is given its own meaning, which is shared with the group during the session.
Saunas have become increasingly popular in recent years, with growing interest in their potential health and wellbeing benefits.
Beyond simply providing a relaxing ritual, sauna sessions have been associated with a range of potential benefits, including improved cardiovascular health and relaxation.
For John, however, the appeal is much simpler: taking time to look after yourself.
“The more that you do care for yourself, the better chances you have of having a longer, healthier life. You know, and if it’s as simple as sitting in a sauna by the sea and jumping into the sea, then why not?”
John believes that making time for yourself can have a significant impact, particularly when life becomes stressful.
“If you’ve had stress, it could be for any reason. It could be because of an illness. It could be because of a family member. It could be because of anything, come down and get into the sauna. I guarantee you, in an hour’s time, what you thought was the end of the world will be a small problem.”
Coastal Cabin offers one-hour sauna sessions, with John recommending three 20-minute rounds in the sauna, with a dip in the sea between each one.
And there’s a sweet reward waiting at the end.
After the session, John welcomes swimmers back from the water with a s’more to finish off the experience.
The Full Moon Sauna isn’t the only unusual experience drawing people to Coastal Cabin.
The venue’s Rave Sauna is also proving popular, combining music, heat and cold-water recovery in a unique night out.
John says the event attracts a wide range of ages, with parents and their children enjoying the experience together.
“I’m getting a good mixture of young and old. I’ve had mums and dads and their kids come. You know, the mums and dads that are in their 50s, who were in their 20s in the 90s, and the kids coming along who like house music in their teenage years or early 20s, and they can do it together.”
The Rave Sauna has also started to make an impression in GAA communities, offering a sober night out that combines socialising, recovery and wellness.
Between its two saunas, Coastal Cabin can accommodate an entire GAA squad.
“The bass and the sound of the music combined with the heat and cold brings you into a very, very deep state of relaxation.”
John says similar concepts have been gaining attention in cities such as New York and London, but he sees no reason why Garryvoe should be left behind.
“They have been trying it a little bit in New York and London, and they want to try all these new things in these places first. And I said, why not Garryvoe?”
The next full moon, the Sturgeon Moon, falls on August 28.
For anyone looking for a different way to mark the occasion, the Full Moon Sauna offers the chance to step away from the everyday, spend some time by the sea and reconnect with yourself.
Whether you come with friends, family or on your own, the experience is about slowing down, listening to your body and letting go of some of the tension that can build up during everyday life.
To book a Full Moon Sauna experience at Coastal Cabin, visit their website here.
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