OUR REPORTER PUTS NEW BEACH SAUNA CRAZE TO THE TEST

BEING roasting hot is not something you typically associate with a British beach day, but a new trend has arrived on local sands in recent years.

- By OWEN HUGHES

The rise of the beach sauna has seen the craze come to North Wales with sites on Anglesey, Colwyn Bay, and then an inland hot spot at Llyn Padarn, Llanberis.

It has also reached the far tip of north west Wales with a sauna next to the National Trust car park at Aberdaron. Sauna Mor overlooks the village's main beach offering a spectacular vista. It runs either private hire or community sessions.

We were on a walking trip in the area and myself and two others decided it was something to try out as a perfect wind down after a trek. In typical Welsh fashion, the walk around the headland beyond Aberdaron had started in patchy sunshine but the weather gradually worsened with a strong moisture-filled westerly blowing us back feeling cold and wet.

We had a little time to kill before our pre-booked sauna session and went to the pub for a mixture of pints and coffee, which probably doesn't fit with the wellness aspect of the experience.

After drying out and warming up it was tempting to stay put particularly as it was now bucketing down and every new arrival at the pub was looked upon with pity due to their bedraggled state.

But we wanted to embrace a new experience and more importantly had already paid £15 each so out we ventured to get wet and cold in order to reach a destination to get us warm again!