In an age where we are constantly glued to our phones or have our heads in front of a screen, immersing ourselves in nature offers a soothing antidote to the floods of information and stimuli overwhelming our minds.
Spending time close to the sea, or other bodies of water, is known to have a particularly calming effect. Not only is the colour blue associated with calm, relaxation, and tranquility, it is also said to help with lowering blood pressure, reducing a rapid heart rate and settling feelings of anxiety.
These multiple benefits for mind, body and soul resulted in the term ‘blue space wellness’ being coined, describing the positive effect both natural and manmade forms of surface water can have on us. Whether it’s a blustery walk on the beach to blow away the cobwebs or a courageous plunge in the waves a la ‘ice man’ Wim Hoff, even just a few hours of fresh sea air and proximity to the crashing waves can lower stress and improve your mood by raising serotonin levels.
The good news is, we don’t have to wait until summer to enjoy the healing effects of blue space wellness. From cosy beach saunas to fresh seafood, the England’s Coast project – an initiative by the National Coastal Tourism Academy – has rounded up the hottest coastal wellness destinations to start 2025 in optimal health.
Saunas by the sea
A long-standing health ritual in Nordic countries, a sweat in the sauna followed by a dip in icy waters is known to enhance relaxation, improve circulation, and boost overall wellbeing.
The Saltwater Sauna on Sandbanks Beach, Dorset, has been a popular wellness destination since opening three years ago. Following its success, it has now opened The Saltwater Sauna at Avon Beach in Christchurch offering two contemporary Nordic saunas, changing rooms and an optional sea plunge. Wellness seekers can choose from a private 65-minute group sauna of up to seven people for £70 or a 65-minute communal sauna for a maximum of six for £15 pp. New this year will be a third Saltwater Sauna at Lulworth Cove, one of the Jurassic Coast’s most iconic settings and world-famous for its unique geology and crystal-clear waters. Bookings are set to open in March 2025, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Rebels Dover is a unique workshop and coffee shop with dawn-to-dusk saunas, making it ideal for early morning walks or saunas before switching on the laptop. Premium membership gives anytime and unlimited sauna sessions for £40 per month. Walk-in sessions are available 8am to 6pm at £10 for 60 minutes.
Seascrub Saunas Margate offer traditional Nordic Barrel saunas and an Electric Steam Sauna, boasting the first commercial Saunum Cube Sauna in the UK, which provides a more comfortable heat compared to the intense heat of a barrel sauna. Set on Margate’s sands, the venue has a changing room and four cold plunge whisky barrels as well as offering wellness events. Prices start from £15 for a one-hour Nordic Barrel sauna with the option of a scrub for an additional £5.
In Brighton, BEACHBOX offers a year-round wood-fired sauna spa right on the beach. Two converted horsebox trailers can accommodate up to 12 people, providing panoramic ocean views. Facilities include outdoor seating, a picnic table, changing rooms, freshwater showers, a chilled steel tub, a plunge pool and a slipper bath for cooling off with upgrades to in-sauna body treatments and a separate spa menu.
Swap winter blues for azure ocean hues
To stop, reset and refocus at the start of the year, head to Durham’s coast for breathtaking scenery and accessible walking routes. Explore part of the 11-mile Durham Heritage Coastal footpath from Seaham to Crimdon featuring dramatic coastal views to the North Sea. And don’t forget to stop off at Blast Beach for fossil hunting!
Clear your head by taking part in a Drum Circle, Sound Bath or Mindful Morning at Dalton Moor Farm. This vegan fruit farm and School of Sustainable Living and Wellbeing offers a wide range of health and healing events near the coast.
Few stretches of coastline are better for pulling on the walking boots and striding off into the Great Outdoors than the North York Moors National Park, with 26 miles of stunning coastline with accessible walks for mobility scooters, pushchairs and wheelchairs.
Press the pause button and escape with Adventures for the Soul based in the park, gaze at star-studded Dark Skies, take mindful walks in pine-filled woods, decompress with a yoga retreat, and toast marshmallows around a campfire for a wholesome and soul-soothing getaway.
Stay in a cosy log cabin near Whitby at Yoga and Spice, a mini-retreat centre, where guests can soak up their own personal area of woodland on the edge of the National Park, and join in meditation and plant-based cooking sessions. Or head to the Tree Relaxation Retreat in the peaceful village of Rosedale Abbey in the heart of the park, where you can immerse yourself in yoga, meditation, delicious vegetarian food and holistic treatments.
On a crisp winter’s day there is nothing more enjoyable than packing up a warming flask of soup and heading into the wilderness at Morecambe Bay. Grange-over-Sands is a wonderfully unspoilt spot with easy walks, benches and the first shoots of flowers from mid- January. For energetic family members, there’s a park filled with attractions at the end of the promenade.
Hug a tree
For aficionados of forest bathing, the Isle of Wight offers the perfect escape. Forest bathing, known to reduce stress, boost the immune system, improve concentration and create a sense of calm, can be enjoyed in several spots across the island. Experts recommend Firestone Copse with paths winding down to Old Mill Pond and Wootton Creek, Quarr Wood in Ryde with the backdrop of Quarr Abbey or Brighstone Forest, the largest forest on the island, laced with paths and bridleways and boasting dramatic views of the cliffs.
Even 20 minutes of walking in a forest is known to have positive health effects such as lowering blood pressure – and, best of all, it’s completely free!
So whether you are seeking the therapeutic benefits of the sea or the tranquillity of the forest, England’s coast offers a wealth of wellness opportunities to help reset and rejuvenate.
For more information visit www.englandscoast.com.
