Best Saunas in Cork, Ireland
Carrigaline Court Leisure Centre
The leisure centre of the Carrigaline Court Hotel on Main Street in Carrigaline, south of Cork city, with a 20 m swimming pool, a gym and classes, a sauna, a steam room and a jacuzzi. It serves hotel guests and local members. Adult hours are Monday to Thursday 6am to 9:30pm, Friday to 8:30pm, Saturday 8:30am to 8:30pm and Sunday 8:30am to 6pm.
Club Vitae at Clayton Hotel Cork City
The Club Vitae leisure centre of the Clayton Hotel Cork City on Lapp's Quay in the city centre. It has an 18 m heated pool, a separate children's pool, a gym and fitness classes, plus a sauna and a steam room. Hotel residents use it free during their stay. Open Monday to Friday 6am to 9:30pm and weekends 8am to 7:30pm.
Fota Island Spa
The spa of the five-star Fota Island Resort on Fota Island in Cork Harbour. Its thermal area combines a nine-zone hydrotherapy pool, a thermal suite with heated mosaic loungers, a walking river, a salt therapy room and an outdoor sauna set in the spa garden, plus an 18 m indoor pool. Treatment guests get 45 minutes of free access; otherwise the hydrotherapy suite costs €50 for non-residents. Adults only (18+).
Rochestown Park Hotel Leisure Centre
The leisure centre of the Rochestown Park Hotel in Douglas, with an award-winning 20 m pool, a children's pool, a whirlpool spa, two hydro massage pools, a sauna, a steam room, a jacuzzi and a gym. The sauna and steam room are included for members and hotel guests at no extra charge. Open Monday to Friday 6am to 9:30pm and weekends 7am to 8:30pm.
Talbot Fitness Ballincollig
The leisure club of the Talbot Hotel Cork in Ballincollig, west of the city, open to members and hotel guests. Its wet deck has a swimming pool, a separate children's pool, spa jet stations, an 8-seater jacuzzi, a sauna and a steam room, with an indoor relaxation area and a gym. Open weekdays 5:45am to 10pm and weekends 8am to 8pm; the wet deck closes 45 minutes earlier on weekdays.
The Maryborough Hotel & Spa
The ESPA spa of The Maryborough, a family-owned hotel in an 18th-century mansion set in gardens in Douglas. It runs two thermal suites: a mixed suite with a steam bath and a Finnish rock sauna, and a female-only suite with a laconium and a saunarium, both with a vitality pool, experience showers and an ice fountain. A bathing suit is required. Thermal suites open daily 9am to 8:30pm; spa packages include thermal access.
The Spa at The Kingsley
The spa of The Kingsley hotel at Victoria Cross, beside the River Lee. Its thermal suite has a Finnish sauna at 90 to 100 °C, aromatherapy steam baths, a hamam with Kneipp hoses, an infrared room, a salt therapy room, a 35 °C spa jacuzzi, experience and ice showers and a tepidarium. Non-treatment visitors can book a 90-minute Thermal Suite Experience Pass for €50, Monday to Thursday only. The hotel also runs a health club with a pool.
LeisureWorld Bishopstown
One of Cork's largest public leisure centres, run by LeisureWorld beside the Munster Technological University campus in Bishopstown. Alongside a 25 m pool, an 18 m pool and a learner pool, it has a health spa with saunas and a steam room for adults over 18. Anyone can visit on a pay-as-you-go basis; an adult PAYG visit costs €11 and covers pool, gym and classes.
LeisureWorld Churchfield
A public leisure centre on Cork's northside run by LeisureWorld, with a 25 m pool, a learner pool, a toddler fun pool and the city's only giant flume water slide. Next to the main pool is a health spa with a large sauna and a steam room, and the centre also has two gyms. Visitors can pay as they go without membership. The gym opens 7am to 8:45pm on weekdays (7:45pm Friday) and 9am to 5:45pm at weekends.
Mardyke Arena UCC
University College Cork's health and leisure centre on Mardyke Walk, open since 2001, with a gym, swimming pool, climbing wall and sports halls. Its relaxation area has a sauna, a steam room and heated seats. Pay-as-you-go access to the gym and pool has returned, so membership is not required. The centre opens 6:30am to 10:30pm on weekdays; the sauna and steam room close at 9:30pm on weekdays and 6:30pm at weekends.
Carrigaline Court Leisure Centre
The leisure centre of the Carrigaline Court Hotel on Main Street in Carrigaline, south of Cork city, with a 20 m swimming pool, a gym and classes, a sauna, a steam room and a jacuzzi. It serves hotel guests and local members. Adult hours are Monday to Thursday 6am to 9:30pm, Friday to 8:30pm, Saturday 8:30am to 8:30pm and Sunday 8:30am to 6pm.
Club Vitae at Clayton Hotel Cork City
The Club Vitae leisure centre of the Clayton Hotel Cork City on Lapp's Quay in the city centre. It has an 18 m heated pool, a separate children's pool, a gym and fitness classes, plus a sauna and a steam room. Hotel residents use it free during their stay. Open Monday to Friday 6am to 9:30pm and weekends 8am to 7:30pm.
Fota Island Spa
The spa of the five-star Fota Island Resort on Fota Island in Cork Harbour. Its thermal area combines a nine-zone hydrotherapy pool, a thermal suite with heated mosaic loungers, a walking river, a salt therapy room and an outdoor sauna set in the spa garden, plus an 18 m indoor pool. Treatment guests get 45 minutes of free access; otherwise the hydrotherapy suite costs €50 for non-residents. Adults only (18+).
Rochestown Park Hotel Leisure Centre
The leisure centre of the Rochestown Park Hotel in Douglas, with an award-winning 20 m pool, a children's pool, a whirlpool spa, two hydro massage pools, a sauna, a steam room, a jacuzzi and a gym. The sauna and steam room are included for members and hotel guests at no extra charge. Open Monday to Friday 6am to 9:30pm and weekends 7am to 8:30pm.
Talbot Fitness Ballincollig
The leisure club of the Talbot Hotel Cork in Ballincollig, west of the city, open to members and hotel guests. Its wet deck has a swimming pool, a separate children's pool, spa jet stations, an 8-seater jacuzzi, a sauna and a steam room, with an indoor relaxation area and a gym. Open weekdays 5:45am to 10pm and weekends 8am to 8pm; the wet deck closes 45 minutes earlier on weekdays.
The Maryborough Hotel & Spa
The ESPA spa of The Maryborough, a family-owned hotel in an 18th-century mansion set in gardens in Douglas. It runs two thermal suites: a mixed suite with a steam bath and a Finnish rock sauna, and a female-only suite with a laconium and a saunarium, both with a vitality pool, experience showers and an ice fountain. A bathing suit is required. Thermal suites open daily 9am to 8:30pm; spa packages include thermal access.
The Spa at The Kingsley
The spa of The Kingsley hotel at Victoria Cross, beside the River Lee. Its thermal suite has a Finnish sauna at 90 to 100 °C, aromatherapy steam baths, a hamam with Kneipp hoses, an infrared room, a salt therapy room, a 35 °C spa jacuzzi, experience and ice showers and a tepidarium. Non-treatment visitors can book a 90-minute Thermal Suite Experience Pass for €50, Monday to Thursday only. The hotel also runs a health club with a pool.
LeisureWorld Bishopstown
One of Cork's largest public leisure centres, run by LeisureWorld beside the Munster Technological University campus in Bishopstown. Alongside a 25 m pool, an 18 m pool and a learner pool, it has a health spa with saunas and a steam room for adults over 18. Anyone can visit on a pay-as-you-go basis; an adult PAYG visit costs €11 and covers pool, gym and classes.
LeisureWorld Churchfield
A public leisure centre on Cork's northside run by LeisureWorld, with a 25 m pool, a learner pool, a toddler fun pool and the city's only giant flume water slide. Next to the main pool is a health spa with a large sauna and a steam room, and the centre also has two gyms. Visitors can pay as they go without membership. The gym opens 7am to 8:45pm on weekdays (7:45pm Friday) and 9am to 5:45pm at weekends.
Mardyke Arena UCC
University College Cork's health and leisure centre on Mardyke Walk, open since 2001, with a gym, swimming pool, climbing wall and sports halls. Its relaxation area has a sauna, a steam room and heated seats. Pay-as-you-go access to the gym and pool has returned, so membership is not required. The centre opens 6:30am to 10:30pm on weekdays; the sauna and steam room close at 9:30pm on weekdays and 6:30pm at weekends.