Jump straight into the Columbia from this new Portland sauna
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Ebb and Ember's floating sauna is the first for the city, but definitely not the last. Photo: Courtesy of Tyler Gerhartz
It's 170 degrees inside. Outside, it's the Columbia River in January.
- Handling the heat isn't the hard part, it's deciding whether or not to jump in the bone-chilling water.
The big picture: Portland's first Norwegian-inspired floating sauna and cold plunge destination, Ebb and Ember, opened earlier this month — offering panoramic views of Mount Hood and a deeply restorative self-care experience year round.
Zoom in: The intimate, cedar-lined sauna fits up to 10 guests, includes an upper deck for lounging, showers and changing rooms.
- There's also a ladder into the river (plus some floaties and life vests) and a diving platform up top for those brave enough to dip into the Columbia's below-40, quick current between sauna cycles.
- Prices for a 1 hour and 45 minute social sauna session start at $49, while private bookings start at $450. Memberships are also available for between $99 and $149 a month.
My thought bubble: With large, north-facing windows, Ebb and Ember offers something most other saunas in the city don't: Nothing but river and sky (which helps to make the small space not feel suffocating even with passing boats rocking the room).
- While my Minnesota friend tells me floating saunas are already popular in Midwest states, they've only just recently been popping up across the country.
- With ample access to water here in Portland, I don't expect Ebb and Ember to be the only floating sauna for long.
If you go: Ebb and Ember (173 Northeast Bridgeton Rd.) is open daily from 7am to 9pm.