BLOG
Best Things to Do on Bowen Island
Just a 20-minute ferry from Horseshoe Bay, Bowen is the perfect place to chase island charm or sneak in a little wellness for a 2-night stay or day trip from Vancouver. Here’s how to enjoy the best of Bowen Island (our own Bowen top picks) with easeful rest and a sense of wonder.
Visiting Vancouver? There's a Private Forest Spa 20 Minutes Away
If you have spent time in a hammam in Marrakech, a bathhouse in Istanbul, a therme in Baden-Baden, or a temazcal in Mexico City, you already know what that calm thing is. You may know contrast therapy as something mundane, built into how cities function, how bodies are maintained, how people recover and rest. If you’re visiting Vancouver, and want a reprieve from the noise and stimulation, you just might want to know where to find a sauna.
Bowen Island is a 20-minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. Once the ferry docks at Snug Cove, the currents of water, sea breeze,, birds, and forest take over. Mist Thermal Sanctuary is a private wood-fire sauna and cold plunge Bowen Island forest spa, next door to Nectar Yoga Retreat, and the best part is it’s close enough from the city to reach even outside of the weekend.
What is Contrast Therapy? How Does Cold Plunging Help Our Body Adapt to Stress in Healthy Ways?
Modern scientific research supports these traditional practices. The concept of hormesis—where exposure to mild stressors strengthens the body's ability to withstand greater stress—explains how contrast therapy enhances circulation, promotes detoxification, and boosts immune function. Hormesis, a biological phenomenon, occurs when a low-dose exposure to a stressor, such as exposure to temperature extremes, induces adaptive benefits, leading to improved resilience and cellular health.