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Why Off-Peak Sauna Visits and Weekday Micro-cations Are the New Wellness Trend
The shift toward shorter trips is not a niche preference, and in Canada it has taken on an additional dimension with many hesitating to travel south of the border. A Leger survey found that 77% of Canadian travellers planning a summer trip intended to stay within Canada, up from 69% the previous year, with more Canadians choosing to explore their own province or a neighbouring one. By spring 2026, that domestic travel intention had risen further, with 67% of Canadians planning to travel within Canada, up sharply from 49% the year prior.
Bowen Island, 20 minutes from Horseshoe Bay by ferry, is exactly the kind of destination this shift is moving toward.
A Private Sauna and Cold Plunge in the Rainforest on Bowen Island, 20 Minutes from Vancouver
Bowen Island sits just a 20-minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay, close enough to reach on a weekday afternoon and far enough that the city disappears from your mind. Once the ferry docks into Snug Cove, the currents of water, wind, birds, and forest take over.
Mist Thermal Sanctuary is a private sauna and cold plunge spa set inside that forest, on the same land as Nectar Yoga Retreat. It is one of the few places in British Columbia where the thermal experience is set outdoors, among the towering trees, without the ambient noise of the city bleeding through. The outdoor showers and cold plunge draw from an aquifer beneath the property. The wood-fire sauna looks out into the canopy. Between circuits, you rest by a fire while the ferns and conifers do what they do.