A Wood-Fired Floating Sauna Brings the Heat to Vancouver Island’s Chilly Waters

Since 2018, prefab builder Aux Box has carved itself a little niche with its tiny backyard prefabs. The British Columbia company’s yoga studios, offices, and compact living spaces can be craned into place, allowing property owners to add square footage affordably and in turnkey fashion.

Now, Aux Box has taken to the water at the Tofino Resort & Marina on the west coast of Vancouver Island, where it just unveiled a wood-fired floating sauna that a group of four can book for the day.

A half-hour boat ride through the UNESCO-protected Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve delivers you to the cedar-clad prefab, where you can enjoy a steam, plunge in the icy Pacific, or relax in a hammock before an afternoon of kayaking, paddle boarding, or fishing.

To create the sauna, Aux Box modified one of its existing models, an 86-square-foot design with a covered deck and metal exterior cladding. Cedar was used throughout the interiors, from the floors, walls, and ceilings, and for the entryway and door. A large picture window, which was moved from the front to the back wall, gives guests a big, scenic view while they steam.