The Banya

The Banya is a bathhouse in Mullumbimby, Byron Bay (NSW). It also appears in our wood-fired & outdoor listings. Facilities listed for The Banya include wood-fired, cold plunge, steam room and mineral / hot pool. It is one of 3 saunas SaunaFindr lists in Byron Bay.

This guide explains what to expect at The Banya, from the facilities and session format to prices, getting there and similar venues close by, so you can decide whether it suits you before you book.

The Banya uses a wood-fired heater, which gives the heat a softer, slightly smoky character and a crackle you do not get from electric stoves. Wood-fired saunas are often found in outdoor settings, such as beaches, lakes, gardens and pontoons, and pair naturally with a cold dip outside. The area near the stove is the hottest, so move further away if it feels intense.

The Banya pairs its heat with a cold plunge. Moving from sauna to cold water is the core of contrast therapy, and most people find a plunge in the 8–15°C range bracing but manageable. Step in rather than jumping, keep your breathing slow, and follow it with a few minutes of rest before your next round.

The Banya also has a steam room. Steam rooms run much cooler than saunas, often around 40–50°C, but at close to 100% humidity, so the heat feels heavy and wraps around you. Many people like to alternate between dry sauna and steam, or use the steam room as a gentler warm-up.

A visit to The Banya works like most modern bathhouses: you book a timed session, check in, change into swimwear and then move freely between the heat, the cold and the warm pools at your own pace. A good rhythm is a sauna round of 10–15 minutes, a short cold plunge, then a few minutes resting or soaking before you go again. Bathhouses are social spaces, but most have quiet zones and expect phones to stay in the lockers. Allow time at the end to shower, rehydrate and cool down properly before you head off.

We have not yet confirmed a current starting price for The Banya. As a guide, the typical listed starting price for saunas in Australia is around $46, though prices vary with session length and facilities. Most venues sell timed sessions online, and weekend and evening slots tend to sell out first. Prices and session times change, so confirm the current rates on the The Banya website before you go.

The Banya is at 35-37 Burringbar Street, Mullumbimby NSW 2482. The map on this page shows its location, and the Get directions button opens the route in Google Maps.

Byron Bay is best reached by car; the nearest airports are Ballina Byron Gateway and Gold Coast Airport. Mullumbimby is a short drive inland from town.

• Wood-fired stoves radiate strongly. Sit further from the firebox if the heat feels too intense.
• Enter the cold plunge feet-first and slowly, and get out whenever you need to. There is no target time.
• Rinse off before the steam room and keep steam sessions shorter than sauna rounds.
• Drink water before and after, skip alcohol, and leave the heat straight away if you feel dizzy or unwell.
• Check what The Banya provides, such as towels, robes, lockers and toiletries, so you know what to pack.

Saunas and cold water are not for everyone. If you are pregnant or have a heart condition, high or low blood pressure or another medical condition, ask your doctor first.

If The Banya is booked out, or you want to compare, the closest alternatives in our directory are Social Remedy Byron Bay (12 km away, gym or health club with a sauna), Navia Bathhouse Byron Bay (15 km away, bathhouse) and The Bathhouse at Ground Currumbin (43 km away, bathhouse). You can also browse all saunas in Byron Bay or see every venue on the sauna map.