A Finnish ironwoman's guide to Finland's best outdoor icy plunges

Elina Mäkinen was the first Finnish woman to complete the Ice Mile. Here are her top ice bathing experiences, from plunges under the Northern Lights to paying homage to Arctic gods.

From the technicolour sky dance of the Northern Lights to freely roaming reindeer, Finnish Lapland is a true winter wonderland. Its frozen Arctic landscapes, pristine natural waters and rich sauna tradition also provide the ideal backdrop for ice bathing – the traditional holistic practice of submerging the body either fully or partially in ice-cold water.

We spoke with Finnish ice swimmer Elina Mäkinen to learn more about this hallowed self-care ritual. Though Mäkinen is renowned for breaking records in distance ice swimming, she stresses that ice swimming – and ice bathing – are a personal, not competitive experience. "I only have the need to compete with myself," she says. "The ice hole is a place to learn about yourself and your reactions."

Finland's sauna culture, part of Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, dates back thousands of years, and ice bathing has always gone hand in hand with wintry sauna sessions. In recent years, the practice has become more mainstream and its health benefits have become better known.

"Its popularity surged during and after the Covid-19 pandemic," says Mäkinen. "While many once practiced it to relieve from ailments like rheumatism, today, no specific reason is needed to take the plunge. Ice bathing now stands alongside yoga, meditation and other practices focused on self-discovery. People use it for various benefits – some to improve sleep, others to wake up in the morning."

In cities like Helsinki or Tampere – the sauna capital of the world – many saunas offer ice bathing, with both traditional public saunas and modern lakeside spas providing safe environments for taking your first dip in frozen waters. In more remote locations, such as Lapland, many hotels and cottages offer the unique experience of pairing a steamy sauna session with a frosty plunge into an ice hole.

Here are Mäkinen's top five Arctic winter wonderland spots for ice bathing.

Due to very little light pollution, Finnish Lapland – a sparsely populated region with about 176,000 inhabitants in an area roughly the size of Scotland and Wales combined – is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights. And according to Mäkinen, home to wonderful lakes for ice bathing.

"I start my ice bathing season in Särkitunturi, because the small lakes up on the tiny mountain freeze faster," says Mäkinen. "I have often swum here under the Northern Lights."

Särkitunturi is a 492m-tall mount with sweeping views of the gently rounded slopes of the Pallastunturi fell; recognised in 1994 as one of Finland's top national landscapes. Arriving is relatively easy – by Lapland standards. A drive from Muonio takes 20 minutes with parking available along Route 79 to begin the hike up.

Mäkinen often makes her own ice holes in the Arctic wilderness using an ice saw, a drill, tongs, ice pick or rope in case the ice block has to be lifted on top of the ice – and a motor saw on very special occasions. But she also has a tip for a more easy-going dip: "If you prefer a sauna and a ready-made ice hole, just call to Särkijärven majat [lodges]." These rustic lakeside cabins offer accommodation and a wood-fired sauna by the lakeside – borrow the provided woollen socks to stay warmer while dipping in the water.

Website: https://sarkijarvenmajat.fi/

Address: Särkijärventie 40, 99300 Muonio

Phone: +358 400 905 863

Instagram: @sarkijarvenmajat

Kuusamo, a city of about 15,000 inhabitants with an airport near Finland's eastern border, lies just below the Arctic Circle and is home to some of the country's most dramatic scenery scenery, featuring canyons, waterfalls and vast forests that create a sense of limitless wilderness. "It's very [impressive], and you get away from the hustle and bustle of city life," says Mäkinen.

Just a 50-minute drive north-east from here, to an area even more remote, you'll find Isokenkäisten Klubi. "It is a wilderness lodge," says Mäkinen. "A fabulous log cottage in the middle of nowhere."

Originally built as a winter retreat for Finnish presidents and prime ministers, the lodge combines tradition with modern comfort, offering both a traditional smoke sauna heated up with birch logs and a modern electric sauna. Naturally, there is an ice hole for a refreshing Finnish experience. The club is also part of the Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) programme, a framework of sustainable tourism establishments in Finland.

Isokenkäisten Klubi was featured in the documentary Cold, as this is where Mäkinen built a 10m-long practice pool for her Ice Mile swim.

Website: https://www.ikk.fi/en/

Address: Heikinjärventie 3, 93800 Kuusamo

Phone: +358 400 972 260 /+358 40 706 6839

Instagram: @isokenkaistenklubi

"The Arctic Sauna World is the paradise of the north," says Mäkinen, describing the cluster of four saunas by the scenic shores of Lake Jerisjärvi, close to the Pulju Wilderness Area in northern Lapland. Jerisjärvi is a sacred lake for the indigenous Sámi people of Finland, with a sacrificial and burial ground close by, and is known for its abundance of fish.

Jeris Arctic Sauna World hosts various types of saunas, from smoke sauna to a sauna with an upper floor for viewing the Northern Lights, all named after Finland's traditional gods: Tapio (the revered god of forests), Ukko (god of weather, harvest and thunder), Ilmatar (goddesses of the air) and Vellamo (goddess of water). From the saunas, it’s an easy – yet chilling – dip into the ready-made avanto (ice hole), just a few steps away.

"You can see the Olos fells [in] the background, and many stunning sunsets and golden hours in January happen especially here. This might be the world's most beautiful ice hole," says Mäkinen.

There are hotels in the area, and even if your accommodation is further away, a bus will connect you to the site. "In the Ylläs-Pallas-Levi-Olos region, everyone can get here," says Mäkinen. "Even if it takes an hour to drive, in these regions, that's a short trip."

Website: https://harriniva.fi/en/arctic-sauna-world/

Address: Jerisjärventie 91, 99300 Muonio

Phone: +358 400 155 100

Instagram: @arcticsaunaworld

For a winter hike, Mäkinen calls Lake Hietajärvi in the northern parts of Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park a "hidden gem" and "worth the adventure" with its crystal-clear water and outdoor fireplace – a "laavu" – to warm up after a swim, with firewood on-site provided by the Finnish government. "For us Finns, lakes with clear water are magnificent as our lakes are often very humic," says Mäkinen. "The light-coloured sandy beach makes an impression. It's a real reward just to find this place."

The lake is far from any habitation and somewhat difficult to reach, although there are route signs for hiking from the Ketomella bridge parking spot. However, you are likely to spot many of the furry, hooved locals during your hike here. "You have to pass reindeer roundup sites and you might encounter a lot of reindeer," says Mäkinen. Fun fact: there are more reindeer (around 200,000) living in Finnish Lapland than there are people.

Mäkinen notes that this experience is for advanced ice swimmers as you need your own equipment, such as an ahkio (a long sledge for snowy conditions) and an ice saw, to create the ice hole. "Whenever you go for a hike to find ice bathing spots, you need to make sure of safety and warm up after [the plunge]," she says. "But for sure, you'll be the only person in winter to make up an ice hole here."

In the northernmost reaches of Arctic Lapland, Lake Kilpisjärvi and Mount Saana, the 1,029m mountain rising on its shore, form a revered landscape, lauded in songs and paintings.

"I lived in Kilpisjärvi (village) one winter for three months," says Mäkinen. "Normally, there are about 100 inhabitants. It's a very communal place and immensely beautiful – you'll also get a little piece of the Swedish and Norwegian mountains. If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be here."

For those planning to visit these Arctic reaches of Finland, there are accommodation options that make it a breeze to take a dip in lake Kilpisjärvi. "In case you don't have your own gear to cut an ice hole, you can visit Kilpisjärvi Lapland Hotel's sauna and their ice hole, which is kept open with pumps," Mäkinen says.

However, Mäkinen tends to cut her ice holes herself, and made more than 10 of them here last year.

"While you can cut an ice hole in the middle of an Arctic lake, you should always pay attention to locals moving with snowmobiles, make sure the ice hole is properly marked and that no ice blocks are left on the lake," warns Mäkinen. When asked if she's ever met other ice swimmers on her trips to Arctic lakes, Mäkinen laughs: "No, not swimmers. But ice hole fishers, yes. They walk over and say that I've made quite a big hole for fishing."

Website: https://www.laplandhotels.com/FI/lapin-hotellit/kilpis/lapland-hotels-kilpis.html

Address: Käsivarrentie 14206, 99490 Kilpisjärvi

Phone: +358 16 323 300

Instagram: @laplandhotels_kilpis

BBC Travel's The SpeciaList is a series of guides to popular and emerging destinations around the world, as seen through the eyes of local experts and tastemakers.

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