Long Street Baths

Of the 20 spots listed in an article on where "you can experience Cape Town like a local," the one that got my attention first was a visit to the Long Street Baths.

A temazcal in Cabo

I love baths! Turkish baths, Finnish saunas and especially Japanese sentos. But I guess there is not enough of a Japanese nor a Finnish contingent in Cape Town to support their versions ... so Turkish it is!

Cağaloğlu Hamam, Istanbul

I make it a point to scope out the public baths in cities whenever I travel. Istanbul has the legendary Cağaloğlu Hamam which I visited when I was there. When in London, I like the Pasha for Turkish or the Finnish Church for its fragrant silver birch sauna. In Helsinki, it is the Katiharju Sauna.

Budapest takes advantage of natural thermal springs for its Turkish baths. It is not the oldest thermal spa in Budapest - that would be the Veli Bej - but for my money the Art Nouveau baths at the Gellért Hotel are the prettiest. (PS Gellért Baths used to have a women only and a men only area like most Turkish baths, but I understand that since its extensive renovations, it has become fully coed and all areas are open to everyone.)

Paris

Paris has its hammams in the Medina Center or the one at the Grand Mosque. I adore the herbal steam at the Three Seasons in Tokyo and the bath salt smorgasbord at the Kabuki Springs & Spa in San Francisco.

herbal "tea" to pour on the hot rocks

Other cultures have their bathing rituals too of course, although not necessarily offered in such a public venue. We went for a traditional Mayan temazcal at our resort spa in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and we did a spa version of a Native American sweat lodge in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Both use aromatic herbs similar to the Japanese baths.

The Long Street Baths in Cape Town were founded in 1927. There is a cold plunge pool, massage rooms, a sauna, two hot steam rooms and a cool down room. They make a sweet tea drink but I brought my own water and lots of it! There is also a swimming pool but I didn't use it.

Like many public baths with limited space, there are women only days and men only days. Just make sure you pick the right day or any chance of blending in like a local is shot!