Skin Contact

In Northeast Portland, You Can Take a Bath in Wine (Sort Of)

Hey, it’s cheaper than a trip to Bordeaux.

07/28/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson Illustrations by Tara Jacoby

Best of PDX

Your Quintessential Portland Bucket List: 50 Things to Do in Town

These are our city's can't-miss activities, whether you’ve lived here all your life or are just passing through.

03/26/2025 By Portland Monthly Staff

Soak Spots

Best Hot Springs Near Portland

Let off some steam in nature's hot tubs.

02/18/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden, Rebecca Jacobson, and Margaret Seiler

Oregon Is for Lovers

6 Romantic Getaways in Oregon

Vintage trailers? Sprawling ranch? Luxurious coastal spa? Take your pick.

02/03/2025 By Portland Monthly Staff

City Soak

A Luxe Hotel and Thermal Spa Opens in NE Portland

Cascada brings thermal pools, fitness classes, and Portuguese-Japanese dining to the Alberta Arts district.

01/15/2025 By Alex Frane

Travel

9 Grand Lodges of the Pacific Northwest

For every season, there’s a dream destination.

11/07/2024 Edited by Ramona DeNies By Portland Monthly Staff

Fact Check

What Is Contrast Therapy and Does It Work?

Advocates say alternating between hot saunas and cold plunges can have major wellness benefits. The research is a little more complicated.

11/05/2024 By Erin Ross Illustrations by Derek Abella

Heating Up

Oregon’s Sauna Scene Has Never Been Better

Meet the new sauna evangelists changing the way we shvitz.

11/05/2024 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Sauna 101

A Beginner’s Guide to the Wide World of Sauna and Steam

Should you go electric? Wood-burning? What the heck is infrared? And how do you avoid the spa faux pas?

11/04/2024 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden Illustrations by Derek Abella

Warming Up

How Knot Springs Makes Its Saunas Smell So Good

The Portland spa enlisted fragrance design studio Maak Lab to develop custom oil blends for its steam room and sauna rocks.

10/30/2024 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Heat Seeking

Destination Saunas in Oregon and Beyond

Shvitz in a “wine barrel,” cold plunge in a river, or soak up the steam from a bubbling hot spring.

10/30/2024 Edited by Brooke Jackson-Glidden and Rebecca Jacobson

Hot Spots

The Best Saunas In and Around Portland

Bask in fir-scented steam, lounge near the hearth in a 200-degree cabin, or blast Mitski in your own private suite at one of these Portland spas.

10/23/2024 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden and Allecia Vermillion

Perfect Plans

Doe Bay Resort: What to Do, Where to Stay, and What to Eat

Don't be misled by "resort" in its title, says our writer, who has visited for 30 years. Nestled in the San Juan Islands between mountains and water, this spot offers something for everyone, from campers to hikers to luxury seekers.

08/07/2023 By MaryRose Denton

Self-Care

4 Local Spa Treatments to Shake the Winter Doldrums

A Hawaiian massage, a float tank, and your choice of soaks

02/08/2023 By Karen Brooks, Katherine Chew Hamilton, Isabel Lemus Kristensen, and Margaret Seiler

Spa Day

Explore the Healing Powers of Reflexology at These Portland Spas

From Overlook to the Central Eastside, Slabtown to SE 82nd, check out these local spots for different takes on the traditional Chinese medicine practice.

01/26/2023 By Jordan Michelman

The Insider’s Guide to Mount Hood

Indoor Activities at Mt Hood for Those Who Loathe Winter Sports

Not a skier? Hit up a museum or book a spa treatment while your pals hit the slopes.

12/05/2022 By Michelle Harris and Sam Stites Illustrations by Chris Koelling

Top Medical Providers 2023

The Portland Area’s Top Massage Therapists, as Chosen by Their Peers

Meet the winners of our annual peer survey, when we ask local massage therapists and other complementary medicine health care providers to tell us the people they turn to.

11/18/2022 Edited by Margaret Seiler