Hammam in Porto: the Steam Room at Mirra Spa
Wet heat, steam until you cannot see the door, and skin streaming within two minutes. The hammam of the thermal circuit, in the centre of Porto.
- ★ 4.9 · 5 reviews mention this treatment
- Near Trindade metro
- Opens at 9:00
At a glance
- Duration
- 90 min
- For
- 1 person, or two together
- Included
- Thermal Circuit: sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, cold plunge
Robe, slippers, locker, shower and tea after your treatment
Is it for you?
For you if…
- You find the sauna too dry and prefer heat you feel on the skin and in the breath.
- You want to prepare the skin for a scrub or a massage.
- You like alternating heat and cold and repeating without hurry.
- You want ninety minutes without a phone, in a place where nobody talks.
Not for you if…
- You are pregnant: we do not recommend the steam room or the sauna in pregnancy. Try Pregnancy Massage →
- You have a heart condition, uncontrolled blood pressure or have had a heart attack: speak to your doctor before you book.
- You have drunk alcohol in the last few hours, have a fever or an active infection: leave it for another day.
- You have asthma that worsens with humidity, or a skin condition in an acute phase: talk to us first.
| Treatment | Pressure | Duration | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam room | Not set | 90 min | from 20 € |
| Sauna | Not set | 90 min | from 20 € |
Your visit
Arrival
10 minutes before your time
Lounge
Wait in the lounge
The room
The treatment
90 min
Rest & tea
Thank you
See you next time
Total time at Mirra ≈ 1 h 55
Thermal Circuit prices
| Duration | 1 person | For two |
|---|---|---|
| 90 min | 20 €, Book 90 min · 1 person | 40 €, Book 90 min · For two20 € per person |
No extra costs · Card, MB Way, Multibanco · vouchers accepted
4.9 · 1,575 Google reviews +6 this week
This is my second time at this amazing spa, and it is truly my favourite in Porto!
I visited the sauna at Mirra Porto Spa last week as a walk-in without a reservation and was warmly welcomed by the hostess Giovanna.
I loved the experience- the massage tech was so lovely, her energy was calming and present.
💆🏽♀️ Unbelievable massage with Silvia after two hours of hammam and sauna. This place is really nice and clean and people are so kind.
I tried the massage, sauna, and facial during my trip, and every experience was fantastic.
The hammam in Porto that visitors ask us about is our steam room: the wet half of the thermal circuit at Mirra, a day spa in Porto city centre, next to the Finnish sauna and the cold shower. You go in wearing swimwear, sit on the warm stone bench, and within two minutes your skin is streaming: it is heat at a lower temperature than the sauna and near-total humidity, which makes it easier to bear and softer on the skin. We are near Trindade metro station. You book the circuit, not the steam room alone.
Why take the hammam in Porto at Mirra
The pairing with the sauna. The dry heat of the sauna and the wet heat of the steam room do different things to the body, and the circuit exists to alternate them: sauna, cold shower, steam, shower, rest. People who know only one of the two usually find they prefer the sequence.
The skin. Steam softens the skin in minutes, which is why the body scrub is done here, with the kese glove or with a product, in the manner of a traditional hammam. If you book a scrub or a massage after the circuit, you reach the table with the skin ready.
The time and the place. Ninety minutes is enough for two or three full rounds with rest between them. The visit includes robe, slippers, locker, shower and tea after your treatment. The Baixa, Porto’s downtown, near Trindade metro station. Opening hours: Every day, 9am–10pm. Arrive 10 minutes early.
Clear rules. A mixed, shared circuit, in swimwear, with a limited number of people at a time. Silence inside the steam room and the sauna. It is a spa: you come in to sweat, and that is all that happens here.
How to use the steam room
Going in
After a warm shower, go in and sit on the bench, on your towel or directly on the warm stone, as you prefer. For the first two minutes the steam feels like a lot; then the breathing settles. Breathe through the nose, slowly. Ten to fifteen minutes at a time is enough.
Shower and cold
On the way out, a cold shower, feet first. After steam the cold feels less sharp than after the sauna, which is why many people start the circuit in the steam room and only then move to the sauna. Rest ten minutes in the lounge, with water.
Sauna and repeat
The Finnish sauna is the other half: dry heat, eight to twelve minutes, cold shower, rest. Go back to the steam if you feel like it. Two or three rounds fit into ninety minutes, and the order is yours. If you have a scrub or a massage booked, stop twenty minutes before.
Benefits
On the steam room specifically there is no good research that separates its effect from the sauna’s, so we tell you nothing the science does not. On the sauna, studies associate regular use, in a group of middle-aged Finnish men, with lower cardiovascular mortality; an association, not a demonstrated cause.1 What steam does for certain is what you feel: soft skin on the way out, easier breathing for a few hours, and that night’s sleep.
Afterwards
Drink water, more than you feel like. Moisturise: after steam the skin takes cream better. Avoid alcohol for the next few hours and do not drive straight away if you feel soft. If you have a massage booked, tell the therapist where you have come from: she adjusts the oil and the pressure to warm, damp skin.
The sauna page explains the dry half of the circuit. The body scrub is the natural treatment to follow the steam, and the relaxation massage the one most booked afterwards. The full thermal circuit, with prices, has its own page, and it can be a gift voucher.
- Laukkanen T, Khan H, Zaccardi F, Laukkanen JA. Association between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015;175(4):542-548. PMID 25705824.
The space and the team
Our team
Make it a ritual
Give it
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a steam room and a sauna?
Humidity. The sauna is dry heat at a high temperature; the steam room is wet heat at a lower temperature with near-total steam. Both make you sweat. Steam is easier to bear and leaves the skin softer; the sauna heats deeper.
Can I book only the steam room?
You book the thermal circuit, which includes the steam room, the sauna and the cold shower, for ninety minutes. Inside the circuit you use what you like.
Is the steam room mixed?
Yes. It is a shared space, for everyone, in swimwear, inside the thermal circuit of a day spa. It is not a reserved or cruising space: you come in to sweat, and that is all that happens here.
How long should I stay in the steam?
Ten to fifteen minutes at a time. Come out, take a cold shower and rest ten minutes before going back or moving to the sauna. Two or three rounds fit into ninety minutes.
Can I have a scrub in the steam room?
Yes. The body scrub is done in the hammam, with the kese glove or a product, once the skin has softened in the steam. Book it with the circuit and the therapist calls you when it is time.
Can I cancel or reschedule?
Cancellation policy: full refund of the deposit if you cancel at least 24 hours in advance. After that, the deposit is not refunded.
When should I arrive, and what is included?
Arrive 10 minutes early. Includes robe, slippers, locker, shower and tea after your treatment.
How can I pay?
Card, MB Way and Multibanco. Bookings between 8pm and 11pm ask for a 30% deposit.
Getting here
Open every day, 09:00–22:00
