In hectic times, a bit of cabin porn soothes the soul. These mirages in the wilderness have inspired many a coffee-table book, and become even more mesmerising when resting atop a glassy-still Nordic fjord or gently undulating among the Florida Keys. So go ahead, eye the natural beauty of these simple, small, serene stays that celebrate waterfront (and back) living. We’ve chosen five floating hideaways that promise the ultimate in seclusion.
Floating Safari Camp, Sweden
This bell-tented raft on Lake Degerselet in Swedish Lapland takes glamping to another level. Just five minutes by boat from the shore, it is a supremely immersive nature experience. On top of 360-degree views around the lake, guests can swim, paddle, fish, then cook the fish on a mid-lake BBQ. Two safari-style tents, plus a twin cabin, traditional wood-fired sauna and outdoor hot tub, are all comfortably Scandi-chic in light timber, clean lines and neutral tones. Just south of the Arctic Circle, it’s like the opposite of an oasis: a dry, warming spot in a watery wilderness.
Remote Floating Sauna, Canada
Serenity and solitude overlap at this cedar sauna in the western province of British Columbia. The small wooden cabin, which rests on top of a wooden dock with large windows framing views of the wild, is surrounded both by the water and the forest beyond. Part of Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort, only accessible by floatplane or helicopter, the cabin adds an additional layer of remote luxury complete with wood stove and paddleboard.
There must be something in the water up here in the Great White North, because Toronto got its first floating sauna and plunge pool this month. Loyly, with its striking black exterior and pale timber accents, combines Finnish heat and Canadian cold on the city’s waterfront. The sauna offers 75-minute sessions to help visitors feel ‘a little better than when they arrived’.
Flo Floating Cabin, Norway
Designed by Strom Artitektur and Studio OSMA, Flo Floating Cabin is a 323-square-foot homage to the natural beauty of Norway. The micro-cabin, which features a distinctive reverse pitched roof, uses locally sourced spruce for both the exterior cladding and interior finishes; a rough, split-trunk façade references the region’s historic log-driving industry. Located on the border with Sweden in the Halden Canal (the waterway used to transport the same sort of timber that built this cabin), Flo is small enough that it can reposition itself along the canal system from season to season. In 2025 it was anchored in Lake Rodensjoen, one of the five lakes the canal passes through on its meander through southeast Norway.
Ombi, USA
Just off the mangrove-lined shore of Key Largo in Florida, three floating bungalows have panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico — the first of their kind in the region when they opened in 2024. With wood panelling and thatched roofs, they have a Robinson Crusoe-tiki bar vibe. Partially submerged steps lead directly into the waters of Key Largo’s Tarpon Basin, designed to encourage guests to explore their immediate aquatic surroundings. Dolphins, manatees and sea turtles can all be spotted from the cabins, each of which comes with snorkelling equipment.
Aurora Hut, Iceland
A floating overnight in one of three igloos bobbing on the surface of Iceland’s Fjallsarlon Glacier Lagoon is a window to the natural world. The cabins, built using wood and insulted panels designed to withstand freezing temperatures, have panoramic windows offering 360-degree views of the lagoon, icebergs and night sky – spotting the Northern Lights is always a possibility in season. Each hut accommodates two people and has a timber nature-watching deck for taking in the breathtaking sight of Vatnajokull, the largest glacier in Europe, looming in the distance.
