Bota Bota, spa-sur-l’eau

Bota Bota is a spa set on a boat moored in the Old Port, on the St Lawrence. The company calls its original vessel its first floating spa, and it has since added a second, the Pavillon, together with a garden on the shore called Les Jardins. It is reached by a wooden footbridge from the Old Port promenade.

The main experience is the water circuit, which must be reserved in advance. Massages and treatments can be booked separately, including a newer facial called Canopée, and La Traversée restaurant serves food on board. Gift packages and gift cards are sold through the website.

The spa is open from 10am to 10pm Monday to Thursday and from 9am to 10pm Friday to Sunday. Access is reserved for people aged 18 and over. Thursdays are branded Reconnexion days, when quiet conversation and mobile phones are allowed during the water circuit, which suggests the rest of the week is quieter, so pick your day according to the atmosphere you want. The Pavillon's third floor was closed for renovation until 30 October 2026.

Getting there takes a little planning, because the spa has no car park of its own and the postal address on rue de la Commune is not where you enter. The spa advises taking the metro to Square-Victoria-OACI, leaving by the Saint-Jacques exit and walking south on McGill Street to rue de la Commune West. Cross to the river side, enter the promenade and look for the footbridge about 50 metres to the left of the Maison des Éclusiers. Buses 715, 61 and 75 stop nearby, and there are BIXI bike stations close by and racks on the far side of the footbridge. Drivers can use the Grand Quai car park or King Edward Quay.

It suits couples, friends and solo travellers who want a restful half day, and its long opening hours make an evening visit after a day of sightseeing easy to arrange. Leave time to sit in Les Jardins or have a meal at La Traversée rather than rushing the circuit. The Old Port, Pointe-à-Callière and the start of the Lachine Canal are all a short walk away.