Holidays in Iceland: Six unforgettable bathing opportunities for your trip

The Icelandic-German writer Kristof Magnusson tells this anecdote in his “Instructions for Iceland”: An American strikes up a conversation with a woman in one of the many thermal baths on the island. He asks her what she does for a living. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir replies: “I am President.” He: “From which company?” She: “From Iceland.”

It was no big deal for locals to see the woman who was the head of her country from 1980 to 1996 (a world first at the time) in a bathing suit. Swimming pools are an integral part of Icelandic culture. Around the island there are more than 170 mostly geothermally heated outdoor pools in a country with just 365,000 inhabitants. No matter how small and remote a village may be, there is always a warm paddling pool in which to discuss politics and society or make a big speech. There is also an unknown number of natural hot springs without bathing infrastructure. Yes, there are even warm rivers in the middle of wild nature, whose “hot pots” (Icelandic: heitir pottar) are suitable for soaking at temperatures of up to 45 degrees.

If you don’t go to the swimming pool in Iceland, you’re missing out

In short: If you don’t visit a swimming pool in Iceland, you won’t really get to know and understand the country. They are not just places to warm up in the long, cold and dark winter, but important social meeting places. Swimming is a compulsory subject in physical education classes, and senior citizens usually enjoy free admission to the bathing establishments. The sagas report that hot springs were used for bathing as early as the Middle Ages. The Snorralaug in Reykholt, for example, was built by the poet and historian Snorri Sturlusson, who was born in the 12th century. The round pool, fed by a hot spring, is still used today.

In fact, no outdoor pool is like the other. Alone: ​​Most tourists only see the Blue Lagoon because it is so conveniently located on the route between Keflavík International Airport and the capital Reykjavík. The milky-blue color of the water caused by diatoms and the location in the middle of a black, jagged lava field are quite impressive. But in the meantime, the tourist attraction is just as overcrowded (and overpriced) as the “Golden Circle”, the day tour in which the most famous sights of the island are explored by bus.

Speaking of which, overtourism was an issue in the small country before the pandemic, and it is again now. There is therefore a lot to be said for visiting the lesser-known north of the island, true to the motto: “Soak like a local”. Especially since exciting new thermal baths have been created here in recent years, which score with modern architecture and dream views of the fjords – the following selection proves it:

The geothermal outdoor pool at Lake Mývatn, the fourth largest in Iceland, is in no way inferior to its big sister, the Blue Lagoon. It’s just a lot quieter here. The also milky-blue water is rich in minerals and has a temperature from 36 to 40 degrees. Due to the natural chemical composition, there is no need to add chlorine, the sulfur in the water is said to alleviate skin and respiratory diseases such as asthma. In the two steam baths you can relax after a hard day full of activities (ski tours, heliski and snowmobile trips in winter – hiking, mountain biking and fishing in summer).

More information at: https://myvatnnaturebaths.is

For many years, the geothermal water flowed unused into Eyjafjörður, Iceland’s longest fjord at 60 kilometers. Elvar Reykjalin, Hauganes’ most famous cod fisherman, thought to himself: It can’t stay like this. He set up hot tubs on the black lava sand beach of Sandvíkurfjara, which are popular with locals and tourists alike. Also because it is probably the only south-facing beach in all of North Iceland, and accordingly well protected against the cold north winds.

Before you soak, be sure to take a tour of the Reykjalin family’s fish factory. It’s called Ekta Fiskur (Real Fish) because it’s the only one that still works according to the old recipe: soaking the freshly caught cod in Portuguese salt to make the bacalau or bacalao (cod) coveted in southern Europe. “Only we still work in such a traditional way. Everyone else uses cheaper industrial salt,” explains Elvar’s grandson Simmi.

Oh yes, sometimes a Greenland shark gets caught in the net. Because it cannot be reset, it is fermented into the notorious rotten shark. However, the small pieces that tourists get to taste are not really “ripe” yet. The culinary test of courage hardly deserves the name. After that, you should definitely go to the Baccalá Bar, which also belongs to the family, and where cod pizza is on the menu, among other things.

The small town of Hofsós on the Tröllaskagi peninsula on the east bank of Skagafjörður boasts one of the most beautiful outdoor pools in Iceland. The bath, donated by a wealthy citizen, was built at ground level in the hills above the sea. At first glance, it is hardly recognizable from the street. If you then lie in the 30-degree warm water, you have the feeling of being right by the sea, and the island of Drangey seems close enough to touch. If you are lucky, you can even see whales in the fjord. The pool is about 20 by 20 meters large enough for swimming, and there is also a separate whirlpool.

By the way, the architect is the one who also designed the famous Blue Lagoon. It is particularly decadent to fly directly to Hofsós after heli-skiing. The chopper can land on the meadow next to the pool and you can walk into the changing rooms with ski boots on your feet. Live like God in Iceland – and swim with a sea view when outside temperatures are around freezing. If you still have time, you can then take a look at the basalt formations on the coast near Staðarbjargavík. According to legend, this was the capital of the elves of Skagafjörður.

I am sitting in a large tub made of tropical iroko wood (kambala). This does not contain pure water, but – literally – a “brew” of beer, water, yeast and hops. It’s supposed to be good for my skin, but I’m starting to get bored, especially since you’re not supposed to drink the mixture. Luckily there is a “pump” next to the tub, from which fresh light water runs into my glass. By the time the 25 minutes were up, I had three refills. This is how happiness can also be defined: no appointments and easy sitting. To sober up, I first switch to the Finnish hot-air sauna, although dry sweating doesn’t have as many fans in Iceland as it does in Scandinavia.

The Bjórböðin SPA has been open since 2017. And it is also well received by the locals to escape the stresses of modern life for a few hours. Personally, I like the two outdoor hot tubs even better because you can enjoy an amazing view of Eyjafjörður from here. Afterwards it’s off to the restaurant, of course with a beer twist too: lobster in beer tempura, and beer ice cream for dessert. The dishes are served with – of course: local craft beers. And you bring beer soap to your loved ones at home.

The newest geothermal spa (opening late May 2022) is Forest Lagoon in the small forest of Vaðlaskógur, just a few minutes drive from Akureyri, Iceland’s northern capital. At the center of the 1,300-square-meter area are two tree-lined infinity pools overlooking the fjord waters, or grabbing a drink at one of the two swim-up bars, which is very, very popular with Icelanders is. There is also a cold pool and a sauna with panoramic windows for up to 200 visitors, who can enjoy themselves in the warm water until midnight every day.

The thermal water for the pools comes from the spring in the mountain behind the complex. The “treasure” was discovered in 2014 during tunnel drilling. Sigríður Hammer, who lived in Germany for many years, and her husband Finnur Aðalbjörnsson invested the equivalent of 7.5 million euros in the spectacular project, for which Hrólfur Karl Cela is responsible for the architecture. His office, Basalt Architects, also helped design the Blue Lagoon and Geosea Spa in Húsavík.

In 2017, this pool located directly above the sea was launched. With a drink in hand, I look out for whales in Skjálfandi Bay, as Húsavík is the best place for whale watching in Iceland. If you don’t see any of the marine mammals, you can always try the Northern Lights, because you are almost at the latitude of the Arctic Circle here. However, it is at least as exciting to listen to the Icelanders bathing – and gossiping. The group of men next to me even starts singing a local folk song. With their deep bass voices it sounds as if original Vikings are approaching.

But they are probably only sheep breeders from the surrounding farmsteads. In Húsavík, there is definitely a tradition of using heat from the earth. Drilling in the mid-20th century uncovered hot seawater too rich in minerals to be used to heat homes. But you didn’t want to just throw it away either. So a big barrel was set up to catch the water. From then on, the locals met there to wash themselves and to cure skin diseases. One of the two boreholes that provide the water for the Geosea spa is where this barrel used to be. The other hole was dug in the harbor. The water from these two sources does not need to be treated with chlorine or other chemicals: the constant flow ensures that the quality is consistently high.

More information at: www.geosea.is