Which lagoon should I visit in Iceland?

Posted on by Julie

Iceland is now up to eleven lagoons, pools and geothermal experiences that are aimed at tourists, if we’re totally honest. Icelanders love hot water and the Blue Lagoon did start out as a request from the locals to bathe in the hot mineral-rich waste water from the power station but I’d bet you’ll find very few of them in there these days. So if you want an “authentic” experience, to bathe like the Icelanders, your best bet is to go to the local swimming pool (in Reykjavik, that’s Sundhöllin, Laugardalslaug and Vesturbæjarlaug). But if you want to go to a lagoon – and I absolutely would – here’s my rundown of the best.

All prices are for the cheapest and most basic level of admission tomorrow, Tuesday 31st March 2026, and checked on the evening of Saturday 28th March.

The Blue Lagoon

A selfie at the Blue Lagoon, laughing with my face covered in a white mud mask.
The Blue Lagoon in summer, looking across the water to the building. There are lots of people in the water near the building but there's an expanse of empty water between me and them, showing how much of the lagoon isn't crowded, even on a busy summer day.
A plastic cup of bright blue slushie with a blue striped straw in it, held up above the blue waters of the Blue Lagoon on a misty winter day.
The Blue Lagoon in the summer, looking quite green in the sunlight. There are lots of people in the water and on the horizon is the power station, steaming away.
Blue Lagoon shampoo, conditioner and body wash in muted grey containers in the showers.

The good: This is the big one, the very reason many people go to Iceland in the first place. It also has a reputation, not entirely deserved, for being “too touristy”. It’s for good reason – it’s a quintessentially Icelandic experience and it’s beautiful but while it’s very busy, a surprising number of people don’t venture out of sight of the in-water bar, so you can almost always find a quiet or even deserted hidden bay under a bridge or round a corner. Transport is easy – there are very regular shuttle buses running to it from Reykjavik and although there are only a handful of buses from the airport, it’s close enough that a taxi (use local company Hreyfill) isn’t too extortionate. It has an in-water bar, in-water mud mask bar and a cafe waterside inside, as well as a cafe in the lobby and one of Iceland’s best restaurants. It even has its own hotel with private lagoon if you’ve got the budget to escape the crowds.

The bad: It can get busy and it can get very expensive – see the aforementioned private lagoon. There’s been volcanic activity in the area for the last five years and eruptions can cause it to be evacuated on short notice but if you keep an eye on the Met Office’s volcano page, you can see whether there’s any particular risk – it’ll most likely take the form of a big yellow alert banner across the top. Some people don’t like the views – from some angles, you can see the power station next door. Personally, it makes me feel like I’m in some kind of moon spa, what with the black rock all around and the silver tubes and pipes of the power station but I appreciate that it’s not the kind of view you’d generally expect from a spa.

The weird: Yes, it really is waste water from the power station. It’s a geothermal power station, so the water is brought up from deep within the Earth, where it turns to steam on the way up, turns the turbines and is then condensed back into liquid water and cooled before being pumped back into the rock. Nothing dirty about it but it’s full of interesting and unusual minerals.

The price: A basic adult Comfort admission for tomorrow starts at 11 990 ISK (£72.50 / $96 / €83.60) for the last admission of the day but is 14 990 ISK (£90.60 / $120 / €104.50) for most of the day. That includes entrance, mud mask and towel. You can upgrade to Premium admission which adds in a prepaid drink at the in-water bar, a bathrobe (which you’ll hang up and then never be able to identify again) and a mud mask to take home and to Signature admission which includes two prepaid drinks, the algae and lava scrubs masks and 14 000 ISK-worth of Blue Lagoon Skincare products. Or you can upgrade to the Retreat Spa, which is the private one, with private changing rooms and a whole second private lagoon and I don’t even want to know how much that would cost.

The blog post: The Icelandic Guidebook: The Blue Lagoon

Earth Lagoon / Myvatn Nature Baths

A view over the lagoon from the edge. I think these days there's more of a division between the two pools than there was back then.
A view down to Myvatn and the mountains on the horizon from the edge of the furthest pool.
A timer selfie in front of the old facility building, with the orange-streaked mountain behind it.
Another selfie, this time floating on my back looking up blissfully at the cloudy sky, with the active volcano slope behind me.
The sun setting over the mountain opposite the Earth Lagoon, turning the many clouds yellow.

The good: Everything you like about the Blue Lagoon but smaller, wilder, cheaper and quieter. The Earth Lagoon (rebranded last year and previously known as Myvatn Nature Baths) is set on the side of an active volcano overlooking Lake Myvatn.

The bad: It’s currently closed as an extension is built and the existing facilities renovated. It’s also right up in the north-east of Iceland and really not feasible if you’re planning to stay around Reykjavik.

The weird: Also waste water from the power station, just a different power station!

The price: No idea at the moment

The blog post: I love Myvatn Nature Baths

Laugarvatn Fontana

A selfie in Fontana, me sitting at the far end of Sæla, the long shallow pool, among the black stone artworks.
Fontana by night. I think I'm in the natural pool but it's hard to tell when it's so dark. A set of stairs into a pool is silhouetted by a light and there's a string of fairy lights hanging up on the right.
Fontana as seen from the facility building's turf roof. To the right is Viska, the raised hot tub, and below is the natural lava pool.
Fontana's natural lava pool in such bright sunshine that the blue sky is reflecting off the dark water.
Sæla as seen from Viska, the raised hot pot. You can also see a bit of the view out across the lake and the mountains.

The good: Not as well known by tourists as the others, so it tends to be quieter. It’s in the Golden Circle region, so you can incorporate it into your Golden Circle day and has great views over the lake and mountains. Its steam room is fed from natural hot vents in the lakeshore and its geothermal bakery tours, where you bury a pot of rye dough in the hot sand and dig up the one buried there yesterday, is more popular than the pool itself.

The bad: Also closed for renovations. In the case of Fontana, the whole place is being ripped out and rebuilt from scratch, leaving almost nothing of the pool I’ve known for the last decade. While it’s wonderful that the steam room is so very natural, it also means it stinks to high heaven – they claim that this is something that isn’t going to change in the reborn Fontana, due to reopen in spring 2026.

The weird: This is the spot where the Icelanders of the day opted to be baptised in July 1000 when Christianity was brought to Iceland, rather than in the cold waters of the river that runs through Þingvellir, the Parliament Fields, where the decision was made.

The price: When it reopens on June 1st, one adult with no add-ons is currently £47.19 ($62.60 / €54.20).

The blog post: The A-Z of Iceland: F for Fontana

The Secret Lagoon

The roped-off side of the pool where the natural hot water pours from the ground.
Looking across the pool to the very basic building housing the cafe and changing rooms.
The Secret Lagoon in the rain. On the right is a roofless old hut and the field of geysers that fills the pool.
A selfie floating on a pool noodle, with the water refraction making my legs look incredibly long.
The Secret Lagoon gleaming in the sunshine, with the building on the left and the geysers on the right.

The good: A very natural authentic pool where the children of Flúðir have been learning to swim for a century. It’s the cheapest of all the lagoons in Iceland and very simple. It’s also on the Golden Circle, which means it’s a very easy trip out from Reykjavik or again, incorporate it into your Golden Circle day.

The bad: There’s no temperature control – it’s fed directly by the geysir fenced off next door. That makes it very natural and that has its appeal but it does mean it tends to be hotter than most pools and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Last I heard, this was the only lagoon that doesn’t have any private shower cubicles and the changing rooms are a renovated barn.

The weird: There’s a box of pool noodles that you can just help yourself to if you fancy floating around the pool.

The price: Basic adult admission tomorrow is 4 500 ISK (£27.20 / $36 / €31.40). You can add on renting towels, swimsuits & robes but they’re not included in the price, nor is there any upgraded package available.

The blog post: The Golden Circle and the Secret Lagoon | Iceland 2022

Krauma

Deildartunguhver bubbling up boiling water out in the car park (before Krauma was built; it will be on the slope up to the right).
The big warm central pool. The water is quite dark because the pool itself is entirely black and there's a black wooden wall for hanging your robes on behind it.
Me holding a massive glass of Coke in the central pool.
Krauma as seen from the path up from the car park, where the front pool pokes out from behind turf walls, giving you a glimpse inside from outside and of the hot spring from the inside.
The restaurant building and the pools seen from my favourite shallow dish pool in the corner.

The good: Krauma is a series of hot pools of various temperatures, all made out of gleaming black stone. There’s nothing natural about it; it’s got “design award winner” written all over it. There’s a wall around it but a gap at the front where you can sit in one of the deeper but mid-temperature hot pots and look out over the natural source at the bottom of the garden and in the black cube buildings, you’ll find a sauna, steam room and relax room with an open log fire. As a bonus, something about Krauma doesn’t appeal to tourists the way most of the others do so it’s generally quieter here.

The bad: There’s no in-water bar – you’ll need to flag down a waiter and request a drink.

The weird: Krauma is fed by a giant hot spring in the car park – Deildartunguhver (dial-dar-tungu-kver) is Europe’s biggest hot spring, spewing out up to 180 litres of boiling water per minute. It feeds Krauma and the nearby towns of Borgarnes and Akranes, as well as all the farms and hamlets in the region. It also looks a bit like a big pile of steaming dirt right outside.

The price: Adult admission is 7 900 ISK (£47.80 / $63.30 / €55).

The blog post: Is Krauma overpriced and overrated?

Geosea

The sun setting over the pool and almost silhouetting the building over the pool.
The infinity edge of the pool seeming to flow into the fjord which is actually a long way down the cliff but from this angle just seems to continue from Geosea's pool.
The Geosea building with the main pool in front of it and the bar pool to the right.
A bright pink slushie in a branded cup in the main pool with the lighthouse in the background.
A selfie in Geosea under a scorching evening summer sun.

The good: These two pools, joined together by a little bridge, are set right on top of the cliff, with amazing views out across the fjord. Husavik is Iceland’s whale-watching capital and a bit of a tourist hub up here, so it was inevitable that they were going to get some kind of geothermal experience eventually.

The bad: This is also right up in the north east. Great if you’re doing a Ring Road trip but you’re not going to be daytripping here from Reykjavik. You have to climb out of the pool and into the bar pool to get a drink and on sunny days, there’s absolutely no shade here.

The weird: Unlike most of the other pools, which are supplied by freshwater hot springs, Geosea’s hot spring is seawater, hence the name.

The price: Basic admission is 7 490 ISK (£45.30 / $60 / €52.20).

The blog post: Visiting Geosea

Vök Baths

The bridge across the lake to the hexagonal pools with the landside pools and buildings on the other side.
A selfie floating in the bar pool back on solid land, with the building looming over it to the right.
The entrance to Vok Baths, set in a turf building that just looks like a grass bank.
Looking across the pool towards the turf-roofed service building.
A selfie on the infinity edge of the pool where you can't tell where the hexagonal pool ends and the lake begins.

The good: The USP here is the floating infinity hot pools out in the lake. Don’t worry, they’re connected to dry land by a wooden bridge (you’ll probably want some pool shoes here) although you can swim in the lake if you fancy it. If the weather discourages you from walking out there, there’s a big warm pool in the shade of the building, as well as the sauna.

The bad: Vök is right out in the east of Iceland, about as far as you can get from Reykjavik without actually leaving the country. The floating pools are a bit small for how popular they are – you’ll find yourself standing awkwardly in the middle because there’s nowhere to sit or lean around the edge and somehow that feels like standing on your own in the middle of a party.

The weird: Included in the admission price is a tea bar, where you can make yourself a cup of Icelandic herbal tea with 75⁰C natural spring water.

The price: Basic adult admission is 7 690 ISK (£46.50 / $61.60 / €53.60).

The blog post: Relaxing at Vök Baths

Sky Lagoon

The sun setting over the Sky Lagoon, reflecting over the infinity pool.
The Sky Lagoon changing rooms (empty). It's dimly lit and each locker has a red or green light showing whether it's taken or not.
A view across the pool to the other cliffs on a misty day.
A drink resting on a rock in the little bay with the in-water bar.
A selfie in the pool with the sunset and the cliff behind me.

The good: Tourists love the Sky Lagoon – as far as I can see, about two-thirds of visitors to Iceland will declare they like the Sky Lagoon more than the Blue Lagoon. It’s a west-facing lagoon just a ten or fifteen minute drive south of Reykjavik, which makes it very handy. There are regular shuttle buses or you can take a taxi or the public bus (plus a ten minute walk from the nearest stop) or, at a push, you can even walk from the city. It has a turf house where you’ll find the steam room, sauna and mist shower and it’s a very nice pool.

The bad: First up, they only let you use the sauna and steam room once and package this as the luxury Skjól Ritual (previously the Seven Step Ritual but steps one and seven were both “relax in the lagoon”) where any other lagoon or local swimming pool in the entire country will give you unlimited access to all facilities. Second, I think its too small for its own popularity and third, its cheapest admission is more expensive than the Blue Lagoon’s, which I think is a mistake when the Blue Lagoon is its biggest competitor.

The weird: This is the only one of the eleven pools to not be owned by an Icelandic company – it’s owned by US-based Pursuit, who also own FlyOver Iceland and half a dozen nature-inspired attractions across North America.

The price: The basic admission, called Saman, is 13 990 ISK tomorrow (£84.56 / $112.14 / €97.56). You can also upgrade to the Sér package, which includes private changing rooms and is 16 990 ISK.

The blog post: Iceland’s newest spa: The Sky Lagoon | Iceland April 2022

Forest Lagoon

The Forest Lagoon pool with trees in the background.
The Forest Lagoon's signature non-alcoholic cocktail in a branded cup on a background of the lagoon.
A view over the Forest Lagoon itself from inside the sauna.
A selfie in the Forest Lagoon with the sauna behind me.
The view over the fjord and Akureyri from a corner of the pool.

The good: Akureyri, Iceland’s second city, has been crying out for its own Blue Lagoon and now it has one! The Forest Lagoon was founded after a hot water source was accidentally uncovered during the building of a tunnel through the mountain opposite the city and now Akureyri has its own lagoon! It’s among the trees on the opposite side of the fjord, just a five minute drive from the city and with regular shuttle buses running across. It’s also been extended since I was last there – I swear, the changes that have happened in Iceland’s lagoon world since last summer have been astounding!

The bad: Visitors more or less treat it as one giant in-water bar. The result isn’t all that relaxing, although maybe they’re now spread along twice the length of the frontage and it feels less packed with drinkers. The non-alcoholic signature cocktail (7Up + blue raspberry slushie) is revolting.

The weird: For all the noise they make about the unique setting and the tranquility of the forest, it’s very hard to overlook how much forest had to be flattened to squeeze this in here.

The price: There are three packages. The basic is called Hlýja and costs £47.64 ($63.20 / €54.75). You can upgrade to Ró, which includes a prepaid drink at the bar and use of a towel for £64.56 or to Unen which includes two drinks and a towel for £71.30.

The blog post: What’s Akureyri’s Forest Lagoon like?

Hvammsvik

One of the winter pools with the snowy mountains in the background.
A selfie on a paddleboard wearing a ludicrous padded gilet-style buoyancy aid and holding a paddle with a lime green blade.
One of the pools in winter, ringed by black rocks.
The view from one of the pools down to the beach on a warm summer day with people coming out of the fjord after a jellyfish-infested swim.
A timer selfie sitting in the pool looking across at the snowy mountains.

The good: On quiet days, I adore Hvammsvik! It’s a series of natural-looking hot pots spread out along the edge of the fjord, so another one that’s not actually a lagoon, ranging from the large warm one with the bar window in it to the small hot ones down behind the steam room to the cool one on the beach that floods at high tide.

The bad: It’s becoming increasingly popular with tourists and it’s a small natural-looking place that really doesn’t show at its best when there are too many people crammed into it. You can swim in the cold fjord but beware, it’s flooded with jellyfish.

The weird: In summer, you can borrow a paddleboard and paddle yourself out to the little island in the fjord. They run regular supervised ocean swims and Wim Hof Method intro sessions throughout the year.

The price: Hvammsvik has three price tiers and the price tomorrow varies depending on the time. The lower price I’m about to give is for entries before 1pm or after 5.30pm; the second is for the afternoon. The basic Natural price is 5 900 ISK (£35.66 / $47.29 / €41.14) or 7 900 ISK ((£47.80 / $63.30 / €55) which includes the traditional outdoor basic changing rooms, featuring open showers and small lockers for valuables, where you leave your clothes on the benches or hooks. Classic, including indoor changing rooms, private showers and full-sized lockers are 5 900 ISK or 7 900 ISK and Comfort, which includes a towel, wading shows and a prepaid drink is 11 100 ISK or 13 100 ISK.

The blog post: A snowy morning at Hvammsvík

Laugarás Lagoon

The good: I haven’t been to Laugarás yet so I have no opinions on it. It looks nice and shiny and sleek, it’s very new and it’s right on the Golden Circle. I think it’s going to have a similar feeling to the Sky Lagoon but more natural and without the open, blatant cash-grab of restricting access to basic lagoon facilities.

The bad: Nope, no idea yet.

The weird: I don’t entirely know what this means yet but it’s quite proud of its “two storey lagoon”, the only one in Iceland, so that’s something that’ll be interesting to discover.

The price: Laugarás also has three price tiers but theirs doesn’t change throughout the day. Basic Birki admission tomorrow is 6 900 ISK (£41.70 / $55.31 / €48.12) or you can upgrade to Lerki (you get a towel and a prepaid drink) for 9 400 ISK or to Ösp which adds a two-course meal at the in-house Ylja Restaurant to the Lerki package for a total of 15 900 ISK.

The blog post: Coming in late June/early July!

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