Visiting Thermal Pools in Iceland

Bathing outdoors in volcanically heated pools has been a tradition since Viking times.  Thermal pools heated to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit are available all over the country and relatively inexpensive.  Because the water is so warm, Icelanders enjoy thermal pools all year around.  Geothermal pools in Iceland are significantly less chlorinated than pools in the US because of strict hygiene guidelines and the water is completely replaced about every other day.  Thermal pools in Iceland were definitely a highlight of our trip.

We loved visiting thermal pools around the country.  Our first thermal pool experience was in Eskifjörður on a 50 degree wet and windy morning.  It was definitely an experience we will never forget and would also definitely do again. We tried all the water slides and the hot tubs (aka hot pots) of varying temperatures.  We had this great idea to break up the journey from Akureyri to Reykjavik by stopping at a thermal pool.  Unfortunately, it turned out that the Laugarbakki pool was “just a hot tub at the moment.”  It would have been helpful to have consulted this listing of Iceland’s pools in advance.

Thermal Pool Necessities

You can rent a towel and even a suit at thermal pools, but the cost of rental is equivalent to the cost of admission.  Despite the cost, our preference is always not to rent swimwear, so we each brought one suit and also packed small beach towels to use at the pools.  As a an additional benefit, they also come in handy to dry off on rainy days.

Flip flops and bathing suit covers are not used in thermal pools.  Also note that use of cell phones and cameras is not allowed.  Thus, I have no pictures of our four visits to public thermal pools.

Thermal Pool Etiquette

There is strictly-adhered to pool etiquette regarding hygiene and dry floors.  After paying our entrance fee (which was generally about $20 for our entire family), we received directions on how the lockers work.  Then, we took off our shoes and socks off outside the appropriate locker rooms and left them on the shoe racks or carried them with us in one of the provided bags.   In the locker rooms, we would undress completely and put everything in the locker except our towels and suits.  Then, we would leave the towels on the towel racks by the showers and carry our suits into the shower and hang it on the faucet.  A soap/shampoo combo is provided in the shower area.  Notorious signs identifying “problem areas” to pay attention to are visible in the shower areas of all public pools.  After washing, we would put our suits on and finish rinsing off.  I would then tie up my long hair into a ponytail or bun before heading to the pool and pick up provided arm bands for my daughter to wear.  These were generally available near the pool entrance.

We would shower again after swimming and make sure to towel dry our hair before entering the changing room.  It is imperative that you do not track water from the shower area into the changing room.  Luckily, most pools have bathrooms in the shower area.  Most pools have centrifugal dryers next to the sinks to spin excess water off of wet suits.  Put one suit in, close the lid and hold it closed for about 10 seconds while the dryer spins.

Preparing Children for Thermal Pools

We explained to our boys that showering in a communal shower before swimming was both customary and required at Iceland’s pools well in advance, and it was no issue.  Young children can go into locker rooms with either parent.  Because both my husband and I were always there, the boys went with him, and I took our daughter.  Our toddler needed no forewarning and was completely unaffected about the communal showers, but adding a toddler to the changing room regimen did complicate the process for me on our first visit.

Blue Lagoon

The best thermal pool in Iceland is the Blue Lagoon, which is the most popular tourist destination in Iceland and costs significantly more than the public thermal pools and also has slightly different rules.  At check in, we each received a wrist band.  It was important to make sure this did not come off while we were bathing because it can be used to make food and beverage purchases and was also needed to access our lockers.  Several times, guards notified me that my band needed to be tightened.

Showering naked before bathing (people do not really “swim” in the Blue Lagoon) is required, but there are private shower stalls.  Because of the silica and sulfur in the water, it was important to leave conditioner in our hair while we were in the Blue Lagoon.  Also, there are no towel racks inside the locker rooms; instead, we brought our towel or bathrobe with us and hung it on the hooks outside.  Flip flops are permitted, and children under age eight must wear arm bands.

Use of cameras and phones remain off limits in the changing rooms, but they are most definitely permitted in the Lagoon itself.  In fact, we saw more cameras in the Blue Lagoon than anywhere else in Iceland.  We used our son’s waterproof camera rather than our phones, but most people had their phones with them in the water.  Waterproof cases are highly recommended and not so surprisingly are rather expensive to purchase on site.

After we were done bathing, we showered and washed our hair again.  There is a special area in the locker room for drying after your shower that offers Blue Lagoon lotion.

There are so many opportunities to visit thermal pools in Iceland, and we’re sad that we missed the Secret Lagoon while touring the Golden Circle, but it’s high on our list the next time we visit Iceland. Planning a family trip to Iceland?  Check out our listing of all Iceland posts.

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