Ultimate Iceland Hot Springs Guide
A purple and pink sky reflected in a stream at sunset while hot springs vent steam into the air in Iceland, the land of ice and fire.
Iceland hot springs are an essential part of the travel experience for many visitors to the land of ice and fire. Here’s why?
Why Does Iceland Have So Many Hot Springs?
With over 30 active volcanoes Iceland has an almost endless supply of geothermal energy.
While natural hot springs are located all around Iceland most are located in the west and south west of the country due to very active geothermal activity in those regions.
With an average water temperature of around 75C / 16F you can enjoy the benefit of a lovely soak as you travel around this incredible country.
For most visitors taking a dip in one or two Iceland hot springs will be a memorable part of their greater Iceland travel experience.
Nonetheless, with around 250 geothermal areas producing hot springs, there’s possibly a niche guide book just calling out to be written.
Mind you such a project would requite a laser focus, an extreme level of determination and a sizeable budget. And you wouldn’t be undertaking such a project as a way to make money.
Iceland Natural Hot Springs
As well as commercial enterprises, there are also plenty of natural hot springs around Iceland where entry is free.
For example the Grotta Lighthouse Footbath, located in the nations capital, is a great place to soak your feet while watching the sunset.
I photographed the lovely stream and hot springs at the top of this post while driving around Iceland, the land of ice and fire.
The photo was made in the early hours of the morning as the geysers expelled steam from beneath the earth.
The steam is colored by the light, reflecting from the clouds above, back down onto the surface of the stream.
The tiny yellow flowers add extra color and a sense of positivity to what might otherwise be quite an eerie scene.
The photo is quite a nice combination of color, light and texture which I made on my then full frame Canon 5D Mark II camera with a Canon 24-105mm f/4 L series lens at 24 mm.
The exposure time was 2 seconds at f/11 with the camera’s sensitivity set to ISO 100.
The slow shutter speed allowed the water and clouds to render relatively smooth which I feel adds to the dreamy appearance of the image.
Iceland Hot Springs Beauty Tip
I’m reliably informed that, if you want to make the most of your dip in an Icelandic hot spring, it's best to remove any makeup you might otherwise be wearing.
This will allow your skin to better benefit from the silica and algae within the steaming waters of the hot springs.
About To Travel?
Iceland Hot Springs Admission Price
You can expect to pay 4700 ISK (Icelandic Krona), around USD $40, for adult admission to one of the commercial geothermal baths around the country.
Hot Springs Near Reykjavik
The good news is that, if your time is limited, you won’t have to travel far from the capital, Reykjavik for a therapeutic and relaxing soak in a hot springs.
Hot springs in or around the Reykjavik area include the following:
Blue Lagoon Spa
The Secret Lagoon
Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach
Laugardalslaug Swimming Pool
The Famous Blue Lagoon Spa
The Blue Lagoon Spa is Iceland's most famous hot spring and arguably the country’s most popular tourist destination.
This large, commercial operation is known around the world and is a popular place on the itinerary for most visitors to Iceland.
The Blue Lagoon Spa is easy to find, located just off the highway between Keflavík International Airport and the nations capital, Reykjavík.
Blue Lagoon Iceland
So what is it that makes the Blue Lagoon special?
The Blue Lagoon is a man-made structure consisting of a series of geothermal pools set amongst a surreal black lava rubble landscape.
The waters of the vividly colored Blue Lagoon are actually waste water from the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power plant.
The Blue Lagoon contains waters that are rich in salts and algae. What’s more the fine white silt is said to be a cure for all manner of skin conditions.
The experience is quite expensive but, given the bathing and swimming areas, a series of grottoes, steam rooms and a restaurant it's easy to spend an entire day at the Blue Lagoon.
Blue Lagoon Iceland Water Temperature
The water temperature of the Blue Lagoon averages a very pleasant 37-39C / 99-102F.
It’s an amazing and very restful experience to lazy away hours soaking in the warm water while taking in the surreal views.
While not harmful to hair, silica can make your hair stiff and difficult to manage.
With that in mind the folks at the Blue Lagoon recommend that bathers apply conditioner to their hair before entering a sea-water hot spring.
It’s also recommended to leave conditioner in your hair throughout your stay in the Blue Lagoon.
The Secret Lagoon, Iceland
If you're looking for a less highly touristed alternative to the Blue Lagoon the Secret Lagoon is one of a number of great options worth considering.
Located at Flúdir in South Iceland the stunning Secret Lagoon is only 98 km / 60 miles from Reykjavik. a great alternative to the Blue Lagoon.
Some folks add a visit to the Secret Lagoon into their day on the famous Golden Circle.
Created in 1891 the Secret Lagoon is a geothermal pool with a spouting geyser. The complex includes showers and a bar, with plenty of dinning options available nearby.
Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach, Reykjavík
Nauthólsvík features two hot tubs operating at 38C and a long, shallow pool heated with seawater.
You’ll find Nauthólsvík on a small white sand beach in the country's capital.
Laugardalslaug, Reykjavík
Iceland's largest and best equipped swimming complex, Laugardalslaug is a special place with indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, saunas and water slides.
Swimming pools are popular places in many Icelandic towns becoming important places for social interaction in local communities all around the country.
Fontana Geothermal Baths
You’ll find the Fontana Geothermal Baths in the town of Laugarvatn, between Þingvellir and the Golden Circle Geysirs.
The site makes use of the natural waters from the areas’s hot springs and features the following:
Natural steam baths
Mineral pools
Traditional Finnish sauna
Shallow, children friendly bathing pools
Snorralaug, Reykholt
Located about one and a half hours drive northwest of Reykjavík, the Snorralaug hot pool is situated on the site where Icelandic politican and literary giant, Snorri Sturluson, was murdered in the 13th Century.
Sturluson is believed to have authored the Eddas which contain much of what is known as Nordic mythology and several Icelandic sagas.
Snorralaug may be Iceland’s oldest hot springs.
Grettislaug Hot Pool
The Grettislaug hot pool is set in a wonderful location on a remote stretch on the North coast of Iceland.
According to Icelandic sagas the viking outlaw, Grettir, is said to have revived himself in these hot springs after swimming to the mainland from the island of Drangey where he’d been exiled.
The escape involved a four mile, icy cold swim.
Landmannalaugar Hot Spring
The Landmannalaugar hot spring is a very special place with a strange, haunting beauty. Set on gravel plains amongst orange rhyolite mountains it really is a sight to behold.
Known as the Farmer's Hot Bathing Pool the hot springs of Landmannalaugar are formed with water from a cold spring mixing with hot water seeping out from a 15th Century lava flow.
To experience the joy of this site simply wade upstream through the cold water to where the two flows meet and find a spot where the temperature's right for you.
All that's required then is to relax in the warm waters and admire the rugged and dramatic landscape that surrounds you.
Leirubakki, Hekla
You'll find the tiny circular and sunken Leirubakki geothermal pool on a farm of the same name on the foothills of the 1500m high Hekla volcano.
The steaming and eerie Hekla crater was once believed to be the gateway to hell. You can enjoy a soak in the tepid waters of Leirubakki while taking in a view of the active, steaming Hekla volcano.
Geothermal activity along the road near Myvatn in northern Iceland.
Myvatn Nature Baths
Referred to as the Blue Lagoon of the North the Myvatn Nature Baths is a man made lagoon with mineral-rich, milky blue waters of a similar appearance to those of its southern cousin.
If you have the time a visit to Hverir, located a short distance from the Myvatn Nature Baths, is worth a visit.
Hverir is a hot springs area with boiling mud pots and fumaroles near Námafjall mountain.
What’s A Fumarole?
I’m glad you asked.
A fumarole is a vent from which steam and volcanic gases such as carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen chloride escape into the atmosphere.
The steam escaping from a fumarole comes about as superheated water condenses when its pressure drops as it emerges from the ground.
Jarðböðinn Nature Baths, Myvatn
Are you planning to visit Iceland in winter?
The Jarðböðinn Nature Baths are a great place for a dip for anyone visiting the Myvatn area.
Located in the hills above the northern town of Myvatn the isolated location of the Jarðböðinn Nature Baths should make it a great place from which to view and photograph the northern lights.
The edge of the pool offers views down onto the lovely Myvatn volcanic lake.
Here’s what you’ll find.
Mud pits
Volcanic cones
Steaming lava
An underground bakery that's heated by natural jets of steam
It's no wonder the Jarðböðinn Nature Baths are considered by many to be one the best hot springs in Iceland.
Grjótagjá, Myvatn
Following a nearby eruption in the 1970's the waters of the flooded subterranean volcanic fissure at Grjótagjá are now too hot for a swim.
Be aware that, with light only entering the site through the narrow entrance this steamy site may prove to be claustrophobic for some people.
However, if you're not prone to claustrophobia you'll most likely find Grjótagjá to be a visually interesting location.
Viti, Askja
Accessible only for a few weeks during the summer months Askja is a remote and isolated location set in a stunningly dramatic landscape.
You'll find the Viti crater on the shore of the lake.
It’s a broad, flooded caldera surrounded by the jagged wreckage of countless eruptions.
Created in a colossal explosion in 1875 the pale blue water at the bottom is fine for a quick swim, though it's advisable to keep an eye on the smoking, sulfurous vents around the shoreline.
My own attempts to reach this remote location failed. I was defeated by tough terrain and a four wheel drive hire care that, frankly, wasn’t up to the trip.
“You can’t be there without truly being there.”
Iceland, A Land Of Geothermal Energy
For me the best part about making the photos in this post was that I was ready to make them, long before I arrived at these gorgeous locations.
I visited Iceland during the long days of summer. After driving in the late evening light for hours I had well and truly tapped into the rhythms of the landscapes I was passing through.
You can't actually be there without first being there, in the moment. And you best achieve that state of mind through immersion in the landscape.
The drive, just like a nice long walk, doesn't just get you to where you need to go. The drive gets you to who you need to be.
“Choose your music and your travel companions wisely. The thought of doing otherwise is too dreadful to contemplate.”
Geothermal Pools in Iceland
An exploration of Iceland is not complete without visiting and immersing yourself in a variety of geothermal pools.
The warm, relaxing and therapeutic waters of an Icelandic hot spring also make sense for the adventure bound landscape photographer and hiker.
I think its fair to say that getting up and about is the way to set yourself up for success, whether it be photography or any other worthwhile travel based pursuit.
When it comes to landscape photography an iconic location is certainly helpful. And Iceland has iconic locations in abundance.
But even more important to making a great photo is great light and you've got to be on location when the light is right.
During the long days of the Icelandic summer, when sunset is followed soon after by sunrise, that means being out and about making photos into the early hours of the morning.
I call that bliss. And, after a long night photographing into the wee hours, a soak in a remote hot springs in the Icelandic countryside would be a perfect way to finish your day’s adventure.
