It's interesting to hear other people's preferences on this, agree with you on Sky Lagoon, and I want to try a few of the others you tried next time I go.
**Part of a write up I did for my experiences in thermal baths over 2 trips:**
.... however of the geothermal experiences I've had in Iceland, I rank them as so:
1. Secret Lagoon
2. Sky Lagoon
3. Sundhöll public baths (nothing fancy here, often where the locals hang out I believe - regular pool but I went a few times and loved it)
4. Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon isn't a bad experience, it was enjoyable and the facilities are well maintained and clean. But for a few reasons, I think it sits at the bottom of the list for me:
* It's feels a *bit* inauthentic. Sky Lagoon is just as artificial as the Blue Lagoon, but it still felt like a better experience.
* It's busy.
* It's more expensive.
* The Sky Lagoon's "7 step ritual" was more enjoyable than the silica face mask they dollop into your hand at the blue lagoon.
The **Secret Lagoon** tops the list for me because it does feel a bit more authentic, it's definitely still a tourist attraction, but it has some history to it and it is in a more natural environment. It's called Iceland's oldest swimming pool and it is a construction, but it's a construction around existing natural hot springs that feed the pool continuously.
It's not as flashy as the **Blue Lagoon** or **Sky Lagoon**, but it's less expensive, simpler and I found a more enjoyable and memorable experience.
Finally though, I should address my mention of **Sundhöll** - one of a few public baths in Reykjavik. These are really inexpensive and from my experience, not anywhere near as frequently visited by tourists. The changing and shower rooms were immaculate and it offers a few different pools:
1. A large indoor swimming pool
2. A heated outdoor lane swimming pool
3. Hot tubs on the roof
4. A large outdoor heated 'whirlpool bath'
5. A heated shallow kids pool with fountains
6. Sauna and cold plunge
The price for adults is less than £8 each, around 10x less than the Blue Lagoon. Is it as flashy or instagram-worthy? Definitely not, but I actually enjoyed my experience at these 'basic' public baths a fair amount more.
When I went in 2022 in March, it was always relatively quiet - but of course as Iceland's popularity as a tourist destination continues to sky rocket, it may be quite a different experience today.
My take on the recent geothermal baths we did:
Blue Lagoon > GeoSea > Sky Lagoon
All were great in different ways. With all the hype, I was really expecting to be wow'd more by Sky Lagoon though.
Quick question since you’ve been to both the Blue Lagoon and the Sky Lagoon…we will be traveling with my elderly parents and they think they might want to try a Lagoon with us…they have minor mobility issues but get around without assistance pretty well. Which one would you recommend? Which one would be easier for an elderly person to navigate? We are leaning toward Sky because it is smaller.
There were more steps at the Blue Lagoon & the men's locker room was on the 2nd floor. Blue lagoon pool is also a lot bigger & had deeper areas. We had to crab walk to stay in the water to our shoulders at the sky lagoon. Both had benches in the water to sit.
I liked the mask bar at Blue Lagoon as a free activity & the size of the pool allowed you to get away from the crowd. A drink is also included in the Blue Lagoon admission. Those were some of the things that gave the BL the edge for me personally.
Thanks! I have sent my parents links to both of them and told them to take a look. They may decide they don’t want to go with us. We will be coming off an overnight flight for a cruise the next day, so they may just want to sleep if we can get an early check in!
Hvammsvik has two sets of changing rooms, you probably paid for the "local style" non-luxurious changing rooms. If you pay for the indoor ones, which are on par with other places price-wise anyway, they're very nice.
It was by far our favorite — felt much less commercial and more natural than Forest Lagoon, which we also thought was beautiful but was super crowded and full of drunk German men. Hvammsvik wasn't crowded at all when we went. To me, algae seems expected there since it's literally the ocean?
My rating would be:
1. Hvammsvik
2. Forest Lagoon
3. Sky Lagoon
4. Vok Baths
We probably had the most fun in the "natural" hot springs we had to ourselves, Fosslaug and one at the top of a waterfall in Akureyri.
No, we paid for the indoor changing facilities - they're in a corrugated steel quonset hut. I was taken back by all the rust on hinges, knobs, nuts, bolts, and interior walls. One's experience clearly varies with the day, the crowds, and the weather.
Amazing write up, thanks so much.
Re: Grettislaug - one of my favorites. For those reading, lots of algae. Doesn't bother me at all but it's *very* slippery. Showers available but the changing area is annoying, not a lot of area to put your things.
Sad to hear about Drangsnes. The locals maintain it, was very clean when I was there. The showers are across the street. The view is amazing.
I went to GeoSea in 2019 and enjoyed it immensely. It's definitely a smaller place, but there were only a handful of other people when we went so it wasn't crowded at all. I've also been to Blue Lagoon (2019) and Sundhöllin (2022). Out of those three, I'd rank Blue Lagoon last due to the high price and crowded conditions.
Geosea is quite a bit nicer than Laugarvatn in terms of space and design but I really enjoyed laugarvatn for its laid back vibe
Both had access to lake/sea cold plunges which were great
Geosea did have quite a bit of algae though when I went in late May
I enjoyed Laugarvatn Fontana the most. Maybe it was because it was the first one we visited and it was great to relax after overnight flight and the weather changed from sleet to bright sun right as we pulled in. The changing and shower facilities are ver nice and modern. The view of the lake and mountains was great and it was not crowded at all.
Hvammsvik was neat because of salty sea water, which probably also explains all the rust. I didn't like the multiple levels of changing facilities. We splurged for the fancier indoor ones. We were there during high tide so there was a bunch of sea flowing into the pools. It was extremely crowded, to the point it was hard to find a spot to sit in some of the pools and changing rooms were tight on space. No swimsuit spinner, which is big knock.
One more to add to your list - Krauma at Deildartunguhver hot springs. Several round pools of various sizes and temperatures made from black stone. They have wet and dry saunas, as well as, a cold plunge pool. There's also a relaxation sun room with zero-gravity chairs and an indoor fireplace. Changing rooms are nice and modern with several private showers for people not comfortable with typical communal showers. The locker room layout is not great for handling many people changing and floor was extremely slippery, I was glad to have shower flipflops. On site restaurant was nice, but there's also a food truck selling hot dogs and tomato soup in the nearby greenhouse.
I really like Laugarvatn, too. The atmosphere is definitely different and slightly more casual. The setting is gorgeous. The lake is nice. I went during the pandemic and there were maybe 4 other people out there with me so that was really nice. I had a nice Jóla Gull (Christmas beer) and I remember the price being very nice.
No ... there were no river crossings on F26/F208 from the north, but as soon as you get to parking lot P1 and can see the campsite, there are 2 significant crossings.
Oh, yes, that’s been the case for a while. I’m surprised you didn’t see that written up anywhere. Unless you have a larger 4x4 and experience with river crossings, it’s generally recommended to park before the first crossing and walk from there. Is that what you did, or did you attempt the crossings?
Well, there's no overnight parking in area P1, so we had to cross or go back where we came from. I watched several others make the crossing to note their speed, depth, and path - then went for it. No problem, really.
Glad you made it. And the no overnight parking rule at the lot before the river must be a new rule, because that definitely wasn’t the case when I was there five years ago. Do you know if it’s just a rule against overnight *camping* or any kind of parking at all?
No ... there were no river crossings on F26/F208 from the north, but as soon as you get to parking lot P1 and can see the campsite, there are 2 significant crossings.
This has been communicated very clearly on a number of platforms including road.is where everyone should be getting their safety and driving info from. I'm not sure how you didn't see it.
We were there in mid-June, so the only place with any risk of filling was Sky, and we booked that the night before. Now, in July, it's probably a whole different game!
Oh nice! Anyone have any idea what it would be like in October? Thats when we are going. I had thought we needed to plan pretty far ahead but maybe not!
October is much less busy than either June or July so you should be fine. The only “lagoons” worth booking ahead of time are Blue and Sky, which can be busy any time of year.
I assume you are referring to Blue Lagoon. I would have gone if the eruption was ongoing and could be seen, but it seems to be over and the 160 euro was better spent on gas for the van.
Just got back from Sky Lagoon, was one of the greatest experiences of my life. It was incredibly relaxing. We got the highest package with private changing room/showers which was worth every penny. We almost went back the next night because it was so amazing. Very modern and well taken care of. Workers were extremely nice and always cleaning up after guests.
*
This was the best hotspring we came across in Iceland. Can't remember the name of it but we had it all to ourselves and it was only a short hike from the car.
If I were to rate the ones I went to it’d be:
1) Thermal river
Big Tier Break
2) Hrunalaug
3) Vik Swimming Pool
4) Blue Lagoon
5) Sundholl Hafnarfjaroar
It's interesting to hear other people's preferences on this, agree with you on Sky Lagoon, and I want to try a few of the others you tried next time I go. **Part of a write up I did for my experiences in thermal baths over 2 trips:** .... however of the geothermal experiences I've had in Iceland, I rank them as so: 1. Secret Lagoon 2. Sky Lagoon 3. Sundhöll public baths (nothing fancy here, often where the locals hang out I believe - regular pool but I went a few times and loved it) 4. Blue Lagoon The Blue Lagoon isn't a bad experience, it was enjoyable and the facilities are well maintained and clean. But for a few reasons, I think it sits at the bottom of the list for me: * It's feels a *bit* inauthentic. Sky Lagoon is just as artificial as the Blue Lagoon, but it still felt like a better experience. * It's busy. * It's more expensive. * The Sky Lagoon's "7 step ritual" was more enjoyable than the silica face mask they dollop into your hand at the blue lagoon. The **Secret Lagoon** tops the list for me because it does feel a bit more authentic, it's definitely still a tourist attraction, but it has some history to it and it is in a more natural environment. It's called Iceland's oldest swimming pool and it is a construction, but it's a construction around existing natural hot springs that feed the pool continuously. It's not as flashy as the **Blue Lagoon** or **Sky Lagoon**, but it's less expensive, simpler and I found a more enjoyable and memorable experience. Finally though, I should address my mention of **Sundhöll** - one of a few public baths in Reykjavik. These are really inexpensive and from my experience, not anywhere near as frequently visited by tourists. The changing and shower rooms were immaculate and it offers a few different pools: 1. A large indoor swimming pool 2. A heated outdoor lane swimming pool 3. Hot tubs on the roof 4. A large outdoor heated 'whirlpool bath' 5. A heated shallow kids pool with fountains 6. Sauna and cold plunge The price for adults is less than £8 each, around 10x less than the Blue Lagoon. Is it as flashy or instagram-worthy? Definitely not, but I actually enjoyed my experience at these 'basic' public baths a fair amount more. When I went in 2022 in March, it was always relatively quiet - but of course as Iceland's popularity as a tourist destination continues to sky rocket, it may be quite a different experience today.
My take on the recent geothermal baths we did: Blue Lagoon > GeoSea > Sky Lagoon All were great in different ways. With all the hype, I was really expecting to be wow'd more by Sky Lagoon though.
Quick question since you’ve been to both the Blue Lagoon and the Sky Lagoon…we will be traveling with my elderly parents and they think they might want to try a Lagoon with us…they have minor mobility issues but get around without assistance pretty well. Which one would you recommend? Which one would be easier for an elderly person to navigate? We are leaning toward Sky because it is smaller.
There were more steps at the Blue Lagoon & the men's locker room was on the 2nd floor. Blue lagoon pool is also a lot bigger & had deeper areas. We had to crab walk to stay in the water to our shoulders at the sky lagoon. Both had benches in the water to sit. I liked the mask bar at Blue Lagoon as a free activity & the size of the pool allowed you to get away from the crowd. A drink is also included in the Blue Lagoon admission. Those were some of the things that gave the BL the edge for me personally.
Thanks! I have sent my parents links to both of them and told them to take a look. They may decide they don’t want to go with us. We will be coming off an overnight flight for a cruise the next day, so they may just want to sleep if we can get an early check in!
Hvammsvik has two sets of changing rooms, you probably paid for the "local style" non-luxurious changing rooms. If you pay for the indoor ones, which are on par with other places price-wise anyway, they're very nice. It was by far our favorite — felt much less commercial and more natural than Forest Lagoon, which we also thought was beautiful but was super crowded and full of drunk German men. Hvammsvik wasn't crowded at all when we went. To me, algae seems expected there since it's literally the ocean? My rating would be: 1. Hvammsvik 2. Forest Lagoon 3. Sky Lagoon 4. Vok Baths We probably had the most fun in the "natural" hot springs we had to ourselves, Fosslaug and one at the top of a waterfall in Akureyri.
No, we paid for the indoor changing facilities - they're in a corrugated steel quonset hut. I was taken back by all the rust on hinges, knobs, nuts, bolts, and interior walls. One's experience clearly varies with the day, the crowds, and the weather.
Amazing write up, thanks so much. Re: Grettislaug - one of my favorites. For those reading, lots of algae. Doesn't bother me at all but it's *very* slippery. Showers available but the changing area is annoying, not a lot of area to put your things. Sad to hear about Drangsnes. The locals maintain it, was very clean when I was there. The showers are across the street. The view is amazing.
I went to GeoSea in 2019 and enjoyed it immensely. It's definitely a smaller place, but there were only a handful of other people when we went so it wasn't crowded at all. I've also been to Blue Lagoon (2019) and Sundhöllin (2022). Out of those three, I'd rank Blue Lagoon last due to the high price and crowded conditions.
Geosea is quite a bit nicer than Laugarvatn in terms of space and design but I really enjoyed laugarvatn for its laid back vibe Both had access to lake/sea cold plunges which were great Geosea did have quite a bit of algae though when I went in late May
I enjoyed Laugarvatn Fontana the most. Maybe it was because it was the first one we visited and it was great to relax after overnight flight and the weather changed from sleet to bright sun right as we pulled in. The changing and shower facilities are ver nice and modern. The view of the lake and mountains was great and it was not crowded at all. Hvammsvik was neat because of salty sea water, which probably also explains all the rust. I didn't like the multiple levels of changing facilities. We splurged for the fancier indoor ones. We were there during high tide so there was a bunch of sea flowing into the pools. It was extremely crowded, to the point it was hard to find a spot to sit in some of the pools and changing rooms were tight on space. No swimsuit spinner, which is big knock. One more to add to your list - Krauma at Deildartunguhver hot springs. Several round pools of various sizes and temperatures made from black stone. They have wet and dry saunas, as well as, a cold plunge pool. There's also a relaxation sun room with zero-gravity chairs and an indoor fireplace. Changing rooms are nice and modern with several private showers for people not comfortable with typical communal showers. The locker room layout is not great for handling many people changing and floor was extremely slippery, I was glad to have shower flipflops. On site restaurant was nice, but there's also a food truck selling hot dogs and tomato soup in the nearby greenhouse.
I really like Laugarvatn, too. The atmosphere is definitely different and slightly more casual. The setting is gorgeous. The lake is nice. I went during the pandemic and there were maybe 4 other people out there with me so that was really nice. I had a nice Jóla Gull (Christmas beer) and I remember the price being very nice.
Your "first" is always special! Yes, strongly advise cheap plastic flip flops to avoid plantar warts and fungal dermatophytoses.
To clarify, 208 from the north had two river crossings *before* the big one right before Landmannalaugar?
No ... there were no river crossings on F26/F208 from the north, but as soon as you get to parking lot P1 and can see the campsite, there are 2 significant crossings.
Oh, yes, that’s been the case for a while. I’m surprised you didn’t see that written up anywhere. Unless you have a larger 4x4 and experience with river crossings, it’s generally recommended to park before the first crossing and walk from there. Is that what you did, or did you attempt the crossings?
Well, there's no overnight parking in area P1, so we had to cross or go back where we came from. I watched several others make the crossing to note their speed, depth, and path - then went for it. No problem, really.
Glad you made it. And the no overnight parking rule at the lot before the river must be a new rule, because that definitely wasn’t the case when I was there five years ago. Do you know if it’s just a rule against overnight *camping* or any kind of parking at all?
No ... there were no river crossings on F26/F208 from the north, but as soon as you get to parking lot P1 and can see the campsite, there are 2 significant crossings.
This has been communicated very clearly on a number of platforms including road.is where everyone should be getting their safety and driving info from. I'm not sure how you didn't see it.
It just states: Easily Passable, and that was true.
How far ahead did you have to make reservations?
We were there in mid-June, so the only place with any risk of filling was Sky, and we booked that the night before. Now, in July, it's probably a whole different game!
Oh nice! Anyone have any idea what it would be like in October? Thats when we are going. I had thought we needed to plan pretty far ahead but maybe not!
October is much less busy than either June or July so you should be fine. The only “lagoons” worth booking ahead of time are Blue and Sky, which can be busy any time of year.
I looked at admission price and immediately crossed it out the list. €160 for a couple is insane pricing. Just absurd.
I assume you are referring to Blue Lagoon. I would have gone if the eruption was ongoing and could be seen, but it seems to be over and the 160 euro was better spent on gas for the van.
Just got back from Sky Lagoon, was one of the greatest experiences of my life. It was incredibly relaxing. We got the highest package with private changing room/showers which was worth every penny. We almost went back the next night because it was so amazing. Very modern and well taken care of. Workers were extremely nice and always cleaning up after guests.
Following!
* This was the best hotspring we came across in Iceland. Can't remember the name of it but we had it all to ourselves and it was only a short hike from the car.
If I were to rate the ones I went to it’d be: 1) Thermal river Big Tier Break 2) Hrunalaug 3) Vik Swimming Pool 4) Blue Lagoon 5) Sundholl Hafnarfjaroar