The pool is the social network.
Iceland has more swimming pools per person than anywhere on Earth, heated by the ground, outdoors, in almost every village, and the hot tub is where the country actually talks. A swim costs about 1,500 kr, which makes it the best deal in Iceland. These are the 27 pools and baths our editors picked; the app has them on a map, with hours. Shower naked first. There's a sign.
Reykjavík 19
Breiðholtslaug
Austurberg 3, 111 Reykjavík
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–22:00
Breiðholtslaug’s sauna is actually very good.
Dalslaug
Úlfarsbraut 120
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–22:00
Dalslaug is Reykjavík’s newest swimming pool.
Grafarvogslaug
Dalhús 2
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–22:00
Grafarvogslaug is a small, nice, no-frills suburban pool, and the clientele is primarily local.
Klébergslaug
Kollagrund 4, Kjalarnes, 116 Reykjavík
Mon–Fri 09:00–22:00 · Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00
Klébergslaug is a small, quiet swimming pool located in the Grundarhverfi neighbourhood of Kjalarnes, serving both the local community and visitors who make the trip out there.
Kópavogslaug
Borgarholtsbraut 17, Kópavogur
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–18:00
Kópavogur’s two swimming pools are unquestionably among the best in the capital region; large, comfortable and well designed.
Laugardalslaug
Sundlaugavegur 30
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–22:00
The current iteration of Laugardalslaug was inaugurated in 1968, sixty years after the municipality began operating a bathing facility in the area, which has acted as a pool site since 1772.
Lágafellslaug
Íþróttamiðstöðin Lágafell, Lækjarhlíð 1a, 270 Mosfellsbær
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–19:00
Lágafellslaug is hands-down one of the very best pools in the Reykjavík area.
Salalaug
Versalir 3, Kópavogur
The newer of the two Kópavogur pools is among the best family pools in the capital region.
Seltjarnarneslaug
Suðurströnd 8-10, Seltjarnarnes
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–19:30
Situated in a well-off suburb, Seltjarnarneslaug is one of the nicest pools in the capital region.
Sundhöll Hafnarfjarðar
Herjólfsgata 10, Hafnarfjörður
Mon–Fri 06:30–21:00
Sundhöll Hafnarfjarðar is one of the capital’s oldest public swimming pools.
Sundhöll Reykjavíkur
Barónsstígur 45a
Sundhöll Reykjavíkur—Sundhöllin—is a great piece of history.
Suðurbæjarlaug
Hringbraut 77, Hafnarfjörður
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–21:00
Suðurbæjarlaug is a great pool to visit on hot summer days, its large grounds making it ideal for sunbathers.
Varmárlaug
Skólabraut, Mosfellsbær
Mon–Fri 06:30–21:30 · Sat–Sun 08:00–17:00
Varmárlaug allows you to experience the feel of a classic Icelandic small-village pool—in the capital region.
Vesturbæjarlaug
Hofsvallagata 107, Reykjavík
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–22:00
Vesturbæjarlaug has frequently made the cut for best pool which is perhaps due to the general downtown bias of our panels, but also due to the appeal of its design and facilities.
Ylströndin Nauthólsvík
Nauthólsvegur
Mon–Fri 11:00–19:00 · Sat–Sun 11:00–16:00
Ever dreamt of sunbathing in the midnight sun, on an island in the North Atlantic?
Álftaneslaug
Breiðumýri, Garðabær
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–18:00
The only pool in Iceland with artificial waves, which by the way, bankrupted the municipality that built it.
Árbæjarlaug
Fylkisvegur 9
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–22:00
Suburban Árbæjarlaug is a favourite of parents, though the downside is that the view over the pool area from the hot tubs is not ideal for keeping an eye on smaller children.
Ásgarðslaug
Ásgarður, Garðabær
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–18:00
Ásgarðslaug, which locals still call Garðabæjarlaug, used to be the only pool in Garðabær, until the municipality swallowed bankrupt Álftanes along with its luxurious pool (see above).
Ásvallalaug
Ásvellir 2, Hafnarfjörður
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–18:00
Ásvallalaug opened in September 2008, just as the great Icelandic financial bubble was deflating.
The West 2
Hótel Húsafell
Stórarjóður, Húsafell
Daily 18:00–21:00
The recently built Hotel Húsafell is pre-tty pre-tty fancy.
Stykkishólmur Pool
Borgarbraut 4, 340 Stykkishólmur
Mon–Fri 07:05–22:00 · Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00
Stykkishólmur’s pool benefits from a local geothermal water supply that’s higher in some minerals than either the Blue Lagoon or the Mývatn Nature Baths, as signs at the pool proudly proclaim.
The Westfjords 1
Reykjanes Pool
Reykjanes við Ísafjarðardjúp
This one is technically the oldest natural pool in the country, is built like a swimming pool and has facilities like a swimming pool…so it must be a swimming pool.
The North 1
Akureyri Pool
Skólastígur 4, 600 Akureyri
Mon–Fri 06:45–21:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–19:00
Iceland’s second city is home to a modern swimming palace that’s the envy even of Reykjavík.
East Iceland 3
Laugavallalaug
Laugarvalladalur Valley
It’s always nice to take a dip in a natural hot pool, but this bathing spot takes the experience to the next level.
Neskaupstaður Pool
Miðstræti 15, Neskaupstaður
Mon–Fri 07:00–20:00 · Sat–Sun 11:00–18:00
Neskaupstaður pool is small, but it has everything you need—a steam room, hot pots, and a swimming pool—with the added bonus of an epic mountain view right across the fjord.
Selárlaug
Selárdalur, Vopnafjörður
This remote country pool is like a time capsule.
The South 1
Selfoss Pool
Tryggvagata 15, Selfoss
Quite possibly the largest swimming pool in South Iceland, the Selfoss pool is the perfect spot for a family outing.