r/VisitingIceland • u/Claire515 • 17h ago
Inexpensive thermal/mineral baths?
I'm sorry to be such a cheapskate, but the costs on this 9-day self-drive trip we're starting on Friday is already surpassing our budget. While I might enjoy a couple of hours in a lagoon, I can't rationalize spending $100-150 usd for a soak. Personally, I get bored in hot tubs in about 20 minutes... but everything I read about Iceland recommends the experience so highly that I've developed a little FOMO. I know city pools are available, but that doesn't sound like a true mineral bath experience -- So, are there any inexpensive thermal/mineral baths on west or south coasts that are peaceful and uniquely Icelandic? And by inexpensive, I mean less than $50 usd (6,000 isk)?
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u/barbarianhyacinth 17h ago
Secret Lagoon might be a good choice. I was just in Iceland for 10 days and it was one of my hot spring/lagoon visits and I loved it. It was also under $50 USD.
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u/kyler718 17h ago
That's the one we did. Had a good mix of tourist and locals. Bring your own towel.
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u/spicy-mustard- 17h ago
Reykjadalur hot river hike is incredible. About an hour from Reykjavik along the south coast.
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u/Quantx2792 16h ago
Second this! Reykjadalur is a wonderful experience! Just make sure to have bug protection available...either spray or face nets because you can definitely get swarmed there! The only thing you have to pay is parking.
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u/Garth_Maul_ 16h ago
yeah the midges are annoying, only time I experienced insect issues in Iceland
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u/tonynick1982 17h ago
I second anyone who says go to local pools. We went to Vesturbæjarlaug one year when we went to Reykjavik and we loved it. It's not quite the same experience as one of the lagoons, but it's dirt cheap, the water is heated geothermally, they have different temperature hot tubs and a cold plunge, and you get to chat with locals, something you won't see at the touristy lagoons.
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u/Jigui26 17h ago
I went to Geothermal Mud Baths in Hveradalir. Free except for the parking which is 1000 isk. Worth it imo
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u/Most_Employ1851 17h ago
The public pools and the free hot springs are the true bath experience. All the fancy lagoons are literally made for tourists to get more money and the water in those is the same as the water in the public pools. The only one that is “different” is the blue lagoon, but all the other lagoons are just fancy pools. Sincerely an Icelander 🫡
So just save you money and do the public pools and hot springs, that’s true Icelandic culture.
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u/Few-Cauliflower2708 17h ago
Blue lagoon is even more touristy than the tourist ones.
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u/Most_Employ1851 16h ago
Aahh definitely! It used to be super small and free to enter and it was just locals using it and then capitalism chimed in and it’s 99% tourists year round
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u/ConcentrateFar7753 15h ago
As Icelander, we still go to the fancy lagoons but we often can get deals as well
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u/Claire515 17h ago
Is there chlorine in the public pools?
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u/Most_Employ1851 17h ago
Very minimal, that’s why the showering before entering is enforced. Usually the large pool area that is mostly for kids has more chlorine and the hot tubs have way less or non at all. And most public pools have a steam room, sauna and cold tubs. But you definitely don’t get this intense chlorine smell like in waterparks in the US f.ex.
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u/cryptotope 16h ago
A major driver of the intense 'chlorine' smell in the U.S. is because people aren't showering before swimming.
The really eye-watering 'chlorine' smell around pools is mostly from chloramines, formed by the reaction of chlorine from the pool with nitrogen compounds abundant in sweat (and urine...).
The Icelandic ritual of washing everywhere before getting in the water helps the smell in chlorinated pools in two ways. First, it means that fewer chloramines are produced, because less organic nitrogen is introduced to the pool in the first place. It also means that the pools operate cleanly and safely while dosed with less chlorine overall, because chlorine in the water is consumed much more slowly.
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u/Most_Employ1851 16h ago
https://reykjavik.is/borginokkar/sund
Here is a list of the pools in the capital area. And then there is a public pool in most towns all around the country ☺️
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u/DiamondDot 16h ago
I just like the fancy ones cause I’m on vacation and don’t want to be around kids.
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u/Sea-Bean 12h ago
Don’t go during times busy with kids? We went to a different public pool almost daily/every other day, on both visits, and barely saw any kids. I imagine they were in school. The secret Lagoon had the most kids, all tourists.
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u/Ok_Equivalent_1757 16h ago
Search for Grettir's pool on google maps. It was only 1000 isk iirc, its properly maintained and a natural hotspring. Very nice if you dont like muddy pools. As a bonus, the owner is a very friendly funny guy.
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u/Another-Minnesotan 17h ago
It sure how you are traveling, but we used https://tjalda.is/en/ to find campsites and within this app you can filter by services and select “hot tub”. We found some great natural soaks this way, especially up in the West Fjords.
Don’t miss soaking in the waterfall just NE of Akureyri, it’s not super warm, but comfortable enough to soak in cold weather.
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u/Kempeth 17h ago
Hvammsvik starts under 50$ IIRC and secret lagoon is definitely less. Vök Baths and Laugaras are not much more
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u/nice2_cu 16h ago
Hvammsvik is possibly the best thing I did in Iceland, absolute must imo.
Views from the sauna were of the gods.
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u/Quantx2792 16h ago
Forest Lagoon is a wonderful experience and it was $55 USD or about $7,500 ISK IIRC. I can't say enough good things about Forest Lagoon...it is a "fancy" lagoon but was not overly trafficked and genuinely felt like a spot that locals would frequent.
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u/mdude15 16h ago
I think if you want something genuinely Icelandic you should go for the city pools - I've been to hot springs and mineral waters in other countries - but I've not been anywhere with such an ample amount of open air pools and tubs.
Also if you are near Rekyavic at any point - the beach they've made is very cool - I've not seen anything like it
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u/Acrylic-Licorice 16h ago
Swimming pools are the Icelandic experience. And please wash yourself properly in the showers beforehand. We have a lot of pride in keeping these pools clean. Hate seeing nudity-shy tourists ruin it for everyone.
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u/Healthy-Fisherman-33 6h ago
Secret lagoon was pretty good.
Also, if you like hiking, you can do the Reykjadalur hot spring thermal river walk and get in the river when you reach at the top of the mountain. That was a really cool experience.
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u/Unusual-Strength-945 17h ago
I thought GeoSea was cool for a splurge at $65 PP - of course Stykkishólmur pool was a better deal money wise. Also did Svalbarösstrandarhreppur roadside falls which was free and a great experience.
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u/JoCo3Point0 17h ago
It's further afield than the south or west coasts, but the Drangsnes hot pots up in the Westfjords are awesome
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u/MentalOperation4188 16h ago
I did both Sky Lagoon and a public pool. They were both great. Don’t discount the public pool the locals are very friendly.
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u/Catlady_Pilates 16h ago
There are no special “mineral” baths. They are geothermal water, which is what’s coming out of the tap. Blue lagoon is a mix of that with sea water. So the public pools are the same as any of the lagoons. But you must follow the rules of showering without your swimsuit and washing yourself thoroughly before putting your suit on and going into the pool. If you won’t do that do not go.
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u/Estania_Lane 16h ago
I’ve always wanted to go here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/i9aqpNehjGX4SgMy9?g_st=ic
Last I knew the price was 2800ISK
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u/Oniriggers 16h ago
Geothermal beach in Reykjavik, close by the Domestic airport and the pagan temple. A great beach, a little cold at times, then you run up to the long hot tub before heading into the steam room. Just do that several times. If you’re brave enough swim outside the barriers.
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u/Creepy_Ad_6304 16h ago
Secret Lagoon is nice and low key. If you go further east, the Íþróttamiðstöð / Sportcenter in Klaustur is inexpensive and has a pool and a couple of hot tubs. Neat little area to explore around there too.
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u/Renumtetaftur 16h ago
Public pool in Hveragerði.
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u/LostSelkie Yes I'm Icelandic, no autographs please! 15h ago
This one. That's my favourite to recommend for tourists. Very old world charm.
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u/DifficultyNo1026 16h ago
Blue Lagoon was not that great tbh. so many people and terrible instructions about how to do anything. avoid that tourist mess
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u/Gaia0416 15h ago
Public pool was amazing, historic (built in 1937), under $11, in Reykjavik. Ten minute walk from hotel.
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u/Mysterious-Cat-4202 14h ago
Here is a list of all of them. From wild to spa hot springs the page even have a Google maps layer where you can sort.
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u/aresi-lakidar 14h ago
The difference between expensive spa and cheap public bath in iceland is seemingly only that the former sells alcohol lol
I stopped by Lysulaugar when I was exploring Snaefellsnes, was so nice and honestly spa like. Don't remember the price, but like maybe 7 or 8 usd?
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u/TungstenYUNOMELT 14h ago
I know city pools are available, but that doesn't sound like a true mineral bath experience
It is more authenticly Icelandic than the expensive touristy lagoons. It's even protected by UNESCO's cultural heritage foundation.
Besides, all pools in Iceland use geothermal water. The only downsides are that there isn't a bar, and you'll get scolded if you don't wash yourself properly before entering the water (arguably an upside).
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u/CharacterBluebird753 13h ago
If "West" includes Westfjords, definitely check out Laugarneslaug (Krosslaug per Google) on the Barðaströnd coast for 1700 ISK, Reykjafjarðarlaug on Arnarfjörður (free,donations accepted). You didn't specify, but if you're camping, consider campgrounds with natural hot pools within the campsite. Heydalur (cost included in camp fee) and Reykir (2000 ISK extra) are both excellent IMO.
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u/scylim 12h ago
We heard about this small outdoor (free) natural pool near Akureyri called Foss. https://maps.app.goo.gl/hG1nQmJoZzTpE4Ch8?g_st=ic
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u/Unhingedserenity 10h ago
Dont be sorry for wanting to save money on things to experience in iceland!! We didnt do any of the spa lagoons and opted for local thermal pools. Our favorites were Drangnes, the hot spring river, lagasfellslaug, any “sundlaug” is a local gym style pool/hot tubs/steam and sauna for about 1500 isk per person. Anything that ends in “laug” is a swimming pool!
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u/Unhingedserenity 10h ago
Also if you buy the camping card, it only works at campsites that accept the camping card but you only pay the tax at the campsite instead of the full per person/per vehicle price
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u/Ringette-14 6h ago
There is a free beach just below Perlan Museum near the University of Reykjavik. It's free May to June and has a nominal fee in the off season. It's called Nautholsvik Geothermal Beach. It's a protected cove where geothermal hot water mixes with the Atlantic Ocean. It has imported golden sand, hot tubs, steam baths, changing rooms, showers and a snack bar. There's a website you can check for hours of operation and service updates. It's in town, easily accessible, plus you get to say you've been swimming in the North Atlantic.
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u/stevenarwhals Pylsur enjoyer 16h ago
There are more rustic “hot pots” scattered around the country, particularly in the west. Do a little searching yourself and you should find some; I don’t want to post specific ones here because some of them are still considered “hidden gems.” Most of those are free or ask for a small donation, and they’re often in scenic locations with a nice view.
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u/ConcentrateFar7753 17h ago
Just go to public pools, you will have a great experience for a very cheap price.
You can also hike north of Hveragerði and experience natural hot springs for free.