UPDATED FEB 2020. The Blue Lagoon and Secret Lagoon get all the attention but there are local geothermal pools in Iceland all around the country. Whether you are interested in doing laps for exercise or soaking in hot tubs, there’s something for everyone. The catch – there is a strict process around getting ready for the swim including mandatory naked group showers. During my first trip to one of the pools, I was overwhelmed with all the rules. I was literally walking around completely naked and stopping by every sign to read them because I didn’t want to accidentally miss any of the rules. Here’s a guide to prepare you for your visit.
Everything You Need To Know About Geothermal Pools in Iceland
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It’s not as scary as it sounds
It’s really not.
I mean come on, you don’t have anything that everyone else in the locker room doesn’t have. It’s just a body and probably a pretty ok one at that so calm your tits and give it a go.
What to bring to the geothermal pools in Iceland
- Swimsuit*
- Towel*
- Flips flops
- Cash/Credit Card/Debit Card for the entrance fee
- Soap (there is soap in the shower room but you can bring your own if you prefer)
- Conditioner (only important if you care about frizz – I just used one from my hotel)
- Body lotion (for afterward – again I used the small hotel lotion)
*Swimsuits and towels can be rented but Iceland is expensive enough as it is. It’s best to pack your swimsuit and use a towel from your hotel.
Travel Tip: The showering process is important for hygiene purposes and is taken very seriously in Iceland. There are even shower attendants to make sure people are showering. My advice is to save yourself an embarrassment and just follow the rules.
What not to bring
Phones and cameras – Let me elaborate on this though. If you’re going to one of the touristy swimming areas like the Blue Lagoon or Secret Lagoon then take a camera and obviously don’t use it in the locker/shower area.
If you’re going to one of the local pools then no cameras or phones are allowed. You can leave it in your locker.
Swimming in the local pools is not a ‘get a good photo for the gram’ moment.
No shoes in the locker room
Take your shoes off before you enter the locker room.
The pools I visited provided bags to put your shoes in so you could store them in your locker or you can leave them on the rack outside the locker room.
Once you’re in the locker room it’s time to get your gear off and store it in your locker. Just keep out your swimsuit and towel.
If you brought soap and conditioner then keep those out too. You can walk to the shower room in your towel or walk naked.
No clothes in the shower room
Now that you’re butt naked it’s time for the pre-swim cleanse.
In the shower room, there will be racks where you can leave your swimsuit, towel, and conditioner so pick a rack and drop your stuff off.
Get your naked butt into the shower
The showers are basically rows of shower heads coming out of the wall with no partition or curtain in between.
At a couple of the pools, I went to they had a shy-lady section which had wall partitions in between the shower but still no door. If you’re really anxious about nudity then you could use them.
How to shower before your swim
All the pools I went to had liquid soap dispensers in the showers or use your own if you brought it.
Either way, lather up and wash your body especially the head, armpits, groin and feet areas.
Swimsuit and dash time
You can breathe a sigh of relief.
After you’ve rinsed off in the shower you can finally cover your bits again.
There’s no need to dry off since you are about to swim. Just pop your swimsuit on and make the dash to the water. I say dash because even though it’s a short distance, it’s going to be cold outside.
Leave your towel in the rack in the shower room just remember where you put it for when you get back.
Time to go swimming in the Icelandic local pools
Now it’s time to enjoy the water.
My favorite thing to do was to relax in the hot tubs at the end of the day exploring. Sometimes the tubs had a zen vibe where everyone was relaxing. Other times I was chatting up a storm meeting a bunch of lovely and interesting people.
It was seriously the most relaxing way to end the day.
The pools I went to had multiple outdoor tubs at different temperatures. Aside from the hot tubs, the pools I went to had large lap pools, play areas and shallow areas for kids, steam rooms and ice baths so there’s something for everyone.
Photo Credit: Visit Reykjavík / Ragnar Th Sigurdsson
Uh-oh, time to get naked again
After you are done relaxing, it’s time to dash back to the shower room and, you guessed it, get naked again.
Once you’re in the shower room, you can pick up your conditioner from the rack if you brought it and get into the shower. I would rinse my swimsuit under the shower water too.
Dry off completely
After you’re done rinsing, grab your towel from the rack and dry off completely.
This is important because they keep the locker room floors completely dry so make sure you’re not dripping water everywhere before moving on to that room.
Spin your swimsuit
You’ll probably see people using these machines so it will be more obvious when you are there, but they have machines to dry your swimsuit.
You can put your swimsuit into for 5-10 seconds and it spins out all the excess water. Pretty nifty huh?
Get your gear on
Once you and your swimsuit are dry, you can go into the locker room and put your clothes back on.
Everything except your shoes because you will put them on once you’re outside the locker room.
Congratulations, you survived.
Photo Credit: Visit Reykjavík / Ragnar Th Sigurdsson
How to find local geothermal pools in Iceland
It’s easy to find geothermal pools in Iceland because they are everywhere.
In Reykjavik, Laugardalslaug, Vesturbaejarlaug, and Sundhöllin are popular.
Here is a great resource to find a pool near you and you can always visit the Visit Reykjavik website for more information.
If you are driving, look for the pool icon and this will guide you to others.
Where to stay in Reykjavik
I stayed at Alda Hotel and walked to the main pools from there. It is also close to bus stops if you prefer to take public transport.
Hotel Alda was fantastic and I’d absolutely stay there again.
If you prefer somewhere else, I recommend searching on Booking.com. I use this to book accommodation when I travel and can always find a good deal there.
Other posts to help you plan a visit to Iceland
Solo Female Travel In Iceland Without A Car – How To Make The Most Of It
Cheap And Free Things To Do In Reykjavik – How To Visit On A Budget
Iceland Ring Road In 7 Days – Here’s Your Step By Step Itinerary
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I will share this with a friend of mine who is going to Iceland soon! And in the future I hope to go too :). Really good to know some of these things ahead. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you so much Lisanne! I hope your friend finds it helpful as well and enjoy Iceland!