Gvendarlaug
About Gvendarlaug
Gvendarlaug is the geothermal swimming pool at Laugarhóll in Bjarnarfjörður, on the Strandir coast of the Westfjords. The 25-metre outdoor pool, officially Gvendarlaug hin góða, was built in 1946 and is fed continuously by a natural hot spring, so the water needs very little treatment. It sits beside Hótel Laugarhóll but is open to anyone who pays the entry fee.
The pool is kept at roughly 30–34°C, a little cooler on windy days. Next to it is a natural hot-spring creek at 40–42°C and a newer geothermal hot tub that seats about 14 people, and one ticket covers all three. About 100 metres behind the hotel lies Gvendarlaug hin forna, a stone-lined pool thought to date from the 12th century and named after Bishop Guðmundur Arason "the Good", who by tradition blessed the spring. It is a protected monument: you can look at it, but bathing there is not allowed.
Laugarhóll is 25 km from Hólmavík. Take Road 61 north for about 10 km, then Road 643 over the Bjarnarfjarðarháls pass; the hotel is on the left about 1 km after the bridge over the Bjarnarfjarðará. Drangsnes is 18 km away and Reykjavík roughly 260 km, around three hours by car. The pool is a few steps from the car park.
The pool is open 08:00–22:00 every day of the year, but it closes for part of Tuesday for cleaning, so check with the hotel before a Tuesday visit. Entry is 1,000 ISK for ages 13 and over, 500 ISK for ages 6–12 and for visitors aged 67 or older, and free for children under 6. Everyone showers in the pool building before bathing, and glass is not allowed anywhere in the pool area.
Summer brings long evenings and the most reliable road conditions over Road 643. The pool stays open through winter, when clear nights can bring northern lights, but check road conditions with the Icelandic Road Administration before driving the pass.
Good to know
Can you bathe in the old Gvendarlaug stone pool?
No. The medieval stone pool, Gvendarlaug hin forna, is a protected monument. You can bathe in the 1946 pool, the hot-spring creek and the hot tub next to it.
How hot is the water at Gvendarlaug?
The 25-metre pool is about 30–34°C. The natural hot-spring creek beside it is 40–42°C.
How much does Gvendarlaug cost?
Entry is 1,000 ISK for ages 13 and over, 500 ISK for ages 6–12 and for visitors aged 67+, and free for children under 6.
What are the opening hours at Gvendarlaug?
It is open 08:00–22:00 every day of the year, with reduced hours on Tuesdays for cleaning.
Do you need to stay at Hótel Laugarhóll to use the pool?
No. The pool is open to the public for the entry fee.
Why is it called Gvendarlaug?
The name refers to Bishop Guðmundur Arason "the Good" (1161–1237), who by tradition blessed the spring.
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