Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.08.2012, Síða 18

18
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 12 — 2012
DO NOTE that many of the pools listed were built and are managed by locals, who
usually put tremendous work into maintaining and keeping them nice for every-
one. Be respectful of the locals, the pools themselves and of nature in general,
just like you always do when you travel.
Hot | Pools
“One of this country’s best redeeming qualities are
the pools of hot water found sprinkled all over it.
Those pools somehow manage to make life on the
edge of the inhabitable world somewhat bearable-
to-goddamn awesome when all else fails, especially
when temperatures drop below sub-zero and an
endless winter takes hold of the heart. They are also
pretty great during summer, when those dark days
seem like a distant, repressed memory. We treasure
every single one of the geothermal pools, quaint hot
tubs and glorified puddles sprinkled all over our
small rock in the North Atlantic, and so should you.
All of those pools are special, all of them offer
something to love: the modern concrete and glass
constructs with their fishtank steamrooms and
suburban families, the indoor pools and their am-
bitious architecture, the barren wasteland scream-
ing ocean end-of-the world three-person decaying
concrete tubs. All of them do, yet some of them
stand out, earning a very special place in travellers’
hearts, haunting their dreams and demanding re-
peat visits.”
We printed the above passage in July of 2009
(in an article entitled ‘Thank God For Hot Water’),
and it’s just as true now as it was then. Nothing’s
changed. Iceland’s massive reserves of steamin’
hot geothermal water are still making life on the
island possible, and when accumulated in pools or
tubs it can serve to make it downright awesome! In
that spirit (and since we heard there was a massive
shortage of touristy articles about Iceland’s pools
and hotpots—preferably with some sort of volcano
tie-in), we’ve gone and made a list of FIVE AWE-
SOME POOLS FOR YOU TO VISIT WHILE IN
ICELAND, IF YOU CAN!
Yes We Can: Five Fancy Pools For Your
Pickin’! Interested in more than just hamburgers and beer?
Does bathing in hot, geothermal water strike your fancy?
READ ON! dear tourist, READ ON!
Seljavallalaug,
close to Skógafoss
Seljavallalaug pool is so awesome and
so close to Reykjavík that you really
have no excuse for not visiting. Hitch-
hike if you must, just go there. The pool
is located in a beautiful valley, sur-
rounded by hills and mountains and sky
and grass (and probably elves), and it is
the perfect place to ponder life, the uni-
verse and everything. It was built in
1924 and re-done by locals in 1998, and
is by all standards a rustic affair—it fre-
quently fills with algae, and there are
some modest changing rooms but no
shower. And it’s just lovely.

HOW DO I GET THERE?
Head south on Route 1, past Selfoss
and Hvolsvöllur, slowing down once
you near Skógafoss. Make a turn at the
farm Seljavellir, drive as far as the road
takes you, park your car and then walk
for ten minutes or so. Enjoy.
Grettislaug,
rather close to Sauðárkrókur
The Grettislaug hotpots are located just
north of Sauðárkrókur in northern Ice-
land. It is said that Saga hero Grettir
Ásmundarson bathed in this pool (or
some 11th century variant of it) after his
famous (well, in Saga-buff circles)
swim from Drangey island. And even
though you’re not a ghost-fightin’
strongman hero type, the appeal is un-
deniable. Grettislaug’s two pools are
nicely warm (38°C and 41°C, respec-
tively), lined with smooth, algae-cov-
ered stones and offer a great view of
forever and ever. NOTE that there are
no changing facilities: you’ll just have to
change in your car or something.
HOW DO I GET THERE?
The pool is located about 40 kilome-
tres from Varmahlíð on Route 1, spe-
cifically in Glerhallavík at Reykjaströnd
in Skagafjörður. The road north of
Sauðárkrókur is kind of shabby, so it’ll
take you a while to drive—but it’s worth
it.
The Tálknafjörður Hotpots,
by... Tálknafjörður
Located a few kilometres outside fish-
ing hamlet Tálknafjörður in the south-
ern Westfjords, the Tálknafjörður hot-
pots are revered by the locals as well as
any traveller who happens upon them.
While soaking in the hotpots is free of
charge, they are remarkably well kept
and official looking (though you should
expect some algae) and offer some
modest changing rooms. Regulars like
to brag that they are one of the world’s
best places to observe Aurora, but the
surroundings (and the ever present al-
lure of scorching hot water) ensure
them a must-visit status year-round.
HOW DO I GET THERE?
From Tálknafjörður, drive along Strand-
gata until you see a red-roofed cottage
on your right. Suit up. Dive in.
Reykjanes,
not far from Ísafjörður
The Olympic sized pool-cum-hot tub at
Reykjanes in the Westfjords is a local
treasure and an attraction in its own
right. It was built in 1934 and was until
recently Iceland’s ‘longest’ swimming
pool—it was originally meant to be a
modest 25-metres, but the builders ap-
parently got the measurements wrong.
The geothermal heating results in a
comfortably inconsistent average tem-
perature and a warning sign graces its
banks: pool may be extremely hot, pa-
trons enter at their own risk. It is better
for floating around in and hot-tubbing
than exercise; a perfect spot to watch
Aurora or twilight as area whippoor-
wills or redshanks stop by for a dip ev-
ery now and again.
HOW DO I GET THERE?
Driving to Ísafjörður via Ísafjarðardjúp
will take you right past Reykjanes (it is
a two hour drive from the town), and a
sign that says ‘Reykjanes’ will alert you
when it’s time to make a right turn (un-
less you’re driving away from Ísafjörður.
Then you’ll make a left turn.
The Cheese Containers,
right outside Húsavík
We probably shouldn’t be telling you
about these, as they are a well-kept lo-
cal secret. But we figure since the good
people of Húsavík are so welcoming to
tourists and travellers, they surely won’t
mind. A sort of ‘freegan’ take on your
Icelandic geothermal hotpot, these are
made from disused cheese containers
once used by a nearby farm for cheese-
making, with changing rooms fash-
ioned out of an old cargo container. The
hot water comes straight from the
ground—occasionally, in the event of a
flow-interrupting earthquake, the pool
will even dry up!
HOW DO I GET THERE?
Drive along Höfðavegur, leaving
Húsavík. Take a right turn onto a small-
er road, leaving an old lighthouse on
your left. It’s located only a kilometre
out of town, and you’ll surely make it
there eventually.
Words
Haukur S. Magnússon
Photos
Julia Staples • Stephanie Orford • Björgvin
Hilmarsson • Ágúst Atlason