Reykjavík Grapevine - jan. 2023, Síða 20

Reykjavík Grapevine - jan. 2023, Síða 20
i8 Gallerí Tryggvagata 16 101 Reykjavík Iceland info@i8.is +354 551 3666 www.i8.is 19.01.23–04.03.23 Kathy Butterly Eggert Pétursson Reykjavík Art Museum One museum Three locations Open daily listasafnreykjavikur.is artmuseum.is Hafnarhús Tryggvagata 17 101 Reykjavík Kjarvalsstaðir Flókagata 24 105 Reykjavík Ásmundarsafn Sigtún 105 Reykjavík Support the Grapevine! View this QR code in your phone camera to visit our tour booking site In the past few years, a particularly entrepreneurial spirit has swept the country, inspiring millionaires of all stripes in the throes of religious epiphanies to begin monetizing Iceland’s geothermal springs into dark castles devoted to the worship of cosiness. Where locals and tour- ists alike can slip out of their peas- ant garments and into terry cloth robes to laze around in carefully- constructed recreations of Icelandic nature. But with the spa label being tacked onto everything from swanky lagoons of the Blue, Sky and Forest varieties, to the hot tub in some guy’s backyard — how do we know what to choose? What type of spa are you look- ing for? A posh spa? A sporty spa? A ginger sp…this Spice Girls analogy doesn’t really work does it? Here’s the Grapevine’s guide to a wet and wild ride through the best hot water money can buy. From splashy community centres to luxury retreats Every Icelandic town with more than a 1000 people has a munici- pal swimming pool, complete with jacuzzis and plastic beach loungers. Unlike many European countries, the Icelandic swimming pool is not rooted in hydrotherapy as much as it is a place to stage mandatory swimming lessons (smart, as we’re an island) and a warm puddle for elderly gents to wax polemic about “those damn clowns in Alþingi.” The pools were never the sort of Budapestian havens where an 18th century Austrian poet would go to recover from heartache and light scurvy. No, these were and always should be farty-water community centres. The international conception of spa culture invaded Iceland’s shores when the Blue Lagoon got upgraded from a thinly-disguised industrial run-off site into a tourist mecca. Of course there were some early adopt- ers, like the spa in the hotel formerly known as Loftleiðir (now, Reykjavík Natura) but, let’s not kid ourselves, it’s the rise of the Blue Lagoon that helped cement the Icelandic geothermal spa as one of the first things visitors associate with our little homeland. . The best kept secret 360° Boutique Hotel & Spa This charming luxury lodge is at the end of a dirt road and not visible from any major tourist route. If that isn’t exclusive enough, the spa does not take walk-ins and visitors will need to book a stay at their luxury lodge. Thankfully, it’s a welcoming romantic getaway, with each room offering a clear view of the bright- orange skies on a freezing afternoon in southern Iceland. Add to that a skilled chef and a pair of adorable Icelandic sheepdogs, and it feels like a warm hug on a winter morning. Spa-wise, you have a choice between an indoor pool shrouded in steam, a provincial infinity pool extending into a koi pond, or a pair of hot tubs sitting atop a hill with a 360 degree view of the rolling countryside. The geothermal spring is naturally high in mineral salts, which excludes the need for chlorine, and run-off water is channelled back into the surrounding nature. While it may be slightly less polished than some of the others, it more than makes up for it in good food, stunning views and that aforementioned doggy duo. HOT TIPS: Don’t miss the hot tub on the hill, as you can lose sight of it on a winter night. Do take advantage of the little floaty mats, you deserve weightlessness. Honourable Mention: Natura Spa One of the first on the spa scene, but often forgotten. This lovely blue-lit lounge spa is located in the base- ment of Reykjavík Natura hotel, making it an easy-to-access treat even for 101 rats. To take in the nature Hvammsvík In a highly-contested category, the newly-opened Hvammsvík Hot Springs inched ahead as the front- runner. Hvammsvík offers gorgeous views that blend seamlessly into the waters of Hvalfjörður and the jagged peaks encircling it. Key features include a hot tub on the pebbled beach, which is nearly swallowed by the sea at high-tide, along with a range of other hot tubs at varying It’s Spa O’Clock The best places to steam, soak and shhh Words: Ragnar Egilsson Photos: Archival TRAVEL 20The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 1— 2023

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