Reykjavík Grapevine - jan. 2023, Side 21

21The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 1— 2023
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MUSEUM OF DESIGN
AND APPLIED ART
GARÐATORG 1
210 GARÐABÆR
OPEN TUE–SUN 12–17
WWW.HONNUNARSAFN.IS Instagram Facebook honnunarsafn
EXHIBITIONS
HÖNNUNARSAFNIÐ SEM HEIMILI
AT HOME IN
THE DESIGN MUSEUM OPENS 27.01.
THE PLATFORM
BEST BOOK DESIGN FROM ALL OVER
THE WORLD 2022 OPENS 20.01.
RESIDENCY
ADA STAŃCZAK
CERAMIC DESIGNER OPENS 20.01.
temperatures and depths, which are
littered across the beach. If you get
tired of the great outdoors, you can
head inside for a bowl of seafood
soup or tuck yourself away in the
loaf-shaped steambath to hum to
yourself and feel the acoustics
vibrate your skull to samadhi. This
is the place to go after munching
those edibles you forgot were in
your beige weekender.
HOT TIPS: Don’t be nervous about
the jellyfish if you decide to take a
dip in the sea — they don’t sting.
Do be careful on the wooden steps
connecting the pools — they get
moderately-to-insanely slippery.
Honourable Mention:
Forest Lagoon
Another newbie on the spa circuit,
the Forest Lagoon on the outskirts
of Akureyri forgoes the dark lava
design that’s become so popular in
Iceland by weaving their hot springs
into a man-made forest clearing
with views over Eyjafjörður.
THE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK
GeoSea
There is no such thing as a cheap spa
and, if you’re just looking for a cosy
hot tub, you’re better off with any
of the pools. But if you’re looking to
kick it up a smidge without break-
ing the bank, then GeoSea leads
the pack. While it may not offer
an exhaustive range of spa activi-
ties, the Húsavík staple does offer
an infinity pool filled with heated
seawater, which guides your eye to
ludicrously gorgeous views over
Skjálfandafjörður. So sit back and
take it all in with a long sigh and a
glass of bubbly.
HOT TIPS: Remember to pay the
bar tab on your plastic bracelet. You
may find that the wine has eaten into
the Blue Lagoon savings
Honourable Mention:
Laugar Spa
Located in the bowels of the World
Class Laugar gym, you don’t go to
this spa for the views. Look out
for 2-for-1s and discounts and you
can enjoy a range of steam baths
surrounded by oddly sex-fixated
decor choices. If you need fresh air,
take a brisk jaunt over to Laugar-
dalslaug, which is included in the
entry price.
THE ULTRA FANCY SPA
The Retreat at Blue
Lagoon
Oh, shit is that Beyoncé!? No? Oh,
well, it’s still pretty nice. The Blue
Lagoon Retreat seems to have
been built to meet the affluent
and famous contingent’s need for
uninterrupted selfies and boy does
it deliver. Far from the madding
crowds of the regular lagoon, here
you will get your very own chang-
ing suite with private facilities. After
threading your way through a maze
of saunas and relaxation rooms,
you can choose between lounging in
the whisper-quiet café, grabbing a
bubbly in the private lagoon area, or
descending to the lower level for an
upscale version of the silica skincare
regime found in the commoners’
lagoon. While the price tag is dizzy-
ing, there is a lot to be said for avoid-
ing the foot traffic and embracing
serenity to its fullest.
HOT TIPS: You will get lost making
your way to the changing room, be
careful not to stub your toes on the
steps in the opaque lagoon water,
and take advantage of the surpris-
ingly generous portions at the café.
Honourable Mention:
Deplar Farm
This lodge in a remote part of North
Iceland has a similar price-based
barrier to entry as the Retreat at
the Blue Lagoon but, in addition
to the usual spa facilities, it offers
a swim-up bar, flotation tanks and
two helipads (for all your helicopter-
ing needs).
MORE DELICIOUS SPAS!
Reykjavík Metropolitan Area:
- Edition Hotel Spa
- Hreyfing Spa
- Hótel Borg Spa
- Hilton Nordica Spa
- Grand Hotel Spa
- Þingholt Spa
- Sky Lagoon
Within 2 hours from Reykjavík
Laugavatn
- Fontana Spa
Haukadalur
- Hótel Geysir
Húsafell
- Canyon Baths
Reykholt
- Fosshótel Reykholt Spa
- Krauma
East
Jökulsárlón
- Fosshótel Jökulsárlón
Egilsstaðir
- Vök Natural Baths
- Lake Hotel Spa
North
Mývatn
- Myvatn Nature Baths
What the heck
is a spa?
This may seem like a simple enough
question, but it gets particularly thorny
in a country with a widespread bath-
ing culture. The only way forward is to
wade into these murky waters and bash
together a definition. Here are the defini-
tive characteristics of a spa, as far as the
Grapevine is concerned:
1. The first one is easy. An Icelandic spa
must offer pools of geothermal mineral
water for people to relax in. This is non-
negotiable. Think of it as a waterpark for
relaxing adults. That said, there shouldn’t
be a full-blown lap pool. A spa is not the
place to get your cardio in.
2. It should not have much geared
towards children. It’s a place for mommy
to get away from her hellspawn.
3. Robes. Robes are nice. Give in to the
robe.
4. Booze. While not an essential part of
the experience for some, easy access
to sparkling wine does help enforce the
message of relaxation and celebration.
Just don’t start getting all shouty or think
we don’t know when you are getting
handsy in the water.
5. Higher service level. If you’re lucky,
a trip to a traditional Icelandic pool
includes an old woman shouting at you
to clean your buttcrack. A spa should be
a notch above that.
6. Treatments for your aching bones and
saggy skin. Massage, facials, mani, pedi,
etc. If the nice spa person tells you it is a
good idea to get wrapped up in seaweed
and thrown into hot lava, then you shut up
and do it. You want that glow.