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Maybe not what first comes to mind when thinking about an Icelandic holiday but definitely something to consider.

Geothermal pools are all over the country and combined with the fresh air, it´s a real gem. Kids love the water slides and everybody relaxes in the warm water. Icelanders visit their swimming pools all year round and in all weather conditions. It is wonderful in the summer when the sun is shining as well as in the dark of winter when you might feel snowflakes on the tip of your nose while being re-energized in the lovely hot tubs.

At most swimming pools you can rent a bathing suit and a towel, for a reasonable price. So no need to skip your visit to the pool if you forgot to pack your swim gear. The opening hours are usually long, since they open early in the mornings and close in the evenings. In the weekend the hours are usually a little bit different as they open a little later and close earlier than in the weekdays. A good website to check out is Swimming in Iceland where you can find addresses and opening hours of the about 100 swimming pools around Iceland.

Most swimming pools have closed lockers with a lock where you can place your clothes and valuables and the showers have soap. It is important to bathe without your bathing suit in the showers before entering the pool.

The swimming pools are a very social place, everybody from the young and old, from all walks of life enjoy a visit to the pool. Often politics and different newsworthy subjects are discussed in the hot tubs and it is usually easy to strike up a conversation with the locals.As swimming can make you hungry, we suggest you try this after your visit to the swimming pools:

If you want to do like the Icelanders do, you should visit the hot dog stand and treat yourself to a hot dog with, mustard, fried onions, ketchup, raw onions and remoulade ( mayonnaise-based condiment). This is what we call “ein með öllu” - hot dog with everything.