Dipping into Iceland’s Hidden Hot Spring Pool

Here’s an off-radar place to bookmark for an unforgettable outdoor swimming experience. Seljavallalaug, Iceland’s oldest swimming pool, built in 1923 into the mountainside of a narrow valley. Apparently it’s filled with warm water that trickles down from an unpronounceable ice-cap-covered volcano called Eyjafjallajökull, also known as E15 (phew). The pool is a protected site, but not owned or managed by anyone other than a few volunteers clear it of thick winter ice for whoever wants to use it. It’s also free.

Getting to it sounds like an adventure in itself. It’s a two-mile round trip from the nearest car park, which takes around 20 minutes each way, and involves crossing a stream with a rocky bed and walking down an uneven trail that looks like it leads to nowhere. Find the location here.

Fun fact: I read that it was originally built as a place locals could go to learn how to swim, because despite many Icelanders working as fishermen, apparently at the beginning of the 20th century, most didn’t know how to swim.

However, although it looks idyllic, a swim here is definitely not for the faint hearted. I read in this honest article about the pool, that it’s not actually that hot, despite being fed by a hot spring, there’s lots of algae, and the changing rooms have seen better days (people leave their rubbish and old clothes in there). Still, it’s free, pure, and nice to know it doesn’t exist for profit.

New to Ellie & Co? Join thousands more and sign up for my monthly newsletter. Or follow my stories on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

You might also like...

Hunting for the Miniature Roadside Shrines of Greece 5 Reasons For a Trip to Porto (Other Than to Drink Port) Finding a Penis-Themed Bar in a Sicilian Town 7 Secret Highlights of a Weekend in Seville, Spain Did You Know You Can Send Chocolates to the Real Saint Valentine? A Not-Touristy Weekend in Cambridge: a Two-Day Itinerary