Álftaneslaug

What to expect

Álftaneslaug is the neighbourhood pool for Álftanes, a low, flat peninsula on the south side of Skerjafjörður that is now part of the town of Garðabær. It is a working municipal pool, not a spa. Locals come before work for laps, families arrive after school, and older regulars sit in the hot tubs and talk. If you want to see how Icelanders actually use geothermal water day to day, this is a good place to do it, and it has one feature no other pool in the country has: a wave pool.

The outdoor area is the main draw. There is a 25 m lap pool, the wave pool, a children’s splash pool and a water slide that the town lists as 10 m high and 80 m long (Visit Reykjavík describes two slides, one short and one about 85 m, so expect a small one for younger kids as well). Two hot tubs sit at around 102°F39°C and 108°F42°C. Next to them is a cold tub at 39 to 41°F4 to 5°C, which regulars use for short plunges between hot soaks. A steam bath and a dry sauna round it out.

Indoors there is a 12 by 8 m teaching pool with windows onto the outdoor area. The town pitches it at parents with small children who are learning their first strokes. A gym, Gym Heilsa, operates in the same building.

The atmosphere is relaxed rather than polished. There are no robes or mask bars here, and you will share the tubs with residents. That is the point.

Getting there

Álftaneslaug is on Breiðumýri in the middle of Álftanes, next to the local school.

• From central Reykjavík: Drive south on Kringlumýrarbraut and Hafnarfjarðarvegur (Route 40) toward Hafnarfjörður, then turn west onto Álftanesvegur and follow it out onto the peninsula. The trip is about 14 km (8.7 miles) and takes roughly 20 minutes outside rush hour.
• By bus: Strætó, the capital-area bus network, serves Álftanes. Check the Strætó trip planner for the current route numbers, since they change from time to time.

There is free parking beside the building. Everything is at ground level, so the walk from car to front desk is a minute or two.

When to go

The pool is open all year. Iceland’s outdoor pools stay busy in winter, and a hot tub in falling snow is one of the better things to do in the capital area on a dark January afternoon.

Weekday late mornings and early afternoons are usually the quietest times. Early mornings bring lap swimmers, and after-school hours and weekends bring families, which is when the wave pool and slide get lively.

Sunday opening is seasonal. In 2026 the pool opened on Sundays from 1 June to 4 October, from 09:00 to 22:00. Outside that window, confirm Sunday hours on the Garðabær website before you go.

August maintenance: Icelandic pools close for a week or so each year for cleaning. In 2026 Álftaneslaug closed from 10 to 17 August. Holiday hours are also shorter: 09:00 to 11:30 on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and 1 May.

Prices and booking

There is nothing to book. You pay at the front desk on arrival. Garðabær’s 2026 price list, which covers both Álftaneslaug and Ásgarðslaug in Garðabær, sets these rates for adults aged 18 to 66:

• Single entry: ISK 1,350
• 10-visit card: ISK 6,000
• 30-visit card: ISK 12,400
• Swimsuit rental: ISK 800
• Towel rental: ISK 800

Children under 18, people aged 67 and over, and disabled visitors who show a disability card swim free. The town asks everyone on a free entry to use a Garðakort, its digital or plastic access card, where applicable. A plastic card costs ISK 1,250. Ask at the desk how this applies to visiting children.

Pool etiquette

Icelandic pools run on a few firm rules, and staff do enforce them.

• Shower without your swimsuit before you get in. This is the big one. Leave your shoes outside the changing room, undress fully, shower with soap, then put your swimsuit on. Attendants will send you back if you skip it. Shared hot tubs stay clean only if everyone does this.
• No phones or cameras in the changing rooms or around the pools.
• Children under 10 must be accompanied by a swimmer aged 15 or older. If you are not the parent or guardian, you can supervise at most two children. Non-swimmers need approved arm floats or a swim vest.
• Keep your voice down in the hot tubs. They are social spaces, but not loud ones.
• Dry off before you go back into the changing room, so the floor stays dry.

Accessibility

The town describes the pool as well set up for disabled visitors. There are accessible changing rooms inside both the men’s and women’s changing areas, shower wheelchairs in both, and a pool lift at the outdoor pool for getting in and out of the water.

Where to stay nearby

Álftanes is mostly residential and has very few places to stay. Most visitors base themselves in central Reykjavík, about 20 minutes away by car, or in Hafnarfjörður, which is closer. Both have a full range of hotels and guesthouses. If you are camping, the Reykjavík Campsite in Laugardalur is the nearest large campground, next to Laugardalslaug, the city’s biggest pool.

Safety notes

• Hot tub heat: The 108°F42°C tub is hot. Keep soaks short, drink water, and get out if you feel dizzy.
• Cold tub: At 39 to 41°F4 to 5°C the cold tub is for brief dips only. People with heart conditions should skip it.
• Wet surfaces: Pool decks get slippery, and in winter they can ice up at the edges. Walk, do not run, especially between the hot tubs and the cold tub.
• Children and waves: The wave pool is fun but tiring for weak swimmers. Keep small children within reach.

Nearby stops worth adding

Bessastaðir, the official residence of the President of Iceland, is on the same peninsula, a short drive from the pool. The church there is a local landmark. If you want to compare pools, Garðabær’s other pool, Ásgarðslaug, uses the same price list and is a short drive away in Garðabær itself.