Bjórböðin (The Beer Spa)

Current status

Bjórböðin, usually called the Beer Spa in English, is closed. The family that built it put it up for sale in 2024, mainly because the pandemic years had strained the business. In December 2025 it was bought by Karl Sigfússon, a contractor who has built several hotels in rural Iceland. He told the local news site akureyri.net that the baths were closed for an indefinite period, that nothing would operate there for several months, and that he hoped to build accommodation on the site. He has not said whether the beer baths will return in their old form.

As of October 2026 we could find no announcement of a reopening, and the spa’s own website shows only a password screen. Do not plan a trip around it. If you are in the area, check local news or the Visit North Iceland listing for updates, and treat this page as a record of what the place was and what to do nearby instead.

What it was

The Beer Spa opened in 2017 in Árskógssandur, a small fishing village on the west shore of Eyjafjörður. It was built by Agnes Sigurðardóttir and Ólafur Þröstur Ólafsson, the couple behind Bruggsmiðjan Kaldi, the brewery in the same village that makes Kaldi beer. Planning started in 2015, and the idea was to turn a brewery town into a reason to stop.

It is worth being clear about one thing: this was never a hot spring. The baths were tubs filled with a mix of young beer, water, hops and live brewer’s yeast. The spa marketed the yeast as good for the skin and asked guests not to rinse it off for a few hours afterwards. We make no claims about that either way.

A visit had two parts. You spent 25 minutes in your tub, then 25 minutes lying down in a relaxation room. There were seven tubs, so the spa could take up to 14 people an hour, alone or in pairs. Each tub had its own tap of Kaldi beer for guests aged 20 and over. Outside, an outdoor hot tub area looked across the fjord to Hrísey island and the mountains on the far shore, and a restaurant seating around 80 served burgers, soups and beer-inspired dishes.

When it opened, a single beer bath was ISK 4,900, a couple’s bath ISK 9,000, and the outdoor hot tub ISK 2,000. Those 2017 prices are long out of date and are given here only for context.

Getting there

Árskógssandur is on Route 82, the road along the west side of Eyjafjörður between Akureyri and Dalvík.

• From Akureyri: Drive north on Route 1, then turn onto Route 82 toward Dalvík and Ólafsfjörður. Árskógssandur is signposted off the main road. The drive is about 35 km (22 miles) and takes around 35 minutes.
• From Dalvík: Head south on Route 82 for about 13 km (8 miles), roughly 15 minutes.

The spa shares its street address with the Kaldi brewery. The road is paved all the way, but snow and wind can slow things down in winter.

When to go

While the spa is closed there is no good time to visit it. If it reopens under the new owner, expect different opening hours, prices and possibly a different concept. We will update this page when there is confirmed news.

The village itself is worth a stop at any time of year as a jumping-off point for Hrísey. Summer brings the longest days and the most frequent ferry departures.

Rules and etiquette (when it operated)

For reference, these were the main rules when the spa was running:

• Session length: 25 minutes in the tub, then 25 minutes in the relaxation room. With seven tubs, the spa could take at most 14 guests an hour, so slots were limited.
• Ages: No minimum age for the bath itself, because the bath water was not drinkable. Guests aged 16 and under had to come with an adult. Only guests aged 20 and over could use the beer taps.

Where to stay nearby

The sellers kept their small hotel, Hótel Kaldi, though they said it would close during the deepest part of winter. Beyond that, Dalvík, 13 km (8 miles) north, has more places to stay and shops. Akureyri, 35 km (22 miles) south, is the main town of North Iceland, with the widest choice of hotels.

Safety notes

• Closed site: Do not enter the spa grounds or buildings while they are closed. It is private property under new ownership.
• Winter driving: Route 82 is exposed in places. Check road.is before driving in winter, and allow extra time.
• Alcohol and hot water: If the spa or a similar beer bath reopens, remember that drinking while soaking in warm water raises the risk of dizziness and dehydration. Keep it to a glass and drink water too.

Nearby alternatives

Hrísey, an island in the middle of Eyjafjörður, is a short ferry ride from the Árskógssandur harbour. The ferry Sævar takes about 15 minutes each way, and the island is good for an easy walk and birdwatching. Dalvík has a municipal swimming pool with hot tubs if you want a geothermal soak, and Akureyri offers both its large town pool and the Forest Lagoon just outside the town.