Guðlaug Baths

What to expect

Guðlaug is not a natural spring in a field. It is a small, architect-designed bath set into the rock breakwater at the edge of Langisandur, the long sandy beach in Akranes. Geothermal water is piped in, and the structure is built on three levels that step down toward the sand, about 6 m (20 ft) from top to bottom.

The top level is a viewing deck next to the beach stand. You look out over the beach and Faxaflói bay toward Reykjavík and the mountains around it. The middle level is the main event: a heated seating pool with showers and an equipment room beside it. The bottom level is a shallow wading pool fed by overflow from above, so it is cooler. Stairs connect all three levels and carry on down to the beach.

That last detail is the point of the place. Locals swim in the sea off Langisandur, then climb straight up into hot water. You do not have to swim in the North Atlantic to enjoy Guðlaug, but if you want to try, this is one of the easiest places in Iceland to do it, with hot water a few steps away. The town rents sea-swimming shoes and gloves for ISK 1,140 each.

The pool is small. Expect to share it, and on a sunny weekend expect a crowd of local families. The concrete and rock blend into the sea wall, and at high tide with a swell running, spray can reach the lower level.

The history behind the name

The bath was paid for largely by a memorial fund set up in 1969 in the names of Jón Gunnlaugsson, a boat owner, and Guðlaug Gunnlaugsdóttir, a homemaker. When the fund was wound up in 2014, its board gave ISK 14 million to the hot pool project, and the pool carries her name. A working group delivered a design in autumn 2015, Basalt Architects and the engineering firm Mannvit drew it up, and the contractor Ístak built it. Work resumed in June 2018 and finished that December, and the town opened Guðlaug in the weekend before 12 December 2018.

Getting there

Akranes sits on a headland across Faxaflói from Reykjavík.

• From Reykjavík: Take Route 1 north through Mosfellsbær and the Hvalfjörður tunnel. Just after the tunnel, turn left onto Route 51 to Akranes. The trip is about 50 km (31 miles) and takes a little under an hour.
• From Borgarnes or the north: Follow Route 1 south and turn right onto Route 51 before the tunnel.

In town, head for Langisandur on the south shore. Guðlaug is in the sea wall at the town end of the beach, near the Jaðarsbakkar sports area and the town swimming pool, Jaðarsbakkalaug. Parking is close by. It is a short, level walk to the steps, and you can see the structure from the road.

Akranes is also on the Strætó bus network from Reykjavík if you are not driving.

When to go

Guðlaug is open year-round, so pick your moment by tide, weather and crowd.

Weekday afternoons are the quietest time once it opens at midday. Weekends bring families and sea swimmers, especially in sunshine.

Low tide gives you more beach and calmer water below the pools. At high tide in a southerly wind, waves break hard on the wall, which is dramatic from the deck but less relaxing in the bottom pool.

Winter is a good time to come. The pool stays open, the water feels hotter in the cold, and on a clear, dark evening you have a chance of northern lights over the bay before closing time. Storms can still shut it, so check first.

Prices and booking

Guðlaug is run by the town of Akranes, and its prices sit in the town’s 2026 pool fee schedule:

• Adults (18+): ISK 2,800
• Ages 10 to 17: ISK 1,400, or free with an adult
• Under 10: free
• Seniors (67+) and disability pensioners: ISK 1,400
• 10-visit card: ISK 18,630, valid summer and winter
• Towel rental: ISK 830
• Year pass holders at Jaðarsbakkalaug: free

Groups of 10 to 25 pay ISK 19,670 during normal hours or ISK 33,120 for a special opening. Individuals do not need to book.

Older articles describe Guðlaug as free. That was true when it opened in 2018, but it is not true now.

Rules and etiquette

• Shower first, without your swimsuit. This is the rule at every Icelandic pool, and Guðlaug has showers by the hot pool. Wash properly, then put your suit on.
• Swimsuits are required. This is a town pool beside a public beach.
• Keep it calm. The pool is small, so no jumping or splashing, and keep your soak short when it is busy.
• No glass. You are on rock and concrete above a beach.
• Watch the hours. The town posts changes and weather closures on the Guðlaug Facebook page.

Bathing culture

Icelanders treat the hot pot as a social space, closer to a village square than a spa. People chat with strangers, talk about the weather and the news, and stay a while. Guðlaug adds sea swimming to that habit. Do not be surprised to see people in their seventies walk down the steps into a cold winter sea and come back up laughing. If you join them, go in slowly, stay close to the steps, and get out before you start to shake.

Where to stay nearby

Akranes is a town of several thousand people with places to eat and sleep, but most visitors come on a day trip from Reykjavík, less than an hour away.

• Akranes: Guesthouses and apartments in town are the closest option. Book ahead in summer.
• Hotel Laxárbakki: About 12 km (7 miles) from Akranes on Route 1, with rooms, a cottage, a hot tub and a restaurant.
• Bjarteyjarsandur: A working sheep farm on Hvalfjörður that offers a campsite, cottages and an old farmhouse to stay in.
• Reykjavík: The widest choice of hotels, about 50 km (31 miles) away.

Safety notes

• The sea: Langisandur faces open water. The sea here is cold in every season, and cold shock can catch out strong swimmers. Do not swim alone, stay near the steps and never go out in rough water.
• Waves on the wall: In a big swell, spray and surges can reach the lower level. Stay out of the bottom pool if waves are breaking over it.
• Footing: Wet steps and rock get slippery and icy in winter. Wear sandals between the pools and the beach.
• Heat: Test the hot pool with a hand, especially after a cold sea swim, and get out if you feel lightheaded.
• Children: Keep small children within reach. The wading pool leads straight onto the beach.

Nearby stops worth adding

Jaðarsbakkalaug, the town pool a short walk away, is open weekdays 06:30 to 22:00 and weekends 09:00 to 19:00 if you want lanes, a longer swim or a rainy-day backup. Langisandur itself is worth a walk at low tide. At the western tip of town, the two lighthouses on Breið point are a popular spot for sunset and seabirds.