Krossneslaug (Krossnes Swimming Pool)

What to expect

Krossneslaug is the pool people mean when they talk about swimming at the end of the world in Iceland. It sits on a pebble beach below the Krossnes farm, a few kilometres beyond Norðurfjörður in Árneshreppur, the most remote municipality on the Strandir coast. The pool’s edge sits almost on the beach, so from the water you look straight out to the open sea and the mountains of the north coast.

It is a proper concrete outdoor pool, 12.5 by 6 m (41 by 20 ft), with a hot tub alongside, changing rooms and showers. It opened on 5 July 1954, built by the local youth and sports club, Ungmennafélagið Leifur heppni, together with the parish council. The water comes from the Krossnes hot springs a short way inland, where boiling water and a cold stream both run down into a hollow near the shore. That natural heat is rare in the Westfjords, which is the oldest part of Iceland and has far fewer hot springs than the rest of the country.

The operators do not publish water temperatures. The pool is warm enough to swim in comfort on a cold, windy day, and the hot tub is hotter.

The pool is also a working local amenity for a community of only about 50 people, so do not expect a café or shop on site.

Getting there

Krossneslaug is a long way from anywhere, and that is half the point.

• From Reykjavík: Allow a full day, about five hours or more without stops. Take Route 1 north to Borgarfjörður, then Route 60, then Route 61 over to Hólmavík.
• From Hólmavík: Follow Route 61 a short way, then Route 643 north along the Strandir coast. The pool is over 100 km (62 miles) from Hólmavík and Drangsnes, and the drive takes more than two hours. Most of it is rough gravel, and parts are potholed. Djúpavík, with its old herring factory and hotel, is on the way.
• From Norðurfjörður: Continue past the village and the harbour for a few kilometres. A short gravel track leads down to the parking area above the beach. The pool is about 1.8 km (1.1 miles) from Norðurfjörður as the crow flies.

Fill your tank in Hólmavík. There is a small store in Norðurfjörður, but services are thin and opening hours short.

When to go

June to August is the season. The road is at its best, the pool keeps long hours and the light goes on almost all night in June and early July. Travel guides give mid-May to the end of August as the window when the area is reliably reachable.

Outside summer, assume it may be closed and that the road may be difficult. Snow and ice often make the Westfjords’ gravel roads impassable, and Route 643 into Árneshreppur is long and exposed. Call the pool on 888-5077 and check road.is or the Umferdin app before you set out.

On calm days you may see seabirds, seals and sometimes humpback whales offshore. Bring a windproof layer for the short walk between the changing house and the pool.

Prices and booking

• Entry: ISK 1,000 for adults; children free. These are the prices published by the operator as of July 2026.
• Hours: 07:00-23:00 daily in season (July 2026).
• Booking: Not needed. Pay on arrival.
• Support the pool: Leifur heppni has been rebuilding the changing house almost from its foundations since spring 2021, and the pool itself has needed major repairs. Its website lists the club’s bank details for donations.

Rules and etiquette

The usual Icelandic pool rules apply here as everywhere else:

• Shower without a swimsuit before you get in. Wash properly with soap, including your head. This is required at every Icelandic pool.
• Swimsuits in the pool. Nudity is for the changing rooms.
• Shoes off before you walk into the changing area.
• Stay off the beach in your bathing gear when the sea is up. The waves at Krossnes are strong and unpredictable.
• Be quiet in the evening. Neighbouring farms are close.

Where to stay nearby

• Ferðafélag Íslands hut and campsite at Norðurfjörður: In 2026 a hut bed costs ISK 11,000 per person per night (ISK 5,500 for members) and camping costs ISK 2,800 (ISK 1,400 for members). Book ahead through the association.
• Bergistangi guesthouse in Norðurfjörður has rooms in the village.
• Hótel Djúpavík, in the old herring station village about halfway up the coast from Hólmavík, is the other main place to stay in Árneshreppur.
• Ófeigsfjörður campsite, further north, sits near the end of the road.
• Kaffi Norðurfjörður serves food in season.

For more choice, Hólmavík has hotels, guesthouses and a campsite. On the way up you can also stop at the Drangsnes hot pots, three free shoreline tubs on the same coast.

Safety notes

• The sea: The pool sits right above the beach. Stay well back from the waterline, keep children close, and do not swim in the sea here.
• Roads: Route 643 is a long, rough gravel road. Drive slowly, use pull-outs to let others pass, and avoid it in poor visibility.
• Remoteness: Help is a long way off. Carry food, water, warm clothes and a charged phone, and tell someone your plans.
• Cold after the pool: Wind off the sea chills you fast on the way back to the car. Dress before you leave the changing house.

Nearby stops worth adding

Djúpavík is built around a large disused herring factory from the herring boom years. In Trékyllisvík, between Djúpavík and Norðurfjörður, the Kört heritage and craft house has local history displays. Norðurfjörður is also a starting point for trips toward the Hornstrandir nature reserve, and many visitors pair a swim at Krossnes with a few days there. The road continues north to Ófeigsfjörður, where there is a campsite near the end of the line.