Pollurinn

What to expect

Pollurinn (Icelandic for “the pool” or “the puddle”) is a set of geothermal hot pots on the hillside above Tálknafjörður, a small fishing village in the southern Westfjords. Locals have used them for decades, and travellers driving between Patreksfjörður and Bíldudalur have caught on. It is the sort of place where you may share a pot with someone who has been soaking here after work for thirty years.

There are three concrete pots, painted blue like a municipal pool. Two are shallow and one is deeper. They were built in 1985 and are fed by a borehole drilled in 1977, which also supplies hot water for the village’s swimming pool, school and gym. More recently a cold pool was added for plunging between soaks. A short walk up from the road, the pots look out over the fjord and the mountains on the far shore.

The temperature is not fixed. Water comes in from the borehole, and visitors report that it can vary a great deal from one pot to the next and from day to day. A hose lets you run cold water into a pot that is too hot. No temperature is posted, so test each pot by hand before you get in.

Beside the pools is a small cabin where you can change and leave your clothes. It has a shower, and the changing rooms were renovated around 2018. They are tiny, about 4 to 5 square metres each, so expect to wait your turn if a group arrives. There are no toilets and no bins.

The pools are not staffed. Under Iceland’s bathing water regulation (460/2015), unmanaged natural pools like this one are not routinely tested.

Getting there

Tálknafjörður village is in the southern Westfjords, between Patreksfjörður and Bíldudalur. Since 2024 it has been part of the Vesturbyggð municipality.

• From Tálknafjörður village: Follow Route 617 (Tálknafjarðarvegur) out along the north shore of the fjord. The pools are about 4.7 km (2.9 miles) from the village, roughly 6 minutes by car, on the slope called Sveinseyrarhlíð just above the road. The road turns to gravel along the way.
• From Patreksfjörður: About 22 km (14 miles), roughly 25 minutes. Take Route 63 over the pass to Tálknafjörður, then Route 617 through the village and out along the fjord.
• From Bíldudalur: About 24 km (15 miles), around 25 minutes via Route 63 and Route 617.
• From the Baldur ferry at Brjánslækur: Take Route 62 west along Barðaströnd and over to Patreksfjörður, then Route 63 to Tálknafjörður.

The pools cannot be seen from the road. Park off the road, out of the way of traffic, and walk up the short path. In winter, check umferdin.is for road conditions before you set out, since the passes between the fjords can be icy.

When to go

Pollurinn is used all year. There are no posted opening hours and no gate.

Summer (June to August): The easiest time. Roads are clear, the light lasts late into the night, and late evening brings the low sun over the fjord. It is also when the pools are busiest, as locals and campers come up after dinner.

Spring and autumn: Quieter, and still easy to reach in most weather. Bring a warm hat. The walk from the pool to the hut in a cold wind is the hardest part of the visit.

Winter: You can soak here in snow with steam lying over the pots, and with luck see the northern lights. Daylight is short, though, and the roads around the Westfjords can close or turn icy. Check umferdin.is and safetravel.is before you drive.

Rules and etiquette

• It is free. Use the donation box. The pools and hut are maintained by the community, not by a business.
• Shower before you soak. The hut has a shower, and the usual Icelandic rule applies: wash without your swimsuit before getting in. At natural pools it is a house rule rather than a legal one, but locals expect it.
• Swimsuits on. This is a local family pool.
• No camping. The Westfjords tourism office says camping is forbidden here. Visitors sleeping in the changing hut and leaving litter have been a real problem.
• Take your rubbish with you. There are no bins.
• Leave the hose as you found it. If you add cold water, do not leave it running and drain the hot supply for the next person.

Where to stay nearby

• Tálknafjörður campsite: In the village next to the town swimming pool, about 4.7 km (2.9 miles) away. Café Dunhagi is close by.
• Guesthouses in Tálknafjörður: The village has a few places to stay, including a guesthouse in the centre. In summer, book ahead.
• Patreksfjörður: About 22 km (14 miles) away, the largest town in the southern Westfjords, with hotels, guesthouses, a supermarket and a fuel station.
• Bíldudalur: About 24 km (15 miles) away, a small village on Arnarfjörður with guesthouses.

Safety notes

• Variable temperature: The water can be much hotter on one day than on another. Always test with your hand, and add cold water with the hose if needed.
• Untested water: The pools are not staffed or monitored. Keep your head above the water and do not drink it.
• Children: The deep pot is deep enough that small children need to be held. Keep kids within reach, and keep them away from the hot water inflow.
• Slippery ground: The path and the edges of the pots can be wet, muddy or icy. Wear shoes for the walk up.
• Weather and roads: Westfjords weather changes quickly, and help can be far away. Tell someone your plans in winter, and check road conditions before you drive.

Nearby stops worth adding

The two other pools covered in this area are close: Birkimelur on Barðaströnd and Hellulaug at Flókalundur. Across the next fjord, the pool at Reykjafjörður in Arnarfjörður is about 40 km (25 miles) away by road. On the south shore of the fjord, a narrow road leads to the ruins of the old whaling station at Suðureyri. The Látrabjarg bird cliffs, which include the westernmost point of Iceland, are a longer drive out past Patreksfjörður.