Reykjafjarðarlaug

What to expect

Arnarfjörður is one of the largest fjords in the Westfjords, and along its southern shore several small side fjords cut into the mountains. One of them is Reykjafjörður, a short, narrow inlet on the road between Bíldudalur and the high pass that leads to Dynjandi. At its head, right beside Route 63, is a swimming pool that local volunteers built in 1975 on top of a geothermal area. That is Reykjafjarðarlaug.

There are really two places to bathe here.

The main pool is a full-size outdoor swimming pool that you can see from the road. Hot water from a spring and a nearby borehole flows in, and on one visit a Westfjords travel writer measured the pool at about 90°F32°C. That is warm enough for a long, slow swim on a summer evening, though it feels cool when the wind picks up. On the same writer’s most recent visit the pool was split into two sections, one hotter and one cooler. The water flowing in can reach about 126°F52°C, so stay away from the inflow pipe.

The natural pool sits a little way above the main pool and is easy to miss. It is a small sitting pool where rocks dam a hot stream, so it fills with spring water. It is much hotter than the main pool: about 113°F45°C on one visit, and the same writer found it far too hot in summer 2024. Its temperature depends on the flow, the rain and whatever someone has done to the rocks lately.

Next to the main pool are simple changing facilities. There is no attendant and no kiosk, and no fee. The setting is the real draw: steep, bare mountainsides dropping into a quiet fjord, very little traffic, and often no one else in the water.

The pool is not staffed. Under Iceland’s bathing water regulation (460/2015), unmanaged natural pools are not routinely tested, so you are relying on the source water being clean.

Getting there

Reykjafjörður is on Route 63 (Bíldudalsvegur), which links Bíldudalur with Route 60 near Dynjandi.

• From Bíldudalur: About 20 km (12 miles), roughly 20 minutes east on Route 63 along the shore of Arnarfjörður.
• From Dynjandi: About 39 km (24 miles), around 35 to 40 minutes. Take Route 60 south from the waterfall up toward Dynjandisheiði, turn west onto Route 63 toward Bíldudalur, and follow it down to the fjords and along the shore to Reykjafjörður.
• From Flókalundur and the Baldur ferry at Brjánslækur: About 26 km (16 miles) from Flókalundur by road, roughly 25 minutes, via Route 60 north over the heath and then Route 63 west.
• From Tálknafjörður or Patreksfjörður: About 37 km (23 miles) or 47 km (29 miles) respectively, via Route 63 through Bíldudalur.

The main pool is beside the road, so you can pull in and be in the water within a few minutes. The upper natural pool is a short walk above it.

When to go

Summer (June to August) is the easiest time. All the roads in the area are open, and the long evenings are the nicest time to swim, once the day traffic heading to and from Dynjandi has thinned out.

Spring and autumn are quieter. The weather can be wet and windy, and the main pool feels much cooler in a cold wind.

Winter is possible, since the pool stays warm all year, but the mountain roads around Arnarfjörður can be icy, snowbound or closed, and daylight is short. Check umferdin.is for Route 60 and Route 63 and safetravel.is for weather warnings before you leave town.

A note on condition: one Westfjords travel blog has at times reported that the pool was under repair when the writer passed. No official body posts its status, and volunteer-run pools can change from year to year, so be ready for a pool that is cooler, emptier or partly drained.

Rules and etiquette

• It is free and run by volunteers. Leave the pool and changing area tidier than you found it.
• Wash before you swim. At Icelandic natural pools the naked shower is a house rule rather than a legal one, and there may be no shower here. Rinse off if you can, and keep soap and shampoo out of the water.
• Swimsuits on. This is a local swimming pool, and families use it.
• Do not rebuild the natural pool. Moving rocks changes the temperature for everyone after you.
• Take all rubbish with you. There are no bins.
• No camping by the pool unless it is signed as allowed. Use the campsites in Bíldudalur or Flókalundur.

Where to stay nearby

• Bíldudalur: About 20 km (12 miles) west, a small village on Arnarfjörður with guesthouses and basic services.
• Flókalundur: About 26 km (16 miles) south, with a summer hotel, a campsite and Hellulaug, a free shore pool.
• Tálknafjörður: About 37 km (23 miles) away, with a campsite, a guesthouse and the free hot pots at Pollurinn.
• Patreksfjörður: About 47 km (29 miles) away, the largest town in the southern Westfjords, with hotels and supermarkets.

Safety notes

• Hot natural pool: The upper pool can be hot enough to burn. Test it carefully with your hand, and keep children out of it.
• Hot inflow: Water entering the main pool can be around 126°F52°C. Do not sit right by the pipe.
• Children: The main pool is a full-size pool with no lifeguard. Keep children who cannot swim within arm’s reach.
• Footing: The ground around the upper pool is uneven and often wet. Wear shoes for the walk up.
• Remoteness: Help is far away, and mobile coverage can be patchy in the side fjords. Tell someone your plans in winter.

Nearby stops worth adding

Dynjandi, the tiered waterfall at the head of Dynjandisvogur, is about 40 minutes away and is the big sight of this part of the Westfjords. In Bíldudalur, a small museum about sea monsters plays on the old stories of creatures in Arnarfjörður. To the south, the shore pools of Hellulaug and Birkimelur make it possible to string three or four soaks into one day of driving.