Salalaug

What to expect

Salalaug is one of two public pools run by the town of Kópavogur, the large suburb that borders Reykjavík to the south. It opened in 2005 in Salir, a residential district on the southeast edge of town, and it is a working neighbourhood pool. You share it with lap swimmers before work, parents and toddlers mid-morning, and teenagers after school.

It is not a hot spring in the wild sense. Like nearly every pool in the capital area, it runs on geothermal hot water, and it is built around the hot pot culture that Icelanders treat as a daily habit. If you want to see how people in the capital actually use their pools, a weekday at Salalaug is a good place to do it.

The pools

The town lists the following:

• Main outdoor pool: 25 x 15 m (82 x 49 ft), 1 to 1.6 m (3.3 to 5.2 ft) deep, with six racing lanes. During public hours two lanes are kept for play and general swimming.
• Whirlpool (iðulaug): water and air jets, plus three loungers with full-body massage and heated air.
• Indoor pool: 16.67 x 10 m (55 x 33 ft), 75 to 90 cm (2.5 to 3 ft) deep, at 91 to 93°F33 to 34°C. The town says it suits younger swimmers in particular.
• Two hot pots: one at 100°F38°C and one at 108°F42°C.
• Slide and water organ: a slide, and a “water organ” with 40 jets that children love.
• Sauna and infrared room: both opened on 25 July 2026. The sauna has a stone stove with a timed water dispenser above it. Press the button every 90 seconds and it sprays water on the stones to raise the heat and humidity. Both rooms keep the pool’s opening hours.

The indoor pool was shut for repairs from January 2024. The town’s pool page lists it again, but if you are coming mainly for it, ask at the desk.

Getting there

Salalaug is at Versalir 3, 201 Kópavogur.

• By car: From central Reykjavík, head south through Kópavogur toward the Salir district in the southeast of the town. There is a car park at the pool.
• By bus: Strætó buses serve the Salir area. Use the Strætó trip planner for the current route and stop.

Roads in the capital area are cleared quickly in winter, but if you are driving in snow or ice, check umferdin.is first.

When to go

Salalaug is open all year.

Winter (October 1 to April 30):

• Monday to Friday: 06:30 to 22:00
• Saturday and Sunday: 08:00 to 18:00

Summer (May 1 to September 30):

• Monday to Friday: 06:30 to 22:00
• Saturday: 08:00 to 20:00
• Sunday: 08:00 to 22:00

The late Sunday close started as a trial from July 19 to September 27, 2026, after residents asked for longer weekend hours. The town said it would extend weekend hours at both its pools if the trial went well, so check the page for next summer.

Holidays: 08:00 to 20:00 on December 23, 08:00 to 12:00 on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, 08:00 to 18:00 on December 26, and closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Short closures: The town posts notices on its news page. For example, on October 22 and 23, 2026 the indoor women’s changing room was closed for maintenance and both outdoor changing rooms were given to women for those two days.

The quietest times are usually mid-morning on weekdays and the last hour or two of the evening. Late afternoon brings families and swim clubs.

Prices and rules

The Kópavogur price list, updated in October 2026, is the same at both town pools:

• Single adult entry: ISK 1,330
• 10-visit card: ISK 7,600
• 30-visit card: ISK 15,700
• 60-visit card: ISK 25,300
• Annual card: ISK 38,200
• Swimsuit rental: ISK 765
• Towel rental: ISK 765
• Free: children under 18, disabled visitors and people aged 67 and over

Punch cards are transferable. The town also sells an electronic swim card.

Children: Iceland’s swimming pool regulation (No. 814/2010) says children under 10 may only enter with a swimmer aged 15 or older, and that person may bring no more than two children unless they are the parent or guardian.

Bathing culture

Icelandic public pools have rules that surprise many visitors, and staff do enforce them.

• Shower naked before you swim. At public pools it is a legal requirement. Wash fully with soap, without your swimsuit, in the open changing-room showers. Signs show which parts to wash.
• Swimsuit on in the pool. Changing rooms are split by gender.
• Shoes off at the changing room entrance.
• Dry off in the shower area before walking back to the lockers.
• Hot pot manners: People chat in the hot pots, but nobody minds if you just sit quietly. Do not take over the 108°F42°C pot for a long time when others are waiting.
• No one under the influence: The regulation bars people who are drunk or high from entering.

Where to stay nearby

There are no rooms at the pool. Kópavogur has hotels and guesthouses, and central Reykjavík, with the widest choice of places to stay, is a short drive north. If you are staying in Reykjavík itself, Laugardalslaug is the city’s big flagship pool, and Vesturbæjarlaug and Sundhöll Reykjavíkur are classic neighbourhood pools. On the Álftanes peninsula, Álftaneslaug has Iceland’s only wave pool and a long water slide.

Safety notes

• Very hot pot: The 108°F42°C pot is hot even by Icelandic standards. Ease in, keep it short, and get out if you feel dizzy.
• Depth: The main pool is 1 to 1.6 m (3.3 to 5.2 ft) deep. Non-swimmers and small children should stay in the indoor pool and within arm’s reach.
• Slippery surfaces: Decks can be wet and, outdoors in winter, icy. Walk carefully between the changing rooms and the pools.
• Cold air: In winter the walk from the hot pot to the door is cold. Bring a towel and do not linger wet on the deck.

Practical details

• Phone: 441 8500
• Address: Versalir 3, 201 Kópavogur
• Bring: a swimsuit and towel, or rent both at the desk.
• Lockers: in the changing rooms.