June 1, 2004 -- Icelanders have been hot-tubbing longer than any other people on Earth. Wracked with volcanic activity, Iceland is also covered with natural steam vents -- places where hot water just shoots out of the ground.
That gift of infinite, free, running hot water has put a heated public swimming pool in every Icelandic town and village. Icelandic yuppies trade gossip in their civic hot tubs before work, and Icelandic moms take the kids swimming every day after school.
Spa Heaven at the Blue Lagoon
Iceland's number-one swimming hole, the Blue Lagoon (www.bluelagoon.is) has expanded in the past few years into a full-fledged spa.
The Blue Lagoon started out as an outflow pool from a power plant about a half-hour drive from Reykjavik, on the way to the airport. Icelandic power plants run on superheated natural steam coming up from the earth's crust; once they've drained some of the verve from the steam, they dump the clean but cooler water into a big pool.
Eventually, the Lagoon got so popular that its owners built a glitzy new welcome center with spacious dressing rooms, a restaurant, a café, and a shop. They carved a new lagoon out of a nearby lava field, and filled it with hot water from its own dedicated steam vents.
Now, the opaque, mineral-filled blue water courses through a huge main pool, three hot-tub areas with benches, a waterfall, a cave, some interesting little corridor-streams and a pond dedicated to in-water massages. Water temperature varies from about 90? to 105? depending on where you're standing, and the smooth rock bottom is covered with a white silicate sludge that's apparently very good for your skin. Various massages and facials are available, all done in the water. Many involve the Blue Lagoon's special silica mud, which gives you that glowing, fresh-faced Scandinavian look. (It really does -- we've tried it.)
The best way to get to the Blue Lagoon is by a public van service, run by Thingvallaleid (www.bluelagoonbus.is). Their Ikr 2,750 ($37.67) fare includes a pickup at your Reykjavik hotel, entrance fee to the lagoon, and a drop-off either back at your hotel or at the international airport, making it a great thing to do right before you leave Iceland. You must reserve the trip through your hotel or by calling +354 511 2600.
If you're coming to the lagoon under your own geothermal steam, expect to pay Ikr 1,200 ($16.44) for adult admission. Towel rentals cost Ikr 300 ($4.11); swimsuit rental goes for Ikr 350 ($4.79), and you can rent a big, fluffy robe for Ikr 700 ($9.59).
Up in northern Iceland near the popular Lake Myvatn nature reserve, a new Lagoon is in the works. The Lake Myvatn Nature Baths (www.steam.is/english.php) takes the lagoon concept back to basics -- it's filled with power-plant outflow, though the steam rooms here are on top of their own dedicated vents. (Fresh steam!) A small café and changing rooms complete the scene.
The Nature Baths are a five-minute drive from the village of Reykahild, and a similar distance from other Myvatn attractions, such as the natural bathing caves, lava park and bubbling mud pools. The Nature Baths' greatest attractions are the location, smack in the middle of North Iceland's top sights, and the view of the lake in the near distance. The Nature Baths open in early July; expect the admission fee to be under Ikr 1,000 ($13.70).
Swimming for Less at Public Pools
In Iceland, swimming is for everyone. And we do mean everyone. For a couple of hundred kronur -- under $10, certainly -- you can get into top-notch pools open every day of the week. Most are outdoors, but not even snow stops Icelanders from swimming; it helps that all the pools are heated to a pleasant bathlike temperature.
The biggest pool complex in Reykjavik is slightly outside of the central city at Laugardalur. A huge lap pool, fun pool, and water slide join 5 hot tubs and a steam bath. This is where most tourists go, but it's usually also full of Icelanders. Take the #5 bus from downtown.
Kids might be even more entertained by the pool at Arbaejarlaug, slightly outside of town on bus routes #7, 10 and 110. There's a baby pool indoors with a water passage leading to the outdoor pool, and plenty of toys and even a waterfall for kids. The huge hot tub and great view of the nearby valley appeal to older folk.
Reykjavik never gets hot enough for what most of us would consider "beach weather," but that hasn't stopped the Icelanders from heating up the water at Nauth?lsv? a "thermal beach" just south of the city center on the #7 bus line. Workers dredged up tons of golden sand and joined them with a heated little bay and several hot tubs to create a unique, genuinely somewhat weird beach where the water is often warmer than the air.
For more on Reykjavik's pools, head to www.spacity.is.
Iceland's Elite Spas
Glitzy indoor spas are a pretty new invention in egalitarian Iceland, but several have cropped up over the past few years.
The best combination gym/spa in town is Laugar, at Reykjavik's big outdoor swimming pool, Laugardaulur. On the ground floor, there's a café and a truly amazing array of brand-new workout machines, including dozens of treadmills. Downstairs, you'll find a beautiful, dimly-lit spa with various saunas, several showers (including one that dumps cold water on you from a bucket, and another that smells like a rainforest), a hot tub fitted with changing mood lighting, and a 'relaxation room' with a real wood fire and huge, cushy armchairs. A wide range of massage treatments are available. Of course, you can also go join the riff-raff at the pool next door; the spa has its own private entrance to the public pool area.
A day pass to the gym at Laugar costs Ikr 1,100 ($15.07); a day pass to the gym and spa costs Ikr 3,300 ($45.21). Laugar (www.laugarspa.is) is at Sundlaugavegi 30a in Reykjavik; the phone number is +354 553 0000.
If you're staying at the business-oriented Nordica hotel, set up a date at their top-notch Nordica Spa (www.nordicaspa.is/default.asp?webID=29). They offer aromatherapy, a wide variety of massages, manicures, pedicures and facials in a soothing atmosphere. The indoor spa includes a heated relaxation pool and two steam rooms, and there's a log cabin sauna outside. Spa packages start at Ikr 7,900 ($108.22) for a manicure and pedicure; massages start at Ikr 4,900 ($67.12). Get in touch with them through the hotel's concierge desk or by calling +354 444 7090.
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