Family travel and spas are often two themes that don’t go well together. Luckily, in Iceland the opposite is true. The Icelandic people have put their massive amounts of geothermal energy to good use. On average they visit the spa at least twice a week, year round. It is a place of community, where locals hang out and visitors are exposed to the local way of life. Even some of the smallest towns in Iceland have their own hot pools or large heated outdoor pools that are open all year long. They look especially magical surrounded by snow. You could spend the entire trip visiting a different hot pool every day, and still not see them all in a month. For the more adventurous, you can take a hike to a heated river, and select where you would like to take a dip. Temperatures vary at different parts of the river. We loved our trip to Iceland and wish we could go to the spa as easily in the U.S. On this trip we were able to try three different geothermal spas, each with a unique twist.
See The Spas We Visited
- Blue Lagoon – One for the Bucket List
- Fontana Geothermal Spa – Rye Bread Baked in Black Sand
- Krauma – What a spa designed by Bruce Wayne would look like
A Note on Spa Etiquette
Spas in Iceland are very clean. Bathing before entering is required because no chemicals are used in the hot pools. Unlike the signage “Please Rinse Off” that we see in the US, which most people ignore; here it is required. Iceland’s spas do not mess around with washing up; some spas even have an attendant in the locker room verifying guests have showered.
Americans are usually given more stern instructions, because they know it is not our normal habit before swimming. Don’t take this personally, many visitors don’t realize it’s required. Some locker rooms have at least one shower with a curtain, many have nothing more than open showers lined up. When in Rome is the saying, so go with it, rinse off with soap, pull on your suit, and relax.
Travel by Marisa 