Swimming in Iceland is a wonderful experience. The geothermal pools are in nearly every town, even the smallest and they are often the social hub of the community. The Blue Lagoon is the most famous and it’s a wonderful place to visit. After enjoying a number of pools in Iceland I have put together my top tips for the Blue Lagoon (and other pools in Iceland), so you can have the best time there. There are a few Blue Lagoon tips specific for visiting with kids but lots of general ones too. Read to the end if you’re looking for Reykjavik to Blue Lagoon tips.
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Table of Contents
Make sure you pre book your tickets for Blue Lagoon admission
The Blue Lagoon is definitely the most popular geothermal pool in Iceland and it’s for a reason.
Situated an hour or so outside of Reykjavik you will want to consider ways to get to Blue Lagoon. It is well worth considering campervan rental in Iceland if you’re looking to visit these pools and others around the island too. There are also public transport options to and from Reykjavik.
Whilst it certainly was not over-rated, it was still quite touristy and not a regular haunt of Icelandic natives. That said I can’t recommend it highly enough but make sure you pre-book your tickets.
Blue Lagoon booking is essential as it does sell out and as soon as you know when you want to book then do it in order to secure the slot. This isn’t the case for any other pool we visited though, just this one.
Tie up any hair
If you have long hair, remember to tie it up.
The minerals in the water, particularly at the Blue Lagoon, can cause absolute havoc.
I wasn’t careful enough and it took at least a week of intense conditioning to get mine even vaguely back to normal after our Blue Lagoon trip. It felt like I was brushing straw.
You will need to take all your clothes off
You will have to take all your clothes off. It sounds (perhaps) embarrassing but really, no one bats an eyelid. The pools don’t use chlorine and so it’s very important that everyone showers with soap (provided), fully, before going in the pool.
At the Blue Lagoon you can easily find a private shower but at most of the other, public pools they are completely communal and there simply isn’t room for modesty.
If you just get on with it as if you do it every day no one will look twice at you.
Don’t worry about taking in towels
At the Blue Lagoon they provide you with lovely fluffy gowns as well as towels. Many of the public pools provide towels too.
Don’t take in socks and shoes
Leave your socks and shoes outside before you enter the changing rooms. They have little cubby holes for them usually just after you’ve paid to enter the pool building.
Don’t wear any jewellery
It’s best to remove any jewellery before you enter the pool, he water is so milky coloured you wouldn’t find anything if you lost it.
Also the geothermal seawater isn’t good for any metals. The high levels of silica, algae, and minerals can damage jewellery.
Put aside enough time to really enjoy it
These pools are not like regular swimming pools. They really are relaxing and a wonderful place to spend a few hours.
At the Blue Lagoon there are so many things to do from putting on the silica mud masks to swimming up to the little drinks area. You can run up a tab on the magnetic bracelets they give you.
In the regular pools moving from cold to warm to hot waters and often with floats and slides to enjoy too.
Don’t just try out the Blue Lagoon
Obviously these tips are primarily for the Blue Lagoon and it is definitely somewhere to really enjoy.
Once you have however then find more pools to relax in, this time with the locals.
My favourite pool is Arbaejarlaug Geothermal Pool which is just on the outskirts of Reykjavik.
We had the best time here, swimming in the hot, warm and freezing waters which all run into each other so you never know what you’re going to come across. This was much more of a local, community pool and was full of teenagers catching up with each other, older people doing their exercises in the pool’s in-the-water gym area and mothers and small children.
We loved it here. There were lots of fun inflatables for children to play on as well as water slides and hot pots (Jacuzzis).
Arbaejarlaug is also great because it is partially indoors, you can swim outside or in through a little opening in the wall. So if it starts to rain heavily you can easily just be in the inside portion.
Look into the rules if you’re travelling with kids
At the Blue Lagoon every child under the age of seven has to wear armbands. Whether they can swim or not.
Other pools may have similar rules.
Arm bands are provided at most, if not all, swimming pools so it’s just a case of turning up with your swimming costume.
Easy transfer to the Blue Lagoon
If you’re trying to get from Reykjavik to Blue Lagoon then take the Highway 41 to GrindavÃkurvegur if you’re travelling by car. Perhaps the simplest way is the bus where there are numerous transfers from either Reykjavik or Keflavik Airport, check out their timetable here. You can also take a taxi.
Get your skip-the-line Blue Lagoon tickets here
Read more about our trip to Iceland here. And see our best things to do in Reykjavik with kids. Read all about the Icelandic concept of jolabokaflod {the best Christmas Eve boxes}.
Have you been swimming in Iceland? Which was your favourite pool? Or has this inspired you to go to Iceland?
I love how they have such safety standards! That has to the best part of the story. I could so very much jump into that warm water now.
The water was amazing….like being in a lovely warm bath. I could have stayed there all day!!
Great tips – I never would’ve known about the arm band rule for kids that can already swim. Must. go. to. Iceland. SOON!
Thank you for your comments. I fell in love with Iceland and am having serious cravings to go back, so be warned, it’s definitely addictive!! 🙂
Getting naked and wash with soap (provided at the pools) is a must before you enter the water. I am a local and I can tell you that we think it’s absolutely disgusting and gross if you don’t wash! There is Chlorine in the pools, but it’s not much, so washing is necessary. Sweaty tourist that go into the pools without washing themselves first, it’s just considerd awful and we do notice it. The Blue lagoon and Jarðböðin við Mývatn, those two at least don’t use chlorine. We love to see you enjoying our pools but my plea is, please wash!
Absolutely!! We totally agree and we believe when you’re travelling to different countries you respect their rules and often, as in this case, there are good reasons for those rules. Thank you for taking the time to write…we love Iceland and hope people continue to enjoy it with consideration!! (ps I washed…honest!!)