Seljavallalaug

63.3357º N, 19.3627º W

Seljavallalaug pool was built in 1923, making it one of the oldest swimming pools in Iceland. It was built to teach locals how to swim. The pool is secluded and the atmosphere around it is created by solitude. It has a unique calmness over it as only the whispers and songs of nature can be heard. Many people think it’s warm, but it is actually not. The temperature of Seljavallalaug is between 20° to 30°C (68 to 86°F) and there is just a small stream of warm water running into one of the corners of the swimming pool. Even if you don’t go in, it’s a great spot to photograph on its own. There is no entrance fee to the pool and there is an old dressing room, but no showers or management so you’ll have to bring your own towel. To get there, drive east along the Ring Road and turn left to Route 242 for the car park. From the parking lot, it is about a 15-20 minutes walk to the pool (one way). You can’t see it directly from the car park. Along the way you must jump over a little stream, Once you do that, you will know that you are close! But don’t panic, the walk is doable for everyone. Drones are allowed.

Attention: Please don’t leave trash in the changing rooms or anywhere around. It can get very dirty, very quickly. Also, if you are prone to urinary tract infections, I wouldn’t go in there – there’s a lot of algae and bacteria.

Here you can find:

• A changing room

Surrounding locations:

• Seljalandsfoss
• Gljúfrabúi
• Gluggafoss
• Þórsmörk
• Skógafoss
• Keldur turf houses
• Westman Islands

Tours in the area: