5 Best Hot Springs in West Iceland: Wild Pools, Fjord Baths & Geothermal Spas
Iceland sits right on top of a huge underground reservoir of hot water, and West Iceland is one of the easiest places to actually feel that. Between Hvalfjörður, Borgarfjörður, Snæfellsnes, and the southern Westfjords, you've got everything from full spas with all the extras to free natural pools where you might be the only one there.
That mix is what makes this part of the country so good for a hot spring trip. One day, you're at a proper spa, the next, you're climbing into a tiny pool sitting in the middle of a lava field. This guide walks through the 5 best hot springs in the region: Hvammsvík, Hellulaug, Krauma, Guðrúnarlaug, and Landbrotalaug. They're all pretty different from each other, so just pick based on your budget, how much comfort you want, and what kind of trip you're after.
1. Hvammsvík Hot Springs
Hvammsvík is the one I'd build a trip around. It's the best overall hot spring in West Iceland: eight pools built right into the coast of Hvalfjörður, about 56 km (34.8 miles) from Reykjavík, so 45 to 60 minutes by car. Some of them sit close enough to the ocean that the tide actually changes how warm they feel during the day, which you won't get anywhere else.
The water goes from cold ocean temperature up to about 40°C, depending on the pool and what the tide's doing that day. The deepest spots are around 1 meter, but the rocks along the shore can be slippery and a bit rough in places, so watch where you step. There are changing rooms, steam baths, a small restaurant, and you can rent towels, swim shoes, or swimwear if you forgot yours. There's also parking and EV charging on site.
- Location: Hvalfjörður, about 56 km (34.8 miles) from Reykjavík
- Pools: 8 pools, some affected by the tide
- Temperature: From ocean temperature up to roughly 40°C
- Hours: Daily 10:00–22:00, last entry 20:30.
- Age limit: 10 and up; anyone under 18 needs an adult with them
- Cost: The price changes with the hours ($50-$92)
- Booking: Book ahead if you can, especially in summer or on weekends
Hvammsvík still feels like a wild Icelandic shoreline, even with everything it offers. That combination is why it sits at the top of this list.
2. Hellulaug
Hvammsvík has changing rooms, a restaurant, and rentals. Hellulaug has a stone pool and a view, nothing else. It's a small, free, natural hot spring looking out over Vatnsfjörður in the southern Westfjords, near Flókalundur. No staff, no showers, no lockers, no café.
The water sits around 38°C, and it's free to use. Since it's small and there's nobody running the place, it fills up fast in summer, so go early in the morning or later in the evening if you want a real shot at having it to yourself. Bring whatever you'll need with you, because there's nowhere to rinse off or change once you're out there.
- Location: Near Flókalundur, southern Westfjords
- Temperature: Around 38°C
- Facilities: None
- Cost: Free
- Pairs well with: A Westfjords road trip or the Brjánslækur ferry route coming from Snæfellsnes
Leave the soap, shampoo, and conditioner at home for this one. A small natural pool like this can't handle that kind of runoff the way a proper spa pool can.
3. Krauma
Krauma is the best spa in West Iceland, and its water is what sets it apart. It's fed by water from Deildartunguhver, often called Europe's most powerful hot spring. That spring pushes out around 180 liters of water a second at close to 100°C. You can't bathe in Deildartunguhver itself, though. Krauma takes that water and cools it down before it ever reaches the pools.
What you end up with is a calm, comfortable spot near Reykholt in Borgarfjörður, with 5 warm pools, a cold tub, saunas, an infrared room, a steam bath, a quiet room for relaxing, and a restaurant. It's a good stop after a day of sightseeing around Borgarfjörður, especially if the weather's bad and an outdoor pool with no roof doesn't sound that appealing.
- Location: Near Reykholt, Borgarfjörður, right beside Deildartunguhver
- Facilities: Warm pools, cold tub, saunas, restaurant
- Hours: Daily, 11:00 AM–9:00 PM. Reduced hours (11:00 AM–4:00 PM) on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve; closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
- Cost: $63
- Pairs well with: The Deildartunguhver viewpoint, Reykholt, Hraunfossar, and Barnafoss
4. Guðrúnarlaug
Guðrúnarlaug is the most historic hot spring on this list, and it adds a bit of story to the whole trip. It's in Sælingsdalur Valley in the Dalir region, about 20 km (12.4 miles) from Búðardalur, and it's associated with Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir, one of the main figures in the Laxdæla Saga, one of the old Icelandic Sagas from the Viking Age. The pool you see now was rebuilt, but it still feels rough and simple, the way you'd picture a place from those old stories.
The water sits around 37 to 40°C, and the only thing here is a small changing hut, so don't expect more than that. It's free, open all year, and quiet enough that you can sit there and think about the fact that people have been soaking in this exact spot for hundreds of years.
- Location: Sælingsdalur Valley, Dalir, about 20 km from Búðardalur
- Temperature: Around 37 to 40°C
- Facilities: Just a small changing hut
- Cost: Free
- Pairs well with: Eiríksstaðir Viking longhouse, Búðardalur, and the Dalir countryside
5. Landbrotalaug
Landbrotalaug is the one most people have never even heard of, a tiny natural pool sitting in the lava fields of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, just off Road 54. It's small, room for about 2 or 3 people at most, so don't bring a big group expecting a long soak if anyone else is already there.
The water runs around 36 to 40°C, and there's nothing around it. No changing area, barely any signs, just open land and a small pool with a view toward Eldborg crater. Try going early morning or late evening in summer if you want a shot at having it to yourself, and treat it as a quick stop, not the main event of your day.
- Location: Snæfellsnes Peninsula, off Road 54
- Temperature: Around 36 to 40°C
- Facilities: Pretty much none
- Cost: Usually free
- Pairs well with: Eldborg crater, Gerðuberg basalt cliffs, and Arnarstapi.
Free vs. Paid Hot Springs in West Iceland
Knowing what you're getting with free versus paid hot springs helps you plan a trip that actually matches what you want, instead of expecting the same thing everywhere.
The paid spots, Hvammsvík and Krauma, give you reliability. You get showers, changing rooms, food, staff around, and a visit that's pretty much the same no matter what the weather's doing. The free ones, Hellulaug, Guðrúnarlaug, and Landbrotalaug, trade all that comfort for atmosphere instead. They're smaller, more delicate, and they really depend on people treating them well.
- Paid: Hvammsvík, Krauma
- Free: Hellulaug, Guðrúnarlaug, Landbrotalaug
Wild Hot Spring Etiquette
Nobody's looking after Iceland's natural hot springs day to day, so keeping them clean is really up to the people who visit. A few simple habits go a long way.
- Skip the soap, shampoo, conditioner, or any skincare products in the water
- Take your trash with you, including food waste and wet wipes
- Keep the noise down and give other people some space
- Don't move rocks around or change the pool in any way
- If a small pool like Landbrotalaug is already full, come back later instead of squeezing in
- Don't camp right next to delicate hot spring areas unless you know it's allowed
Best Hot Springs by Travel Style
Different people will get more out of different stops on this list, so here's a quick rundown based on what matters most to you.
- Best for couples: Hvammsvík, Guðrúnarlaug, and Landbrotalaug if it's quiet
- Best for photographers: Hellulaug, Hvammsvík, and Landbrotalaug
- Best for bad weather: Krauma and Hvammsvík
- Best for budget travelers: Hellulaug, Guðrúnarlaug, and Landbrotalaug
- Best for first-time visitors to Iceland: Hvammsvík and Krauma
- Best for winter: Hvammsvík and Krauma, since they have real facilities and clearer hours. The wild pools can still be great in winter, just check the roads first
Suggested Route for a West Iceland Hot Spring Road Trip
If you want to hit all 5, the order that actually makes sense follows the map of the region, not how they're ranked above.
Start at Hvammsvík in Hvalfjörður, then head to Krauma near Reykholt in Borgarfjörður. From there, go toward Snæfellsnes for Landbrotalaug, then into Dalir for Guðrúnarlaug, and finish up at Hellulaug in the southern Westfjords. This works especially well if you're planning to keep going deeper into the Westfjords after, since Hellulaug sits right along that route anyway.
Conclusion
West Iceland packs a lot into one region, from the luxury at Hvammsvík by the ocean to the tiny, tucked-away pool at Landbrotalaug. For most people, the best plan is Hvammsvík plus Krauma plus one free, wild pool. Go with Hellulaug if you're continuing into the Westfjords, Guðrúnarlaug if you want some history and quiet, or Landbrotalaug if Snæfellsnes is already part of your route.
However you put the trip together, this region makes it pretty easy to build a whole itinerary around hot springs without ever leaving West Iceland.