Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
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Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Guðlaug is a small, three-tier geothermal bathing spot on Langisandur beach in Akranes, about 50 km from Reykjavík (around 40–45 minutes by car). It opened in December 2018, charges an entry fee, and most people spend 30–60 minutes soaking and, if brave enough, taking a dip in the sea alongside it.
Guðlaug is an oval, three-level concrete structure built into the rocks at the edge of Langisandur beach. The bottom tier is cool, the middle tier is a warm geothermal bath, and the top is an open viewing deck shaped like the bow of a ship, a nod to Akranes' fishing history. The geothermal water comes from Deildartunguhver, Europe's highest-flow hot spring, and reaches the pool untreated. It flows into the top tier and overflows to the cooler one below.
The three levels are joined by stairs that also lead down to the sand, so you can go straight from the warm water into the sea and back. From the viewing deck and the pool you look across Faxaflói bay to Reykjavík and the Reykjanes peninsula.
It is a small, local design rather than a big resort, made by architects who had worked on the Blue Lagoon and built with marine-grade concrete to cope with the waves. Locals use it as a regular sea-bathing spot, and visitors get a quieter alternative to Iceland's bigger geothermal baths, with views over the bay. The beach-level pool is affected by the tide.
The name is easier than it looks: roughly "GVUTH-loyg". Laug means pool and Guð means God, so it reads as "God's pool", and Guðlaug is also an ordinary Icelandic woman's name.
Guðlaug sits on Langisandur, a long sandy beach on the south side of Akranes. The beach holds the Blue Flag, an international award for clean water, safety and good environmental management, and it is the town's sea-swimming spot. Locals come here all year to alternate between a cold dip and the warm pool.
If you want to try it, go in slowly, stay close to the shore and keep the first dip to a minute or two. The sea is around 10–12°C at best in late summer and only a few degrees in winter. Warm up in the pool straight afterwards. Beyond bathing, the beach is a good place for a walk, and at low tide there is plenty of firm sand.
There is no lifeguard at the beach or the baths. Do not swim alone or in rough sea.
A public toilet, outdoor showers and changing space are on site, and the baths are listed with a swimming pool and hot pot. Facilities are simple, so do not expect lockers or a café. Cafés and shops are a short walk away in central Akranes.
Akranes has a few guesthouses and small hotels within walking distance of the baths, making it possible to combine a soak with an overnight stop in West Iceland.
There is a per-person entry fee. One 2026 source lists 2,800 ISK, but prices change, so check locally.
Yes, the tourist office lists it as open all year. Hours differ between sources, so check before you go.
From Deildartunguhver hot spring near Reykholt. It reaches the pool untreated.
About 50 km, around 40–45 minutes by car through the Hvalfjörður tunnel, which is free to use.
A swimsuit and towel. Facilities are simple rather than a full spa.
Not any more. It was free to use when it opened, but there is now an entry fee per person.
Yes. Steps lead from the baths to Langisandur beach, a Blue Flag beach that locals use for sea swimming all year.
Laug means pool and Guð means God, so "God's pool". It is also an Icelandic woman's name.
