Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
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Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Krosslaug is a small geothermal pool site at Laugarnes on Barðaströnd, on the south coast of the Westfjords, beside Route 62 and Breiðafjörður bay. It has a concrete pool and a smaller natural pool by the shore. It is run by the local youth club and mainly open in summer.
Krosslaug sits right by the road on the southern shore of the Westfjords, looking out over Breiðafjörður. There are two places to soak. One is a small concrete swimming pool, about 4 by 13 metres and 1 to 2 metres deep, built by the local youth association in 1948. The other is a smaller, more natural pool a few steps away on the seashore.
The water in both is around 37°C, so it is comfortably warm rather than hot. On a clear day you can see across the bay towards the Snæfellsnes peninsula, sometimes as far as Snæfellsjökull glacier on the far side of Breiðafjörður.
Two hot pools in Iceland share the name Krosslaug. One is in Lundarreykjadalur in West Iceland. This guide is about the one in the Westfjords, beside the small settlement of Birkimelur on Barðaströnd. You will also see it called Birkimelur Swimming Pool or Laugarneslaug, after the Laugarnes headland it stands on. Searching for those names on a map often works better than Krosslaug.
Few travellers know about this hot spring, and it is easy to drive past. That is why you often have it to yourself, even in summer. It makes a good break on the long drive along the south coast of the Westfjords, or a first soak after the ferry lands at Brjánslækur.
It is a community pool, not a spa. Please treat it as one, follow any signs on site and leave it tidy.
The concrete pool at Krosslaug dates from 1948. The local youth association built it on the Laugarnes shore so that people living along Barðaströnd could learn to swim, and swimming lessons for the district were held here for many years.
The pool was renovated some years ago and is still owned and looked after by the local youth club. The smaller pool beside it on the shore is edged with stones, which gives it the feel of a natural hot spring. Both are fed by the same warm water.
Distances in the Westfjords are long and roads can be slow. Fuel up and check road conditions on umferdin.is before you set out.
There are two pools side by side on the Laugarnes shore. Both are about 37°C.
Water temperature in natural pools can vary. Test it with your hand or foot before you get in.
Small changing rooms by the pools. Fuel, food and larger shops are in Patreksfjörður. The ferry landing at Brjánslækur and the Flókalundur area have limited services.
Patreksfjörður has the widest choice of guesthouses, hotels and campsites nearby, and there are farm stays and campsites along Barðaströnd.
On Barðaströnd, on the south coast of the Westfjords, beside Route 62 at Laugarnes near Birkimelur. The GPS point is 65.51961, -23.40533. Another pool called Krosslaug exists in Lundarreykjadalur in West Iceland, but this page is about the Westfjords one.
Reports differ. The Visit Westfjords listing mentions donations, while some blogs quote a small fee. Bring a little cash to be safe.
The official season is June 1 to August 15. Outside that, facilities may not be available.
Around 37°C in both the concrete pool and the natural pool by the shore.
Yes, small ones by the pools, though they may not be open outside the summer season.
Yes. Krosslaug, Birkimelur Swimming Pool and Laugarneslaug are names for the same place on Barðaströnd.
About 16 km west along Route 62, a drive of around 15 minutes.
Rarely. It is one of the quieter hot springs in the Westfjords, and you will often be alone in the pool.
