Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Krossneslaug is a geothermal outdoor pool and hot tub right on the shore at Krossnes, at the far end of the Strandir coast in the Westfjords. It is about 330 km (around 5 hours) from Reykjavík, has a small entry fee, opens only from mid-May to the end of August, and most people spend an hour or two soaking and taking in the view.
Krossneslaug is one of Iceland's more remote swimming pools, fed by a natural geothermal spring and built right beside the North Atlantic in the small settlement of Krossnes, in the Arneshreppur municipality. A large rectangular pool sits next to a smaller, hotter tub, both close enough to the sea that waves sometimes spray over the low wall at high tide or in rough weather.
Getting here is part of the experience. The final stretch to Norðurfjörður and Krossnes runs along Route 643, an unpaved mountain road with sea views the whole way, through some of the least populated parts of Iceland. The reward is a quiet soak with almost no one else around, a strong contrast to the busier pools closer to Reykjavík.
Local people built the pool in 1954, and it is heated by natural hot springs, not by a heating plant. The wall on the sea side is low and there is nothing between the pool and the open ocean, which is why it is sometimes called an infinity pool. Below it is a wild beach of black pebbles, and behind it rise the mountains of Strandir.
Keep an eye on the sea while you soak. Whales pass close to this coast, humpbacks most often, and now and then you may see a fluke lift out of the water. Dolphins turn up too, and seals and seabirds are common along the shore.
The pool and the road to it are only open in summer, when Arneshreppur's roads are clear of snow and ice. In dry conditions a standard car can manage the drive, but a 4x4 is safer given the length and roughness of the road.
Strandir is part of the oldest bedrock in Iceland, far from the active volcanic zone, and one of the emptiest corners of the country. The nearest villages, Hólmavík and Drangsnes, are about 100 km away. These are the stops worth making on the way up.
Outside the mid-May to end-August season the pool is closed and the road may be impassable, so this is not a year-round destination.
Basic changing rooms and showers are available when staff are present, but can be locked outside opening times. There is no café or shop at the pool itself; the nearest services are in Norðurfjörður.
There is a guesthouse and campsite at Norðurfjörður, close to the pool, which is the practical place to stay if you want to avoid the long drive back the same day. Because the area is so isolated, many visitors choose to camp.
About 330 km, roughly 5 hours by car under good summer conditions, including a long stretch of gravel road.
No, it operates seasonally, roughly from mid-May to the end of August, when the Strandir road is clear of snow.
A 4x4 is strongly recommended for the unpaved Route 643, though the road can be manageable in a standard car in dry summer conditions.
Yes, a small fee is charged on site to use the pool.
Sometimes. Humpback whales are the most likely, and dolphins, seals and seabirds are also seen from the pool. Nothing is guaranteed.
At Krossnes, at the end of Route 643 on the Strandir coast of the Westfjords, GPS 66.05625, -21.50852.
