Laugarvatn Fontana
Geothermal steam rooms built directly over natural vents on the shore of Lake Laugarvatn, with pools opening onto the water.
Reykholt / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Bathing temperature
- 40°C
- Bathing
- Indoor / Outdoor
- Established
- 2011
Laugarvatn Fontana stands on the black-sand shore of Lake Laugarvatn on Iceland's Golden Circle. Its steam rooms are built over natural fissures, so the steam rising through the floor comes straight from the ground beneath.
Balnevia view
Why visit
The lake is the plunge pool: bathers step from the warm mineral baths into cold water a few metres away. The site also bakes rye bread in the hot sand, a local tradition demonstrated daily.
Recommendations
Hotels nearby
Explore places to stay near Laugarvatn Fontana.
The water
Thermal water
- Source
- Laugarvatn geothermal field
- Mineralisation
- Alkaline geothermal water
- Character
- Natural steam vents beneath the bath house, with mineral pools beside the lake
History
Steam baths have been used on this spot since 1929, and the modern complex opened in 2011 on the same geothermal vents.
Practical information
Towel and swimsuit hire are available on site, and Icelandic pool etiquette requires a thorough shower without a swimsuit before entering.
Getting there
About an hour from Reykjavík by road, midway between Þingvellir and Geysir on the Golden Circle route.
Location
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