Grettirs Pool is a geothermal bathing pool on the Reykjaströnd shore of Skagafjörður, in Northwest Iceland. It stands at Reykir, an abandoned farm on the coast, and takes its name from Grettis saga: Grettir the Strong swam ashore from Drangey island and warmed himself in a spring on this spot. The pool is lined with stone and shielded from the surf by a breakwater. It is a paid site, with a cafe, changing rooms and a campsite on the shore beside it.
Grettirs Pool
Local name: Grettislaug
Grettis saga has Grettir the Strong swimming ashore from Drangey and warming himself here at night, long, because the swim left him cold.
- Entrance
- 2,000 ISK per person, paid in the main cabin, which is also the cafe.
- Parking
- Gravel car park by the pool.
- Transport
- No bus stop within 5 km — you need your own vehicle.
- Address
- 551 Reykjaströnd
What makes it special
Grettis saga sends Grettir the Strong ashore from Drangey and straight into a warm spring here, just above the tide line, to thaw out after the swim. The spring is real, and people still get into it. Until the 20th century there were two. One, Reykjalaug, was lined with stones and used for laundry; the other was smaller. In autumn 1934 a storm shifted the sandbar between the springs and the sea. Waves broke in, and the hot water drained away into the ocean. The pool in use today was rebuilt in 1992 at the wish of the farmer Jón Eiríksson, known as Drangeyjarjarl. It was lined with stone and given a breakwater. It measures about 4.5 by 3.75 metres and is around 80 cm deep.
Good to know
- There is a cafe in the main cabin. You can carry a beer down to the pool.
- Facilities: free toilets, separate men's and women's changing rooms with showers, and a larger hut with a kitchen. Basic, but working.
- Bring a towel.
- The sea view is walled off. The breakwater blocks it, and the view from the water is inland towards the mountains.
- A campsite sits right beside the pool, on the shore.
Getting there
The last stretch runs down to the shore at Reykir on a road that is not difficult, though sheep stray onto it. Cars stop about 90 metres from the pool, on gravel. From there the ground is level. You pass the main cabin, where you pay and change, and the pool sits at the edge of the water behind its breakwater. A small harbour lies immediately alongside it.
Best time to visit
Better: evening, once the day's visitors have moved on. The water runs hot whatever the weather, so a cold, still night works as well as a summer afternoon.
Avoid: the middle of the day in summer. That is when most people stop here, and the two pools are not large.
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Grettirs Pool on the map
Algae make the stone in and around the pools extremely slippery. Hold on getting in and out, and keep children off the wet rim.
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Frequently asked questions
How hot is the water?
The spring comes out at around 42 °C. There are two pools: the larger one holds roughly that temperature, the smaller one runs several degrees cooler and has the better view.Can you cool off in the sea?
People do use the sea as a cold plunge. The pool sits behind a breakwater, though, and getting down to the water is awkward.Can you get to Drangey from here?
Yes. A small harbour sits right next to the spring, and boats sail from there to Drangey, the island Grettir swam from in the saga.Is there anything else on this stretch of coast?
Glerhallavík, a cove at the foot of the Tindastóll cliffs. It was full of chalcedony pebbles polished by the surf and showing at low tide. Most have been taken, and collecting them is prohibited.