Hellulaug Hot Spring is a geothermal pool on the coast of the Westfjords in Iceland, near Flókalundur. It sits in the rocks at sea level, with the sea in front of it and the road above. Reported water temperatures run from about 36°C to 40°C, and the pool holds about seven people. Nothing is built up around it: a car park, a sign warning of hot water, and rock steps down to the water. People come to soak, and after dark to watch the sky.
Hellulaug Hot Spring
Local name: Hellulaug
A hot pool set in the rocks at sea level, big enough for about seven people at a time.
- Entrance
- Free.
- Accessibility
- Not wheelchair accessible. The pool is reached by a flight of rock steps down from the car park.
- Parking
- Free car park by the road, at the top of the steps down to the pool. Donations accepted.
- Difficulty
- A descent on rock steps from the car park to the pool; the stones are slippery and some are sharp.
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, every day.
- Address
- 451 Flókalundur, Vatnsfjörður
What makes it special
The pool is set into the rock at sea level, low enough that the sea is in view from inside it. About seven people fit at a time. Reported water temperatures run from about 36°C to 40°C, so the heat is not the same on every visit. The floor and the rim are natural stone, uneven underfoot. After dark it becomes a place to sit and look up: in the winter months the aurora can be seen from the water on clear nights.
Good to know
- No facilities: there are no toilets and no changing rooms at the pool.
- Bring a towel: nothing is provided on site.
- Space: about seven people fit in the pool at a time.
- Water temperature: reported readings run from about 36°C to 40°C, and the pool is not heated to a set level.
Getting there
Drive. The car park sits right by the road, and a sign warning of hot water stands at the top of the descent — those two things are what to look for from the road. From the car park a path of rock steps leads down to the pool at sea level.
Best time to visit
Better: early morning, or after dark.
Avoid: the afternoon.
The pool fills up as the day goes on, and the morning is the quiet part of the day. After dark the sky becomes the reason to be here: in the winter months the aurora can be seen from the water on clear nights.
Sun & daylight
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Hellulaug Hot Spring on the map
A sign at the top of the steps warns of hot water. The stones on the way down and around the pool are slippery, and some of them are sharp — wear water shoes.
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Frequently asked questions
How hot is the water?
Reported readings run from about 36°C to 40°C. The pool is fed by a natural source and is not held at a set temperature, so the heat varies.Are there changing rooms or toilets?
No. There are no changing facilities and no washrooms at the pool. Bring a towel with you.How many people fit in the pool?
About seven at a time. Mornings are the quiet part of the day; by the afternoon the pool can be crowded.Can you see the northern lights from the pool?
In the dark months, on a clear night, yes — the aurora has been watched from the water.