Hofsos Municipal Pool

The pool is built on the clifftop above the fjord, and from inside the water the far edge lines up with the sea. That is what people come for: the swim doubles as the viewpoint. The main pool is warm and long enough for a few laps, and a hot tub sits alongside it. The changing rooms are plain and clean — showers, a hook, a basket, a bench, and one small locker for a wallet, phone or passport. This is a village pool rather than a spa, and entry costs less than at the large geothermal baths. A path leads down from the pool to basalt columns at the shore.

• Shower before you swim. Wash without a swimsuit in the changing room first, as Icelandic pools require. The showers are not very hot.
• Storage is basic. One small locker holds a wallet, phone or passport; everything else goes on a hook, in a basket and on a bench.
• Towels are available at the pool, so an unplanned stop still works.
• Cards work. Credit cards, debit cards and contactless payment are all accepted.

The pool stands at the edge of Hofsos, above the shore, and getting to it means a detour off the ring road. The last stretch is driven, not walked: the car park is about 50 m from the entrance, on asphalt. Arrive by car — there is no bus stop within 5 km. From the pool a path runs down towards the water.

Best: the end of the day. The pool faces west across the fjord, so the evening light comes in over the water, and a swim at sunset is what most people stop for.

Avoid: weekend mornings — the pool opens later on Saturday and Sunday than on weekdays.

It is quieter here than at the large geothermal baths, and poor weather does not spoil the visit: the fjord view holds in rain as much as in sun.