Krauma Spa Center

The water comes straight from Deildartunguhver, the hot spring beside the building, and it arrives far too hot to bathe in. It is mixed with cold glacial water before it reaches the pools, which are held at different temperatures. Alongside them are a cold plunge, saunas — one of them infrared — a steam room and a relaxation room with a fireplace. The building is modern and kept spotless, and it does not draw the crowds of Iceland's larger lagoons.

The restaurant is not an afterthought. One visitor came for dinner without bathing at all. A soak followed by a meal turns Krauma into a half-day stop rather than a quick dip.

• Allow half a day: pools, saunas, steam room, cold plunge and a restaurant add up to more than a quick dip.
• Do not leave it to the end of the day: Krauma closes in the evening, and arriving shortly before that leaves no time for the saunas or a meal.
• Payment: credit cards, debit cards and contactless are all accepted, so there is no need to carry cash.
• With children: children are welcome, and there are toilets on site.

Krauma stands at Deildartunguhver, in the Reykholt area of West Iceland, and people arrive by car. The car park is at the building itself, with free and paid bays plus free parking on the road outside. From there the entrance is level and wheelchair-accessible, with accessible bays marked in the car park, so the pools are reached without a walk in.

Better: at the end of a day on the road, when a long soak does the most good.

Avoid: arriving close to the evening closing time, and any plan that treats Krauma as a quick stop.

The hours are the same every day of the week, and the place does not draw the crowds of the larger lagoons. The choice is about your own schedule rather than about beating a queue.