Iceland’s Sky Lagoon offers luxury wellness, Viking style
Iceland is home to some amazing thermal baths, open year-round whatever the weather. This one is no exception. Just make sure you know the rules.
Barefoot and alone, I’m wandering along a gloomy, cavernous tunnel. On one side is a long, cold stretch of black, volcanic basalt, stylishly lit beside the heated travertine floor and a wall of brooding grey tiles. At the end of the tunnel I hear trickling water and the echo of voices. I could be immersed in a Scandi-noir drama, until I step outside into the gleaming autumnal sun and plunge from the chilly air into the warm geothermal embrace of the Forest Lagoon Spa in northern Iceland.
This is outdoor bathing Viking style, surrounded by the ancient pine and birch growth of Vaglaskogur Forest, clouds of steam wafting off the waters on a cold afternoon, plenty of hearty ale on tap to keep the spirits high, and immense view across the ocean expanse of mighty Eyjafjordur just south of the Arctic Circle.
As an Antipodean, I’ve arrived to take the waters at Forest Lagoon with a tinge of trepidation, but it’s a quiet, midweek day so I try not to blow my cover as a rank amateur. We’d docked that morning in Iceland’s quaint northern city of Akureyri aboard the lavish Viking Star cruise ship, which comes equipped with all the modern trappings of seafaring opulence. It also has the added extra of a fully rigged Nordic Spa, replete with sauna, pool, ice bath and a frosty indoor snow grotto with snowflakes wafting from the ceiling. So I’ve introduced myself to the spa rigmarole on board before catching a shuttle to Forest Lagoon.
On arrival I find the bathing facilities and bistro are housed in a starkly modern, angular building. Everything appears spacious, elegant and neat in the Scandi fashion. Strips of trendy raw pine cladding soften the exterior so it blends with the woodlands. I’m feeling the part until I trot up to reception and my foreign tongue alerts the receptionist. She’s quick to lay down a few rules with her polite but precise Scandinavian aloofness. Shoes are never worn beyond the antechamber of the changeroom. All bathers must first shower – fully native – and two hours is the recommended bathing time to avoid dehydration. I nod solemnly as she fixes me with a steely gaze. I’m imagining it’s Norse code for please behave or you’ll incur a Viking’s wrath. I’m handed an electronic wristband that feels like a tracking device, but then learn it’s standard equipment for accessing a personal locker and paying for drinks at the swim-up bar. Signage outlines other rules of spa etiquette, such as that guests must dry fully before re-entering the changeroom, long hair should be tied up, body oil is banned from the steam room, and don’t be too chatty as visitors are supposed to use their “spa voice”. I later also learn that snuff is frowned upon.
The bathrooms are almost deserted in the early afternoon. The design theme is spacious and shadowy, with a wall of black lockers and towering rain-showers high enough to accommodate a troll. A couple of locals seem at home washing themselves in the open, but I’m feeling coy and slip into the shower cubicle before heading to the main baths.
Outside in the main pool it’s a chilled vibe in the 37C warmth. Soft pop tunes play in the background, couples and families float around or perch on ledges along the main infinity pool. Sunglasses seem de rigueur and I scamper back to the changerooms as a gust of wind picks up and white horses dance across the ocean.
Out of the water it’s frosty but I’m quick to plunge back in for a stint at the pointy end of the main pool where water temperatures hit 40C. The warmth has me well basted before my aborted stint in the 10C plunge pool.
Mindful of hydration, I paddle up to the bar and find it’s impressively stocked. The happy hour pornstar martini seems a bridge too far around lunch time, so I opt for the local brew, an Einstok Arctic pale ale.
The next step for me is the Finnish dry sauna; with the mercury near 70C, I recline in desert-like heat, taking in a sweeping vista across the fjord. Once again etiquette is key; I’ve noticed the website instructs guests to keep their swimmers on. After 15 minutes I’m fully baked, and it’s time to return to the cold twilight air of Akureyri as I skip the bistro with its crackling fire and take the shuttle back to the ship.
It’s an invigorating experience, and several days later I’m emboldened as Viking Star pulls into Iceland’s capital on a Saturday morning. Apparently Reykjavik has a new geothermal hotspot, the Sky Lagoon. The hip hangout is only minutes from downtown Reykjavik and, having opened just after Covid, the groovy facility is billed as less touristy than the city’s much heralded Blue Lagoon. The spa’s entrance is bored into the side of the hill in the tradition of Icelandic turf houses. Soil and grass grows over the top and we stroll past a high turf wall.
After more than a week in Iceland, I’m feeling spa savvy as I cruise through the bathing formalities and splash down into the water. Volcanic boulders form a small canyon leading out to the Sky Lagoon’s 75m-long infinity pool. It’s toasty in the water despite a fresh North Atlantic wind. Groups come and go, basking in the warmth, sipping cocktails and chatting. Children are strangely absent, and later I find there is a minimum age to keep the vibe low-key. Directly across the bay is the faint outline of Bessastadir, an ancient manor farm and now the president’s residence, and to the northwest is Snaefellsjokull glacier.
I plump for a traditional seven-step Skjol bathing ritual, involving lounging in the heated main pool, followed by a chilly plunge, then sauna, cold mist shower, sea salt and oils body scrub, steam and finally a dainty shot of fresh crowberry juice before it’s time to return to the ship. The sun is easing into the ocean by late afternoon and the mercury’s dropping noticeably but I’m refreshed, relaxed and with squeaky clean skin.
In the know
Sky Lagoon is 10 minutes by road from Reykjavik. Packages range up to 13,490 krona ($143) for the signature Skol bathing ritual with private change rooms. Forest Lagoon operates a free hourly shuttle from outside the Akureyri tourist office.
Tickets for adults from 6900 krona ($73.50)
Damian Haarsma was a guest of Viking Cruises.
