Forest Lagoon

The Forest Lagoon opened in 2022 in a planted wood on the eastern side of Eyjafjordur, and its water has an unusual origin: while the Vadlaheidi road tunnel was being bored, the work hit a large flow of hot water, which caused serious problems for the tunnelling and eventually became the resource these baths run on. Two pools step down the slope with the fjord and Akureyri opposite, screened by conifers on the other sides, so the setting is closer to a Nordic forest spa than to the open lava of the southern lagoons. There is a cold plunge, a sauna and a bar in the water.

The main sights

• Water found by accident - a hot flow hit while boring a road tunnel.
• Pools stepping down a wooded slope - conifers behind, fjord in front.
• Akureyri across the water - the town lit up in the dark months.
• Sauna, cold plunge and swim-up bar - the standard modern set.

When to go

Year round; winter evenings with snow on the trees are the strongest. Two to three hours.

Practical notes

It is a new commercial spa and priced as one. Booking is advisable in summer and around cruise arrivals. The wood is young, so the screening is thinner than photographs suggest. Access is easiest by car.

Nearby

Akureyri is across the fjord; Godafoss is east.