Laugarvatn Fontana

Fontana sits on the shore of Laugarvatn on a spot where steam comes up through the ground naturally, and the steam rooms are built directly over the vents rather than fed by a boiler - the floor is warm and the sound of the ground is audible inside. There are pools of different temperatures, a sauna with a window on the lake, and steps into the lake itself for anyone who wants the cold. The bread is the other draw: rye dough in a covered pot is buried in the hot black sand at the shore and left for around twenty-four hours, then dug up in front of visitors and eaten with butter.

What you actually see

• Steam rooms over natural vents - built on the ground, not plumbed.
• Pools at several temperatures - and steps into the cold lake.
• Rye bread buried in sand - baked around twenty-four hours in the ground.
• The bread dug up in front of you - served with butter.

When to go

Year round; the bread digging runs at set times daily. Two to three hours.

Honest expectations

The bread demonstration happens once or twice a day and needs timing or booking. The baths are smaller than the big lagoons and can feel crowded when a coach arrives. Showering before entry is compulsory. Prices are in line with other Icelandic spas.

Nearby

Thingvellir is west; Geysir and Gullfoss are north-east.