Sky Lagoon

Sky Lagoon opened in 2021 on a rocky shore just south of Reykjavik, and it is unapologetically a constructed thing: a warm lagoon walled in turf and dark stone, with an infinity edge that drops the water line into the sea and the open Atlantic beyond it. The core of the visit is a fixed circuit of warm water, cold plunge, sauna with a window on the sea, a cold mist, a scrub and a steam room, taken in order. It is far closer to the city than the Blue Lagoon and cheaper to reach, and it is designed around sunsets and winter darkness.

What you actually see

• The infinity edge - the lagoon water running out toward the sea horizon.
• The sauna window - a full wall of glass facing the Atlantic from the hot room.
• The set circuit - the fixed sequence of hot water, cold plunge, scrub and steam.
• The turf walls - the built stone and turf structure the whole complex sits inside.

When to go

Year-round, and best in the dark half of the year, when sitting in hot water in the cold with a sunset or a chance of aurora is the entire point. Slots must be booked ahead and late-afternoon ones go first. Icelandic pool rules apply: shower thoroughly without a swimsuit before going in.

Honest expectations

It is expensive, and the higher packages add little beyond a towel and a drink. It is manufactured rather than natural, so anyone hoping for a wild hot spring will be disappointed. Peak slots are crowded, the sauna especially. The city's ordinary geothermal pools give you the same warm water at a fraction of the price.

Nearby

Central Reykjavik is fifteen minutes north, and the Reykjanes peninsula runs south toward the airport.