Stykkishólmur Swimming Pool: Geothermal Hot Tubs with a Water Slide in the Old Harbour Town

A Neighbourhood Pool, Not a Tourist Spa

Sundlaug Stykkishólms is the kind of pool Icelanders actually use every day, and that is exactly its appeal. It sits at Borgarbraut 4, an easy walk from the old harbour and the guesthouses in the town centre. There is no admission spectacle, no bus tour, just a proper outdoor 25×12 m pool plus a 12 m indoor pool used mainly for swimming lessons and lane training. After a day of driving the Snæfellsnes ring road, it is the fastest way to unstiffen a car-cramped back.

The Hot Tubs and the Slide

The main draw is the water itself. The two hot tubs are fed by mineral-rich water drilled at a borehole at Hofsstaðir, water that locals say helps with skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. There is also a cold tub for anyone who wants to try contrast bathing, and a children’s pool for families travelling with kids. For anyone who wants more than a soak, the 57-metre water slide is reportedly the second-longest in Iceland — long enough for a few real seconds of speed before it drops you into the plunge pool at the end.

When to Go

The pool runs on Icelandic community-pool hours, which shift between winter and summer. In summer (June 1 to August 31), it is open Monday to Thursday from 07:05 to 22:00, Friday from 07:05 to 19:00, and weekends from 10:00 to 18:00. Early mornings are quietest, before day-trippers heading out toward Snæfellsjökull or the Breiðafjörður ferry fill the car park. Evenings after 20:00 tend to be calm too, since most guided tours have already moved on for the day.

• Getting there: about a 10-minute walk from the old town centre and harbour
• Duration: allow 45–90 minutes for a soak plus a few slide runs
• What to bring: swimsuit, towel, flip-flops; shampoo and basic toiletries are usually available at the showers
• Etiquette: a thorough soap shower without swimwear is required before entering the pool, as at all Icelandic pools
• Contact: 433 8150 or sund@stykkisholmur.is for current hours and holiday closures

Where to Stay

The Stykkishólmur Inn sits right in the walkable old town, close enough that you can head to the pool in flip-flops and a towel rather than driving. Book direct on Ourhotels.is for the best rate.

Photo: BiT via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.