Hvammsvík Hot Springs Experience, Reykjavík

Combine the classic Icelandic hot springs ritual with spectacular fjord views at Hvammsvík, located just 45 minutes north of Reykjavík. Don your swimsuit in the modern changing rooms, then make your way to the shore, where you can choose between eight natural hot pools that range from 104 °F (40 °C) to 95 °F (35 °C). Relax in the soothing geothermal waters, cool off with a refreshing plunge in the fjord, alternate your soaks with steam room and sauna sessions, or refuel with seafood stew and wellness shots in the on-site bistro. Admission includes a towel, wading shoes, and a drink at the swim-up bar.

This immersive hot springs experience begins when you arrive at Hvammsvík, a 1,200-acre (468 ha) coastal estate located just 45 minutes north of Reykjavík. Here you'll find a collection of eight natural hot pools, carved into volcanic rock on the shores of Hvalfjörður (Whale Fjord), a deep saltwater fjord that opens into the Atlantic Ocean. Each of the pools is fed by a mix of steaming geothermal waters and cooler saltwater, creating a range of temperatures, from 104 °F (40 °C) in the Old Pool to 95 °F (35 °C) in the Tidal Pool (which is sometimes submerged entirely by the tide!).

Check in at reception to receive your wristband, towel, and wading shoes (a must for the rocky setting), and continue to the changing rooms, where you'll store your belongings, shower off, and change into your swimsuit. Stroll to the black-sand beach next and take your pick between the eight pools, following a circuit or copying the locals and alternating with refreshing dips in the sea. In between soaks, you can head to the steam room or the sauna, or spend some time in the large, 100 °F (38 °C) Lounge Pool, complete with a swim-up bar (your admission includes a complimentary drink). 

There's no time limit (you're welcome to stay as long as you like), but when you've had your fill of soothing soaks and spectacular fjord views, head back inside, where you can refuel at the on-site Stormur Bistro. This cozy spot serves locally-sourced seafood stew and open-face sandwiches alongside Icelandic lagers and seaweed-infused wellness shots