The Sunday Times - UK (2022-05-29)

The Sunday Times May 29, 2022 19

any day now. “At first we were

planning to build a small

private lagoon for ourselves at

our farmhouse by the ocean,”

says Sigridur Hammer, who

co-owns it with her husband,

Finnur Adalbjornsson. “But

two years ago, when we

walked through this forest we

knew it would be the perfect

place for a lagoon that

everybody could enjoy.”

Another significant factor

that brought Forest Lagoon

into existence was the

discovery of a geothermal

water source during

construction of a nearby

mountain tunnel in 2015.

Not only does it heat homes

in the city, it’s now being used

to feed Forest Lagoon’s two

pools, which steam at

between 39C and 41C.

Although hampered by

supply-chain problems caused

by the Covid pandemic, the

project has been creating real

excitement. The nature-

themed pool was designed

by Basalt Architects, the same

Reykjavik-based team who

created Blue Lagoon in

Keflavik, down south.

Constructed from wood

and concrete, the main

building features an

exposed mountain wall

trickling with water.

“Over time it will be

carpeted with moss,”

Tinna Johannsdottir,

the general manager,

says. “That’s the

intention. If not, we can

make it cry a little more.”

Capitalising on past

successes and learning from

previous mistakes, Forest

Bathers can

enjoy the long,

blood-red

summer

sunsets

Reykjavik

ICELAND

200 miles

Akureyri

Myvatn

Hverir

Husavik

Forest Lagoon

Eyjafjordur

1

20 miles

Lagoon hopes to become a

blueprint for Icelandic spas.

First — and most importantly —

the forest location protects

bathers from glacial winds,

while 27 intake pipes ensure

that the water temperature is

consistent. Other game-

changers include a glass-

fronted sauna for soaking up

the mountain views and

extended opening hours,

allowing bathers to enjoy the

long, languorous, blood-red

summer sunsets common in

this part of the world.

Just like Blue Lagoon, a

popular pitstop for tourists,

Forest Lagoon is close to an

airport — which will be useful

once those new Stansted

flights start making the area

a viable option for a short

break; flights from

Manchester will follow in

October, just in time for the

northern lights season.

Tourism in northern

Iceland has been growing

Clockwise from

far left: Godafoss

falls; Sarah

Marshall enjoys

a sauna at Forest

Lagoon; the

coastal town of

Husavik

path of pink-footed geese

returning to breed in spring.

At the Dimmuborgir lava

fields faces of trolls appear

to loom from shadows in the

brittle formations, while a hike

above the nearby bubbling

hotpots of Hverir reveals an

entrancing scorched

landscape that bleeds toxic

mustard and poison blue.

I take another dip here, at

Myvatn Nature Baths, which

harnesses the heat of the

geothermal fields. This is one

of north Iceland’s original

silica-rich springs, a wild and

windblown contrast to the

brand-new Forest Lagoon.

As I watch shivering bathers

sprint between the cubicles

and pool, an attendant

assures me that a new facility

is planned for 2024 — it’s clear

that there is pressure, almost

as powerful as forces bubbling

underground, to move with

the times.

It’s ironic that Iceland’s

lucrative, modern-day bathing

culture was shaped by failed

attempts to find gold. A

hundred years later, a far

more precious and sustainable

commodity has emerged, and

the real rush is set to take

hold. As Icelanders would say

in praise of patience, “it all

comes with the cold water”.

Or, in this case, hot.

Sarah Marshall was a guest of

Discover the World, which has

four nights’ B&B from £1,031pp,

including flights and car hire

(discover-the-world.com).

Forest Lagoon entrance from

£36 (forestlagoon.is). For more

see northiceland.is

coastal town of Husavik, an

hour’s drive northeast from

the Forest Lagoon.

It’s an enticing claim, so I

set off from the long, sheltered

fjord to see for myself. Whale-

spotting trips take place

aboard a restored oak fishing

ship — a relic of Iceland’s

fishing industry, flourishing

since medieval times thanks

to the nutrient-rich waters

that also lure humpback

whales here to feed.

Within minutes jets of fine

mist spurt from the surface;

one after another, mottled tail

flukes are almost camouflaged

by the backdrop of dark

mountains still streaked with

snow in mid-May. It’s

incredible, but my experience

is not a one-off — according

to the company’s logbook,

90 per cent of guests spotted

a whale on tours from March

to November last year.

Inland, the nature is equally

astonishing. An hour’s drive

east from Forest Lagoon to the

volcanic Lake Myvatn takes

me past the horseshoe falls

of Godafoss and through

sprawling farmlands, as I

follow the synchronised flight

steadily for the past few years,

largely thanks to the opening

of more hotels in the region,

and Johannsdottir is sure it

will continue to bloom. The

north has just as many natural

wonders as the south, but is

far more peaceful.

Christian Schmidt, a guide

who works for the whale-

watching company North

Sailing, says that sightings are

more common here than

anywhere else in the country.

Tourist boats operate from the

RENATO GRANIERI; AUDUNN LJOSMYNDARI; ANDERM/GETTY IMAGES