18 May 29, 2022The Sunday Times
Travel Iceland
ICELANDIC
IMMERSION
while a trend for heated pools
took off in the 1940s after
failed gold prospectors used
their tools to drill for hot
water instead. If the Finns are
masters of sauna culture,
Icelanders have the Nordic
monopoly on “wild” lagoons
shaped by the elements.
But there’s something extra
special about Forest Lagoon,
the latest of a new breed of
spa-quality bathing spots,
opening officially in AkureyriForest Lagoon is set to become
a blueprint for spas in the land
of fire and ice, helped by a new
direct flight. By Sarah Marshall
T
he lexicon of
bizarre Icelandic
idioms is almost
infinite, but I know
just the right one
for this moment. I’m wading
through the geothermally
warmed waters of Forest
Lagoon, wine glass in hand.
“Leggja hofudid i bleyti” (lay
your head in the water) —
that’s the advice given among
Icelanders when an important
decision needs to be made.
Although I’ve nothing
pressing to think about —
other than whether it’s time
for a second round at the
swim-up bar — there’s some
truth in the comforting,
mind-clearing benefits of
submerging yourself in
steaming waters.
Cradled by native forest
and jagged walls of ancient
basalt, I recline on a partially
submerged bench in this
natural bath and watch boats
drift along the Eyjafjordur.
Below, cars zip silently across
a bridge to reach Akureyri,
the mountain-backed capital
of north Iceland. In terms of
weekend-break destinations
it’s a minnow compared with
Reykjavik, but the twice-
weekly direct flights that
Niceair is launching from
the UK on Friday might shift
the balance.There are hundreds of hot
springs and geothermally
heated pools in Iceland, from
milky blue baths steeped in
silica to steaming puddles in
lava fields — some in remote,
off-road destinations; others
in the middle of towns. Since
the 9th century locals have
soaked in warm waters. Early
literature indicates that Norse
settlers set up bathing sites
close to Thingvellir, the site of
the country’s first parliament,