Akureyri Swimming Pool Travel Guide

Akureyri Swimming Pool is a geothermal public pool in central Akureyri, the largest town in North Iceland. Its outdoor pools, hot tubs, and water slides make it one of the best-value ways to enjoy Icelandic bathing culture. Read on to plan your visit.

Akureyri Swimming Pool, known in Icelandic as Sundlaug Akureyrar, is the main public pool in Akureyri, Iceland's "Capital of the North" on the Eyjafjordur Fjord. It sits a short walk from the town center, so most visitors reach it on foot once they are in town. A dip here is one of the most popular things to do in Akureyri.

The pool is heated entirely by geothermal water and stays open year-round, so it makes a reliable stop in any weather. Entry costs a fraction of the price of Forest Lagoon, the area's commercial geothermal spa across the fjord.

Photo above from Sundlaug Akureyrar (Facebook).

Quick Facts About Akureyri Swimming Pool

Plan your swim with these essentials, from the pool's location to its 2026 prices.

• Location: central Akureyri, North Iceland, a short walk from the town center

• What's there: two 82-foot (25-meter) outdoor pools, an indoor pool, hot tubs, a steam bath, and three water slides

• Price: about 1,400 ISK (11 USD) for adults and 310 ISK (about 2 USD) for ages 6 to 17, with children under 6 free

• Open: year-round, 6:45 AM to 9:00 PM on weekdays and 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM on weekends, with longer weekend hours in summer

• Good for: families, lap swimming, and a first taste of Icelandic pool culture

What Is Akureyri Swimming Pool

Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Palinadagny. No edits made.

Akureyri Swimming Pool, or Sundlaug Akureyrar, is a municipal geothermal pool complex in central Akureyri, North Iceland, run by the town as a public service.

Public pools sit at the center of daily life in Iceland, and this is one of the busiest. The pool draws more than 400,000 visits a year, many times the town's own population. Locals come to swim laps before work, soak in the hot tubs, and catch up with neighbors.

The site has a long history. Townspeople first dammed a stream here to bathe in 1897. Hot water was piped in from Glerardalur Valley in 1933. Swimming lessons are compulsory for Icelandic children, which is part of why nearly every town has a pool like this one.

In 2025, Icelandic swimming-pool culture was recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, so a visit to this public pool is a genuine piece of local life. Icelanders voted it the country's favorite pool in 2022, according to Visit Akureyri.

Pools, Hot Tubs, and Water Slides at Akureyri Swimming Pool

Akureyri Swimming Pool has two 82-foot (25-meter) heated outdoor pools, a smaller indoor pool, and three water slides. All of it runs on natural geothermal water.

The complex includes:

• Two outdoor pools: 82 feet (25 meters) long, heated to about 81 F to 91 F (27 C to 33 C), with lanes for lap swimming

• Four outdoor hot tubs: from about 99 F to 108 F (37 C to 42 C), plus a warm indoor tub

• Three water slides: including the longest in Iceland, with an age limit of 8 on the larger slides

• A steam bath and a cold tub: for the traditional hot-and-cold cycle

• Two wading pools: shallow water for little ones, with an artificial-turf play area in summer

• An indoor pool: 41 feet (12.5 meters) long, useful in poor weather

How Akureyri Swimming Pool Compares to Forest Lagoon

Akureyri Swimming Pool is a low-cost municipal pool built for families and lap swimmers. Forest Lagoon is a premium commercial spa designed for quiet, scenic soaking. The two sit on opposite sides of the same fjord and suit different moods.

Families with children usually get more from the public pool. Parents prefer Iceland's local pools to the lagoons for price, slides, and space, according to our study of how good Iceland is for kids.

If you want a lively, authentic Icelandic pool with slides and hot tubs at a local price, the public pool is the pick. If you want a calm soak with fjord views, a sauna, and a swim-up bar, the spa is worth the splurge, and you can book a Forest Lagoon admission ticket in advance.

Many visitors do both. Here is how the two compare at a glance:

Forest Lagoon also appears in our ranking of the best geothermal spas in Iceland. Two more North Iceland spas on that list are about an hour's drive from Akureyri: the Earth Lagoon at Lake Myvatn and the GeoSea Baths in Husavik.

Visiting Akureyri Swimming Pool: Hours, Prices, and Pool Etiquette

Photo from Sundlaug Akureyrar (Facebook).

Akureyri Swimming Pool is open year-round and costs about 1,400 ISK (11 USD) for an adult and 310 ISK (about 2 USD) for ages 6 to 17. Before you swim, you must shower without a swimsuit, which is standard at every Icelandic pool.

Weekday hours run from 6:45 AM to 9:00 PM all year. On weekends, the pool is open from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM in winter, with extra hours in summer. You pay at the entrance, and towels and swimsuits can be rented for 1,040 ISK (about 8 USD) each.

Iceland's shower rule keeps the water clean for everyone. Wash thoroughly before you enter. Keep an eye on children near the pools and slides, and remember that the larger slides have an age limit of 8. Bring your own towel and swimsuit to skip the rental fee.

How To Get to Akureyri Swimming Pool

Akureyri Swimming Pool sits in central Akureyri, so getting there really means getting to Akureyri itself, about 236 miles (380 km) north of Reykjavik. Few travelers make that trip for the pool alone. It is best enjoyed as part of a wider North Iceland trip, slotted into a day in town once you have arrived.

Most travelers driving the Ring Road or exploring North Iceland already pass through Akureyri, so the pool is an easy add to a day in town. If you are flying up, renting a car in Akureyri gives you the freedom to reach the region's nearby sights too.

What To See Near Akureyri Swimming Pool

Akureyri Swimming Pool is within walking distance of the town center and a short drive from some of North Iceland's best-known sights. These are some of the highlights within easy reach:

• Akureyrarkirkja: about a 5-minute walk away, the hilltop church designed by state architect Gudjon Samuelsson and consecrated in 1940

• Akureyri Art Museum: about a 6-minute walk away on Kaupvangsstraeti, with changing exhibitions of Icelandic art

• Akureyri Botanical Gardens: about an 8-minute walk away, a town park with thousands of plant species and the LYST café

• Godafoss Waterfall: a short drive east on the Ring Road, one of the country's most historic waterfalls

• Lake Myvatn: about an hour and 15 minutes east, known for volcanic landscapes and rich birdlife

• The Diamond Circle: North Iceland's answer to the Golden Circle, a 155-mile (250-km) sightseeing loop

• Whale-watching tours from Akureyri: departing the harbor into Eyjafjordur for humpbacks and dolphins

The Akureyri Art Museum is part of Guide to Iceland's VIP Club. Guide to Iceland customers who buy an admission ticket at the museum get 10% off in the museum shop.

Places To Stay Near Akureyri Swimming Pool

Several hotels in Akureyri sit within a 10-minute walk of the pool, so an early or late swim needs no car. These options are the closest:

• Berjaya Hotel Akureyri: stands just across the street from the pool, about a 4-minute walk away. Its Aurora Restaurant serves farm-to-table dishes made with local ingredients.

• Hotel Kea: sits next to Akureyri Church, about a 6-minute walk from the pool. The hotel looks out over the fjord and has two restaurants on site.

• Skald Akureyri, Curio Collection by Hilton: opened in 2026 on Hafnarstraeti, about an 8-minute walk from the pool. Two rooftop terraces look over the town and fjord, and some units are serviced apartments.

• Hotel Akureyri Skjaldborg: spreads across seven houses in the town center, about a 9-minute walk from the pool. Rooms have views of Eyjafjordur, and breakfast is served at Lon Restaurant.

• Akureyri Backpackers: is a budget option on Hafnarstraeti, about an 8-minute walk from the pool. Rooms sleep two to eight people, and the bistro bar opens at 8:00 AM.

The pool sits on the hill above the town center. The walk there from Hafnarstraeti climbs a little, while the way back runs downhill.

Where To Eat Near Akureyri Swimming Pool

The pool's facilities include no café, so plan to eat in the town center. Several of the best restaurants in Akureyri sit within a 10-minute walk, along with cafés that suit families fresh from a swim:

• Terían Brasserie: is a casual French-Italian brasserie on the ground floor of Hotel Kea, about a 6-minute walk from the pool. Pasta, small pizzas, and a kids' menu are served all day from 11:30 AM.

• Múlaberg Bistro & Bar: sits upstairs in Hotel Kea, about a 6-minute walk from the pool. Its French-Nordic menu uses ingredients from North Iceland, and a children's menu is served at every meal.

• Bautinn: has served families on Hafnarstraeti since 1971, about a 7-minute walk from the pool. The menu covers grills, burgers, fish, and pizza, with a separate kids' menu.

• Rub23: sits on Kaupvangsstraeti below the church, about a 6-minute walk from the pool. It serves seafood, meat, and sushi seasoned with its own spice blends.

• Blaa kannan: is a café on Hafnarstraeti, about a 7-minute walk from the pool. It serves morning bakes, soup of the day, cakes, and sandwiches.

• LYST: is a café in the Akureyri Botanical Garden, about an 8-minute walk from the pool. It serves sourdough bread, local coffee and chocolate, and natural wines.

• Strikid: sits on the fifth floor of a building on Skipagata, about an 8-minute walk from the pool. Its windows look over the town and fjord, and it offers a children's menu.

Terían, Múlaberg, and LYST are all part of Guide to Iceland's VIP Club. Members get 15% off food and drinks at Terían and Múlaberg, and 20% off at LYST.

Plan Your Visit to Akureyri Swimming Pool

Akureyri Swimming Pool is an easy, affordable stop on any North Iceland trip and a relaxed way to spend a few hours in town. It works just as well early before a day of sightseeing or late after a day on the road.

Sort out your accommodation in Akureyri, and you can drop by whenever the mood strikes. If you want to compare it with other pools around the country, see our guide to the best swimming pools in Iceland outside Reykjavik.