Seljavallalaug is an outdoor pool in southern Iceland, located about 7 kilometers west of Skogar and Skogafoss.
History of the Seljavallalaug Poo
Built in 1923, it is one of the oldest pools in Iceland. Seljavallalaug is 10 meters wide and 25 meters long. Until 1936, it was the largest pool in Iceland (Laugardalslaug in Reykjavik is now the largest). Its surroundings are truly picturesque – wild and harsh in winter and lusciously green in summer.
Since its creation, the pool has experienced several changes. Due to its location on the southern coast, it was affected by the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier in 2010. As a result of this event, it was completely filled with ash, making it unusable until the summer of 2011.
Seljavallalaug today
Seljavallalaug is a man-built pool, but it now functions more in the manner of Iceland’s wild, natural hot springs. So it’s available for free, but it doesn’t employ lifeguards or provide any safety measures. There is also no store or rental store for swimming suits or towels. To make matters worse, it is cleaned only once a year, so in summer the bottom and sides of the pool can become covered with algae, which affects not only aesthetics, but also safety – it’s just slippery.
There is also no electricity here and it will just be dark at night – pay attention to this especially if you travel in winter, when the day is very short here.
Also, the building that sometimes serves as a changing room is not up to Icelandic standards, and the pool water itself is warm, but usually not hot. In summer its temperature reaches 25 ºC (77 ºF), but in winter it often drops below 20 ºC (68 ºF). There is also usually a lot of dirt floating in it, carried by the wind and sometimes unfortunately left by tourists. Contrary to frequent fears, it is not stagnant water – it comes from nearby hot springs, flows through the pool and out the other side. However, its appearance often does not encourage swimming.
Nevertheless, if you find yourself here in the off-season, the pool can provide a truly unique experience. When there’s no one around the place looks like some post-apocalyptic relic from an unknown extinct civilization. With a little luck you can take the most beautiful photos of your entire trip here.
How to get to Seljavallalaug
When driving to Seljavallalaug, you need to turn off Route 1 onto Route 242 in a northerly direction and follow the signs to “Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool Car Park” (there are two of them, the further one is obviously closer to the pool). From the parking lot to the pool you have to walk about 1 km up a slight hill – so the walk takes about 20, maximum 30 minutes. Be ready to jump over small streams on the way.
Photos of the Seljavallalaug pool
