Seljavallalaug is an outdoor swimming pool in South Iceland, about 7 km (4 miles) west of Skogar and the Skogafoss waterfall.
History of the Seljavallalaug pool
Built in 1923, it is one of the oldest swimming pools in Iceland. Seljavallalaug is 10 m (33 ft) wide and 25 m (82 ft) long, and until 1936 it was the largest pool in the country (today the largest is Laugardalslaug in Reykjavik). Its surroundings are truly picturesque – wild and harsh in winter, lush and green in summer.
Seljavallalaug from above – the pool right next to a mountain river
Since then, the pool has gone through several changes. Because of its location on the south coast, it was hit by the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano: the pool was completely filled with ash and could not be used until the summer of 2011.
Seljavallalaug today
Seljavallalaug is a man-made pool, but today it works more like Iceland’s wild, natural hot springs. Entry is free, but there are no lifeguards and no safety measures of any kind. There is no shop either, and nowhere to rent a swimsuit or a towel. To make matters worse, the pool is cleaned only once a year, so in summer the bottom and walls can get covered with algae – which is not only unsightly, but also dangerous, because it gets really slippery.
There is no electricity here either, so after dark it is pitch-black – keep this in mind especially if you travel in winter, when the days are very short.
The building that sometimes serves as a changing room doesn’t meet Icelandic standards either, and the water itself is warm, but usually not hot. In summer it reaches 25 °C (77°F), but in winter it often drops below 20 °C (68°F). There is usually plenty of debris floating in it, too, blown in by the wind and sometimes, sadly, left behind by tourists. Contrary to a common worry, the water isn’t stagnant – it comes from nearby hot springs, flows through the pool and out the other side. Still, the way it looks often doesn’t make you want to jump in.
The old changing rooms at Seljavallalaug
Even so, if you come here in the off-season, the pool can give you a truly unique experience. With nobody around, it looks like a post-apocalyptic relic of some unknown, extinct civilization. With a bit of luck (and determination), you can take the most beautiful photos of your whole trip here.
Seljavallalaug in winter
How to get to Seljavallalaug
To get to Seljavallalaug, turn off Route 1 onto Route 242 (Raufarfellsvegur) heading north and follow the signs for “Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool Car Park” (there are two of them – the farther one is, of course, closer to the pool). It makes a short detour on the way to or from Skogafoss. From the parking lot, it’s about 1 km (0.6 miles) to the pool, gently uphill, so the walk takes about 20, at most 30 minutes. Be ready to hop over small streams along the way.
On the way in, a sign reminds you that you are on private land: you can stay for up to 3 hours, and camping, sleeping in vehicles and flying drones are not allowed.
The sign on the way to the pool: private property, maximum stay 3 hours
Photos of the Seljavallalaug pool
