You’ve had your five a day (veggies/beers/panic attacks), now you gotta stay active. Whether it’s to get a dose of culture, hopping on a day tour or splashing around in your municipal pool, you can’t go wrong with our picks for Best Activities.
Best Pool
Vesturbæjarlaug
Hofsvallagata, 107 Reykjavík
Here’s the tricky thing: most Icelanders will pick their neighbourhood pool or the one they grew up with as their personal best. We had a diverse group of panellists, spread out over the Greater Reykjavík area and it proved very difficult to reach a consensus on the best overall pool. After a heated discussion, we were able to hone in on this classic swimming hole in the central Reykjavík area, which has taken the top spot multiple times in the past. Their steambath has gotten some competition since setting the bar back in the day, but the gender-separated saunas, range of hot tubs and being a magnet for local celebrities has made it a reliable go-to. Bonus points for having an ice cream parlour, a bakery, a specialty grocer and a hamburger joint within a 100 metre radius.
Runner-Up:
Laugardalslaug
Sundlaugavegur 105, 105 Reykjavík
This is the best-known pool in Reykjavík for at least three decades, as well as the largest one in the country — a major draw for the tourists and locals alike. Their saltwater hot tub is still the best one and a proper way to reward yourself if you started out in the adjacent World Class gym and took the walk of shame in your bathing suit along their frozen stone path past the discerning eyes of the resident gym rats. Two panellists mentioned that it wasn’t very child-friendly for parents of under-fives, as the view from the hot tub over the children’s area isn’t great. But that’s easily solved by attaching a large buoy to your kid, replete with a flashing light and a loud siren.
Runner-Up:
Dalslaug
Úlfarsbraut 122 124, 113 Reykjavík
Art Bicnick/The Reykjavík Grapevine
We would be remiss if we didn’t at least mention the latest addition to the Reykjavík pool flora. Dalslaug has indoor and outdoor pools, a brand new double-barrelled waterslide and your classic cascading water mushroom. The bigger of the two slides is called Úlfur and the smaller Ylfa, the result of a naming contest that designated a girl’s name to the slide aimed at the younger kids (ahem). The downside is that the overall pool area is on the small side and that an otherwise wonderful view is spoiled by an industrial fence.
Previous Winners
2023: Lágafellslaug
2022: Sky Lagoon
2021: Vesturbæjarlaug
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