Geosea

GeoSea stands on Húsavíkurhöfði, the headland at the northern edge of Húsavík, on a west-facing cliff above Skjálfandi bay with the Arctic Circle on the horizon. The town below is Iceland's best-known whale-watching harbour, and the baths are pitched partly at that audience: the same water that guests sit in looks straight out over the bay where the boats work, and in winter the same terrace serves as a place to wait for the northern lights. The address is Vitaslóð 1, a few minutes' walk from the harbour.

The water has an accidental origin. For centuries the geothermal heat north of Húsavík was used by residents for bathing and washing, and when drilling went ahead at Húsavíkurhöfði in the mid-twentieth century the hole produced not fresh hot water but hot seawater, too rich in minerals to be usable for heating houses. Rather than waste it, the town set an old cheese barrel at the headland and bathed in it; people with psoriasis and other skin conditions reported relief, and the water was found to sit at a comfortable 38 to 39 degrees. The modern baths, built on that spot, draw from two drillholes — one beside the old cheese barrel, the other by the harbour.

That flow is also the cleaning system. GeoSea uses no cleaning agents or filtration equipment: water runs steadily out of the drillholes, through the pools, over their edges and down into the sea, and the operator states that this constant turnover is what keeps the water inside the limits set by health regulations. The consequence for bathers is a chlorine-free mineral seawater and an infinity edge that is functional rather than decorative.

The practical side is modest and clearly stated. Changing rooms take up to 160 guests at a time, showering before entry is compulsory and soap, shampoo and conditioner from the Icelandic skincare maker Sóley Organics are provided. A bar can be reached from the water itself and sells beer, wine and soft drinks, with a separate indoor area where guests can eat in a bathrobe. Hours follow the Icelandic seasons: 12:00 to 22:00 from 1 October to 31 March, 10:00 to 22:00 from 1 April to 31 May and through September, and 10:00 to midnight from 1 June to 31 August, with the water closing fifteen minutes before the doors. Admission is 7,490 ISK for adults and 3,990 ISK for children aged 6 to 16, with under-sixes free.