Gvendarlaug hins góða

At Hótel Laugarhóll in Bjarnarfjörður you can bathe in Gvendarlaug (Gvendarlaug hins góða), a geothermal pool and natural hot spring named after Guðmundur the Good. It sits in a lush valley in Strandir, a remote corner of Iceland's Westfjords halfway between Ísafjörður and Reykjavík.

The pool & hot spring

• The swimming pool was built in the 1940s as a joint effort by farmers from the area, and a constant flow of hot spring water runs through it, so it needs minimal chemical treatment.
• Alongside the pool are natural hot springs and geothermal hot-tubs for relaxing after a day exploring the region.
• There is no attendant at the pool; children enter under the responsibility of their guardians.

The hotel

Hótel Laugarhóll is a family-run guest house that can host groups of up to 40 people, with an on-site restaurant, set in the quiet Strandir countryside.