Should you try this geothermal lagoon?
Short answer: yes!
Long answer: yes!
If you are in the North of Iceland, the largest city is Akureyri and little did I know when I booked our time at Forest Lagoon just HOW close to Akureyri this geo thermal bath is. If you are driving the Ring Road, you will pass it on your way into town because it is located across the causeway from the beating heart of Akureryi. It's an oasis tucked into the hillside. I can only imagine how magical this tree-lined setting is during the snowy winter.
It means it is easy to reach at any time during your stay there. We seriously could have gone back every day if we wanted to (and we had other equally exciting plans, so we only visited once). If you don't have a car, they offer a free shuttle bus from the Hotel Kea downtown.
This was the third geothermal lagoon we had visited on this trip and early on, I decided it was disturbing to my experience to bring my camera into the waters and they are never allowed in the locker rooms, so I apologize that there are no photos of me and my family using this beautiful waterscape.
As with all of the newer geothermal lagoons in Iceland, Forest Lagoon is a stunning contemporary design. You park in the lot and walk up the ramp to check in. You get a digital bracelet to open your locker and track your purchases.
Entrance fee gets you a locker, but you need to bring your own towel unless you want to pay to rent one.
One of my favorite things about these geothermal spas in Iceland is the ability to have a cold plunge. The cold pool at Forest Lagoon is by the dry sauna, so we were able to go back and forth. They keep the pool at around 51°F which is totally do-able, even for the novice cold plunger. So refreshing, so hard to do, really, and so, so good for your health!
The dry sauna has a beautiful huge glass window so you can sit peacefully and look at the sea. A cool feature is that the sauna has a switch you can push that automatically puts water on to the hot stones to create steam.
The two pools, one hot like a jacuzzi (104°F) and one very warm one (98°F) are wonderful.
After floating and showering, we headed to the Bistro they have at the lagoon for lunch and it was spectacularly delicious. It's housed in a cozy room with a fireplace.
My son and I had the Skogur Bistro Brunch with Salmon, my daughter had the same with bacon. Turned out like eggs benedict, perfectly done. My husband had the chicken salad. Afterwards we took home a slice of the apple cake. Oh it was all first-class food.
You will be very happy if you go to Forest Lagoon.
Location: Vaðlaskógur, 605 Akureyri Iceland
(354) 585-0090
Admission: about $48 USD
Towel Rental: about $5 USD
There are discounts offered for children and seniors