Secret Lagoon (Gamla Laugin)

Before there was the Blue Lagoon, before there was Sky Lagoon, there was Gamla Laugin — the Secret Lagoon in the village of Fludir. Dating back to 1891, this is Iceland's oldest public swimming pool, fed by natural hot springs that have been steaming and bubbling in this valley for millennia. It is also, at ISK 3,500, the most affordable premium geothermal bathing experience in the country.

A Different Kind of Hot Spring

The Secret Lagoon is not a spa. It is a natural hot spring with a stone-and-concrete pool built around it, surrounded by grassland, steam vents, and bubbling geothermal features. The water is clear — not the milky blue of the Blue Lagoon — and flows continuously from nearby hot springs at 36 to 40 degrees Celsius.

The atmosphere here is unhurried and unpretentious. There is no in-water bar, no mud mask station, no seven-step ritual. You change in simple facilities, walk to the pool, step in, and soak. The luxury is the setting itself: steam rising from the water and from the surrounding ground, a small geyser erupting every few minutes just beyond the pool's edge, and the quiet green landscape of the Icelandic countryside stretching in every direction.

The Setting

Fludir is a small agricultural village in the South Iceland lowlands, approximately 90 minutes from Reykjavik and a short detour from the Golden Circle route. The surrounding area is one of Iceland's most geothermally active zones — the village itself is heated entirely by geothermal energy, and greenhouses growing tomatoes and cucumbers line the road into town.

The pool sits at the edge of a geothermal field where you can walk a short path past steaming vents, bubbling mud pools, and a small geyser called Litli Geysir that erupts to about a metre every few minutes. This walk is free and accessible to all visitors, pool ticket or not.

Why Locals Love It

Ask Icelanders where they prefer to bathe, and many will choose the Secret Lagoon over its more famous competitors. The reasons are straightforward: it is natural, affordable, uncrowded (outside peak tour group hours), and feels like the real Iceland rather than a curated tourist experience.

The pool is particularly beautiful in winter, when steam billows thickly from the water and, on clear nights, the northern lights may appear overhead. Summer evenings offer the midnight sun reflecting off the still water and the surrounding greenery at its most lush.

Practical Tips

The best strategy for avoiding crowds is to visit in the early morning or late afternoon, avoiding the window between 11:00 and 15:00 when Golden Circle tour buses arrive. The pool has a capacity limit, so booking online in advance is wise during peak season.

Bring your own towel to save on the rental fee. The on-site cafe serves coffee, hot chocolate, and simple snacks. There is no restaurant at the lagoon, but Fludir has a few dining options including the popular Fridheimar greenhouse restaurant, where everything is made with tomatoes grown on site.

Children under 14 enter free, making the Secret Lagoon one of the best-value family activities in Iceland. The pool depth is consistent at about one metre, and the gradual entry slope makes it accessible for all ages and abilities.

For travellers who want their geothermal experience to feel authentic rather than manufactured, the Secret Lagoon is the clear choice. It is not trying to compete with the Blue Lagoon — it is offering something different entirely.