Laugarvatn Fontana is a hot spring spa along the Golden Circle, just an hour and 15 minutes from Reykjavik. It features 4 hot tubs of varying temperatures and is located right next to a lake. There’s also a sauna, steam room, and bar. From the pools, you can cold plunge into the lake like a true Viking!
We also toured the geothermal bakery – where Icelanders bake bread in the ground! Because of the natural geothermal areas, there are pockets of the earth that are 100 degrees Celsius – the perfect temperature for slow-baking bread. The dough is placed in a pot and buried in the ground to bake for 24 hours. This tradition has been going on for 300 years before the locals had ovens. The rye bread is eaten with Icelandic butter and Arctic char – SO delicious!
Fontana is a great way to experience the local bathing culture and I highly recommend adding it to your itinerary.
➡️ Book a time at Laugarvatn Fontana! ⬅️
Jeannie is the founder of Iceland with a View, an Iceland trip planning resource she launched in 2015 after moving to Iceland. Having lived in Iceland for nearly 11 years, she shares firsthand travel advice through in-depth articles, guidebooks, maps, itineraries, and a YouTube channel with over 110,000 subscribers. Her mission is to help travelers confidently plan unforgettable Iceland trips with practical, experience-based guidance.
