Guðrúnarlaug, Natural hot spring in Sælingsdalur Valley, Iceland
Guðrúnarlaug is a natural hot spring in Sælingsdalur Valley with a stone-lined pool. The water stays warm year-round at about 36 to 38 degrees Celsius due to geothermal heat and carries minerals from underground.
The original spring was buried under a landslide roughly 200 years ago and forgotten. Local residents later dug it out and rebuilt the pool to keep the connection to medieval times alive.
The name comes from Gudrun, a woman in the Laxdæla Saga who bathed here according to medieval texts. Visitors today can soak in the same waters that appear in those old stories.
The location is roughly 160 kilometers from Reykjavik and accessible by a country road. A simple changing room in traditional style is available, and entry is free.
The pool is fed directly by geothermal groundwater flowing unfiltered into the stone-lined basin. Soaking here while looking out over the valley makes the bathing experience quite different from typical pools.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
