Iceland is often referred to as the land of fire and ice, and thanks to a combination of these natural phenomena, tourists can enjoy hot springs and lagoons here. Some of them are natural, others are man-made and one of the newest is the Forest Lagoon.
Following the success of Sky Lagoon, a recently opened geothermal bath in Reykjavik, a new lagoon has begun to build in the north of Iceland, near Akureyri (Iceland’s second largest city), which is unique mainly for its location in the woods.
After the Vikings cut down over 90% of the trees and forests hundreds of years ago, it is not easy to find a real forest in Iceland. The new, Forest Lagoon, which is due to open in the middle of 2022, is all the more unique and attractive.
About Forest lagoon
If you are going to Iceland in the summer season 2022 and you are interested in more information, we may disappoint you a little.
Not much detailed information has yet come to light on what the Forest Lagoon will actually be, so we can only guess from the pictures and press releases.
The attraction is anticipated to attract more visitors to the island nation’s northern coast by combining forest bathing with natural hot spring pools. Basalt Architects, the same firm behind Blue Lagoon near the Reykjavik airport and Geosea Geothermal Sea Baths near Husavík, about an hour’s drive from Akureyri, is building the spa.
According to information on the official website forestlagoon.is it will be a lagoon with two pools and two swim up bars, similar to, for example, the Blue Lagoon or Sky Lagoon. The entire lagoon is in an area of 1300 square meters and can accommodate up to 200 visitors at a time.
Although this number may not seem high, Forest Lagoon is unlikely to have as many local visitors as Sky Lagoon. Akureyri is a much less populated city and the highest occupancy can be expected mainly in the months of June to September, and out of season there will probably be a much better chance of buying a ticket on the spot, without the need to book in advance.
Chairman of the Board, Sigriour M Hammer, commented on the experience and the factor of sustainability: “We strongly believe that the introduction of a new natural geothermal pool to the area will inspire visitors to spend more of time in Akureyri and its surroundings. This, in turn, will have a positive ripple effect on local businesses and the local economy.
However, if you are going to the Forest Lagoon in the mentioned summer months, we recommend that you check the occupancy of the lagoon a few days in advance, because we know from experience that entering Sky Lagoon or Blue Lagoon is almost never possible without prior reservation.
Read our comparison: Blue lagoon vs Sky lagoon
The Forest Baths, which were made possible by the discovery of a fresh hot spring while building a nearby tunnel, are expected to have a good impact on the town and entice tourists who would normally only stay for one night to stay longer.
Even the journey to the spa is part of the adventure: a stroll through the woods gradually unveils a wood-clad structure carved into the mountainside. A gorgeous après-soak atmosphere is also provided by fireside eating at the property’s restaurant, which has views over the bay and the town of Akureyri.
Prices in Forest lagoon, admissions and reservation
You are definitely interested not only in what you will find in the Forest Lagoon and what you can enjoy here, but also in how much it will cost and whether it is worth it in the end.
Admission prices are already public, you can find them on the aforementioned official lagoon website.
So, how much is the Forest lagoon in Iceland. We have the answer for you if you want to visit Forest lagoon once or have a repeat visitation.
- The price for a ticket in Forest lagoon is 5,800 ISK, which is 45 USD. Admission for 2 people with 2 drinks on the bar is 13 900 ISK, so 108 USD.
As almost everywhere else in Iceland, there are possibiliets of group discounts, usually for 10 and more people.
Changing room and showers in Forest lagoon
The Forest Lagoon, like many other Icelandic hot springs, will require guests to change before entering the pool. The Forest Lagoon provides a changing facility and locker rooms that can accommodate hundreds of visitors for this purpose.
There is still not a final answer if there will be common showers or you can pay for a private shower or changing room. But as in all swimming pools and lagoon in Iceland, also here in Forest lagoon, you have to shower naked before entering the pool.
What to wear
Usually you don’t need much in Icelandic hot springs. Basic equipment is a swim suite and a towel. Almost all Icelandic man made lagoons offer a free towel or rental fee, so you can expect the same in Forest Lagoon.
What to take to Forest lagoon:
- swim suit
- towel
- water to stay hydrated
- waterproof phone case
If you are going to use a pool mobile phone, we recommend that you pre-purchase a waterproof phone case and sealable bag (for the phone or bathing suit).
We usually don’t recommend to wear jewelry in the icelandic lagoon because there could be a sulfur in the water. which has not a good affect on the jewelry.
For everybody who has a longer hair may be a good ideat to bring hair clips and you can see some visitors with flip flops, eventhough you don´t need them much, usually there is a very short distance from showers / changing rooms to the main pool.
How long do you to stay in Forest lagoon?
If we can give you a straight answer to question how much time to spent in the Forest lagoon, it is between 1,5 – 2,5 hours. The time may vary according to the experience you are looking for.
If you just want to try the icelandic lagoon and soak in warm water before your reach your final destination set for a day, 1,5 hour will be enough for you.
On the other hand, if you are staying in Akureyri, find and accommodation and have no other plans for the weekend, we don´t see any reason why don´t to stay in the Forest lagoon for even more than 2 hours.
You can get hydrated thanks to 2 swim up bars in the pools and the local bistro might be a solution if you get hungry.
Is Forest lagoon worth it?
We can´t give you a honest answer for this question yet, because the Forest lagoon will probably open later this year, end of April or beginning of May. But if there will be at least some similarities with Sky lagoon or Blue lagoon (famous icelandic hot springs closer to airport), then we can predict you will not be dissapointed.
The prices for tickets in Forest lagoon are not high at all and on the same level as in other luxury lagoons in Iceland.
Eventhough there are other alternatives in the north of Iceland, none of the hot springs nearby will have such a services, design and size.
Water temperature in Forest lagoon
In icelandic lagoons can temperatures vary, so it´s hard to predict how will be the water temperature in Forest lagoon.
Usually, in Sky lagoon or Secret lagoon (alternatives to Forest lagoon in Iceland) there are pools where you find warmer water (going to 40 degrees celsius), but usually the water is at least 5 degrees less, so you don´t feel “boiling” even if you spent there more hours.
You can always find a spot in the pool, where the water is cooler, so if you feel too warm you can go and chill for some time in more comfortable temperatures and then continue warming your body again.
Location and contacts
The Forest Lagoon is a short distance from Akureyri’s town center. There are geothermal pools, a sauna, a relaxing lounge, two in-water pool bars, and an on-site restaurant at the Forest lagoon.
- (+354) 585-0090
- info@skogarbad.is
- GPS: 65.67008963499416, -18.042278886492138
Forest lagoon on a map
As we mentioned in the introduction, Forest Lagoon is located in the north of Iceland, near the town of Akureyri. In this article, we have prepared a map for you from both the airport, Reykjavik and Akureyri.
How far is Forest Lagoon from the airport
The forest lagoon is not the nearest lagoon you can visit around the airport. Forest lagoon from the airport is 432 km, 5 hours and 30 minutes by car. The easiest way to get to Forest Lagoon is by car rental, another option is by bus and the fastest option is by air from Reykjavik Airport.
Get the directions from Keflavík airport to Forest Lagoon
How far is Forest Lagoon from Reykjavik
Forest lagoon from Reykjavík is exactly 391 km, which corresponds to 5 hours of drive. If you want to get from Reykjavik to Forest Lagoon in Akureyri as quickly as possible, then we recommend choosing air travel directly from Reykjavik.
Get the directions from airport to Forest Lagoon
Alternatives to Forest lagoon
During your stay in Iceland, whether your trip is 14 days or just 3 days, you can experience many hot springs and lagoons in addition to waterfalls, glaciers or aurora borealis.
Around Reykjavik and the airport you will find two very famous – Blue Lagoon and Sky Lagoon. Other, slightly lesser-known baths are at Laugarvatn (Fontana geothermal baths) and at Flúdir in the Golden Circle (Secret lagoon).
In addition to paid lagoons, you can find many smaller pools and hot springs in Iceland, where you can swim and relax for free.
These are smaller places often only for a few people, but often in abandoned or not so touristy places, so you can enjoy peaceful and unique experiences often alone.
Blue lagoon vs Forest lagoon
As we mentioned in the article, one of the alternatives to the Forest Lagoon is the Blue Lagoon, the most famous bath in Iceland.
Blue lagoon is famous for its turquoise blue water color and thanks to the silica that is contained in the water, it has healing effects.
Although the Blue Lagoon is one of the most expensive lagoons in Iceland, the advantages are that it offers several packages with the option of private shower, face mask and swim up bar.
Right next to the Blue Lagoon you will find a hotel and a restaurant where you can use the luxurious services of a 5 star hotel and a fancy restaurant with delicious meals.
Sky lagoon vs Forest lagoon
Directly in Reykjavik, you can visit the recently opened Sky Lagoon. These hot springs with a unique design in the rocks and ocean views offer a 7 step ritual with sauna, cold tub and custom scrub cream.
Prices in Sky Lagoon are comparable to Forest Lagoon, but the advantage is the accessibility from the center of Reykjavik and a really amazing atmosphere.
Secret lagoon vs Forest lagoon
If you are looking for more natural and typically Icelandic baths, then you definitely should not miss a visit to the Secret Lagoon during your trip in the Golden Circle.
Although the Secret Lagoon hot spring offers only one smaller pool “hidden” near the town of Flúdir and it offers only one type of admission – with shared showers.
However, the prices here are lower than in the Forest Lagoon, and for those who forgot to pack a towel or swim suit, it is possible to borrow these things.
What to read now? Our visitors were interested in this:
- Laugarvatn Fontana baths vs Secret lagoon – which one is better?
- What to do in Akureyri
- Mývatn nature baths vs Blue lagoon
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