GeoSea opened in September 2018, making it one of the newer premium thermal baths in Iceland. There do seem to be a couple of new thermal baths opening each year, though; Vök Baths opened in July 2019, and Giljaböð is supposed to open toward the end of 2019.
Those two are far from GeoSea, which is located in Húsavík in North Iceland. Húsavík is a 25 minute or so detour off of Ring Road, but GeoSea adds a new reason to head up this way. Many people head to Húsavík for whale watching; adding GeoSea and a Húsavík museum can make for a fun day up north. (If you’re heading up here for whale watching, we like North Sailing!)
GeoSea doesn’t look like much from the front. This seems to be a trend in thermal baths, to blend into the surrounding nature.
But head down the path to the baths, and you’re in a serene world that feels like it’s part of the ocean:
That’s just an optical illusion above, though it does look convincing when you first head to the pools. In reality, we’re well above the ocean level; here’s a picture looking back from a whale watching boat:
The pools are to the left of the yellow lighthouse, with the parking lot off to the right.
At thermal pools like this. most people tend to pick a spot that looks relaxing and stick with it for a while. There’s much less room than in a place like the Blue Lagoon, but it’s still typically easy to find a quiet corner to yourself. Here’s an overhead shot from GeoSea’s web site:
There’s more water to the top right side, including the best reason to leave your perch and walk around: an in-water snack bar. More specifically, an in-water snack bar that serves ice cream. Walk up, order something, scan your bracelet to pay, and enjoy. You’ll pay for your purchases on the way out, once you’re dressed. Here’s the snack bar:
And here’s the current menu. You’ll find beer, wine, lots of soda and juices, and even sandwiches.
Sorry, that’s not a very pretty picture. Here’s the view from the snack bar back down to the water:
More of the baths snake around to the right.
In addition to buying ice cream or other food, your wristband also opens your locker. Close your locker and then scan your wristband at a nearby scanning spot to lock it. Then scan again and your locker pops open.
Admission to GeoSea costs 4300 ISK for adults, and 1800 ISK for kids 16 and under. (Sadly, no free admission for kids here.) That’s in line with this “premium” grade of thermal baths, a grade that I just made up. Vök Baths costs a little more for adults, though the youngest kids get in free. Mývatn Nature Baths is a tiny bit more, though Mývatn prices go up in the summer. (Kids are also free at Mývatn.)
These prices are much less than the Blue Lagoon, where you’re going to pay 10000 ISK or more per adult unless you’re very lucky or are willing to get there at 8 PM or later. (The Blue Lagoon has hourly demand-based pricing, so it’s very complicated.)
But the prices are also much more than a local city public thermal pool, which might cost 2000 ISK total for your whole family. But GeoSea is indeed a more premium experience compared to those local pools, from lockers to snack bar.
Like those local pools, you will find local Icelanders at GeoSea; apparently they come for the “cheap” beer? If you’re in Húsavík, GeoSea is worth a visit. Especially if you haven’t been to any of the other premium thermal pools.
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