Krauma Thermal Baths are in West Iceland, near the town of Reykholt. Note that there are 2 towns named Reykholt in Iceland: the other one is in the South of Iceland, in the Golden Circle area. Krauma opened at the end of 2016, the first in a trio of new premium thermal baths. GeoSea in North Iceland opened in 2018, and Vök Baths in East Iceland opened in 2019.
All of these feature hot outdoor pools heated by nearby geothermally heated water, and Krauma makes sure you know this the moment you step out of your car. It’s located right next to the Deildartunguhver geothermal area, and its clouds of hit sulphuric steam. Deildartunguhver is Europe’s most powerful hot spring. (That’s defined by total flow rate.)
That’s Krauma on the right side of the picture. I like seeing the steam, and it’s a clear reminder of the energy of this underground water. But I don’t like walking through the steam, which is a clear reminder that sulfuric steam is not very good for your lungs. If you pay attention you should be able to time your walk to avoid the worst of the steam, though it seems most people don’t mind one way or the other.
Happily, the steam doesn’t impact your experience at Krauma once you walk past Deildartunguhver. The baths give you the benefit of the naturally heated water without the steam. Here’s the view as you walk further down the path to Krauma:
When you pay your admission, Krauma does something I don’t remember seeing anywhere else: They will take your drink order, should you choose to purchase a drink. Pay right now, and a staff member will find you at the pools and bring you your drinks. We ordered some juices, and they were delivered to us soon after we had changed and walked outside. Alcoholic drinks are also available.
Krauma offers 5 separate pools, or more accurately hot pots. Each is labeled with a different temperature range, which I really like. The temperatures can change over time, and we found the “coolest” hot pot to be one that wasn’t labeled with the lowest temperature range. Still, the temperatures were directionally correct, and allow you to select a hotter or cooler pool.
The downside of this set-up is that you don’t get one larger pool to wander around in, as you get in the Blue Lagoon or Mývatn Nature Baths. That’s just a matter of personal preference, though.
In the picture above, you can see parts of most of the hot pots. To the left is the fantastic Relaxation Room, which I also think is unique to Krauma.
Many pools in Iceland have steam rooms or saunas, but this is like a sauna that is warm, but not at all hot. There is very nice lighting, and exceptionally nice lounge chairs. There’s quiet music, and a fireplace. No talking is allowed, so if you have kids with you you’ll have to decide if they can handle that. But the temperature is fantastic for kids (and adults!) The Relaxation Room is a place that truly lives up to its name.
Here’s a picture of the Relaxation Room from Krauma’s web site. You can see snow outside, which seems like as good a time as any to tell you that Krauma is open year-round!
A couple of minor points. First, there are tiny pieces of algae floating in the water. Some natural baths have enough algae that the steps and other surfaces become slippery. That’s not an issue here, though you will probably have some algae on your body and swimsuit once you get out. It’s nothing a quick rinse in the showers won’t solve.
Second, speaking of the showers, you probably know by now that you need to shower naked before entering the bathing pools. The showers at Krauma allow you to adjust the temperature. This seems like a silly thing to point out, but we’ve been to other pools where the shower water was too hot for my kids to shower comfortably in. Oh, and make sure to push the button to turn off the shower when you’re done. These don’t turn off automatically.
Krauma costs 3950 ISK for adults, 2000 ISK for kids 13-16, and free for kids 12 and under. That’s right in line with other premium thermal spas: Much less than the Blue Lagoon and much more than local city thermal pools.
There is a full service restaurant inside, or the well-regarded food truck Staldrid operates right outside.
Just down the road is the quirky and wonderful Fossatún Guesthouse, which has a variety of lodging options, a troll hike, frequent free concerts, and is quite memorable. Krauma is worth a visit if you’re in the area, and more so if you haven’t been to other premium thermal baths.
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