Nautholsvik

Nautholsvik

Most Icelandic beaches, with their jet-black sand and water temperatures in the low single digits, have nothing in common with their counterparts closer to the equator. The golden-sanded geothermal beach at Nautholsvik in Reykjavík is the exception that proves the rule; a little piece of a tropical paradise in the otherwise subarctic climate.

The North-Atlantic Ocean around Iceland is much too cold to bathe in, but the Icelanders do have an impressive amount of geothermal energy. Some enterprising minds saw a possibility in their situation and the Nautholsvik geothermal beach was opened in 2001 to the delight of residents and tourists alike.

The creation of the geothermal beach was an ambitious project involving the construction of a lagoon with large sea walls, where cold sea and hot geothermal water blend together for the perfect temperature. The locals have welcomed this chance to bathe in the ocean and still avoi hypothermia and on sunny days, the beach fills up with people of all ages enjoying the warm water.

The main objective of creating the geothermal beach was to establish the bay of Nautholsik as a diverse outdoor area and haven for recreational activities, such as sunbathing, swimming and sailing.

No matter the season, there are people enjoying the use of the hot tubs, steambath and changing facilities and showers, even when the temperatures drop below freezing.

Sea swimming

One activity has become surprisingly popular all year round: sea-swimming. Cold-water swimming might sound crazy, especially in a country like Iceland, however this extreme activity dates all the way back to the age of settlement. The oldest recorded sea-swimming feat was performed in the 1030, when Grettir Asmundarson (a legendary character from the Icelandic Sagas) swam a distance of 7 km across a bay in North Iceland to the Island of Drangey.

Iceland rural area. Photo by Olga