Forest Lagoon across the fjord from Akureyri

Forest Lagoon is the North's late bath: a geothermal lagoon in the Vaðlaskógur woods on the east shore of Eyjafjörður, facing Akureyri across the water and five minutes' drive from the town centre. It suits anyone sleeping in Akureyri, a winter evening with a forecast for aurora, and couples. It is a lagoon at lagoon prices, and the rules on children after 18:30 make it awkward for families in the evening.

The figures, read today on forestlagoon.is: open every day 10:00 to midnight, with guests out of the water at 23:30 and the last reservation at 22:30. Admission ("Warm") is 7,490 ISK; Calm, with a drink and a towel, 10,150 ISK; Delight, with two drinks and a towel, 11,210 ISK. Youth 13 to 15 and children 6 to 12 pay 3,790 ISK, and five and under are free; children's last entry is 18:30. Towels are not included in the basic ticket and rent for 1,400 ISK. Only Icelandic currency is accepted. The operator gives 3.6 km and five minutes from Akureyri centre, 391 km and four hours from Reykjavík, 245 km and three hours from Egilsstaðir.

#The arithmetic

Akureyri is a sleep town on the seven-day and ten-day Ring Road, the Diamond Circle and the Faroe ferry journey. Akureyri to the lagoon is 5.6 km and about 9 minutes each way by OSRM on OpenStreetMap. The operator recommends staying no longer than two hours. Two hours, 18 minutes of driving and a 10-minute buffer is about 150 minutes. The point is when: with the water open until 23:30, it can follow dinner, while Vök closes at 22:00 in winter and Krauma at 21:00.

For a couple, the arithmetic of the packages is simple: two Warm tickets are 14,980 ISK; two Calm tickets, which add a drink and a towel each, are 20,300 ISK, so the extras cost 5,320 ISK for two against 2,800 ISK for two rented towels on the basic ticket. Only buy Calm if you want the drink.

#What goes wrong

Families arriving after dinner: children under 13 have a last entry of 18:30 on the price list, though the FAQ says all children are welcome until 20:00; trust the earlier figure. Without a booking, entry is not guaranteed. Cancellation more than 24 hours ahead brings a date change or a gift card, not cash.

#Alternatives in the North

GeoSea at Húsavík is the seawater bath on the cliff above Skjálfandi bay; the Earth Lagoon at Mývatn is on the Ring Road east. In Akureyri itself, the municipal pool is the cheap evening.

#Sources

Forest Lagoon's home page and FAQ, read 1 November 2026; drive by OSRM on OpenStreetMap.