Drangsnes Hot Pots

Drangsnes

Westfjords

Three concrete geothermal pools sit right at the water's edge in Drangsnes village, looking out across Steingrímsfjörður toward the mountains on the far shore. They came about almost by accident: a drilling project in 1997 struck geothermal water, and the village built the pools shortly after. Each tub runs at a different temperature — cool, warm, and hot — so you can move between them. Admission is free. Drangsnes is a fishing village of fewer than a hundred people on the eastern edge of the Westfjords, and the pools double as the community social hub. On a weekday morning you are as likely to share the water with a local as with another tourist, which is rarer than it sounds in Iceland. Changing rooms and showers are across the street. The pools are open around the clock, year-round. Getting here requires some commitment: Road 645 runs through remote fjord country on a winding single-track. Budget at least 45 minutes from the Ring Road junction at Hólmavík. The remoteness is part of the appeal — the Westfjords do not reward rushing.

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