One of those beauties is Seljavallalaug, one of the oldest outdoor swimming pools in Iceland. Built in 1923 by Bjorn Andrésson Berjaneskoti the swimming pool was created to teach locals how to swim, since many off them subsisted off the fishing industry with no formal place to develop their swimming skills (it only became part of Iceland’s compulsory education in 1927).

The swimming pool is located in a valley at the foot of a mountain and is heated by the geothermal activity from within this valley. This causes the temperature of the swimming pool to be around 25 – 28 degrees Celsius.

The pool itself is a concrete base which measures 25 meters in length by 10 meters in width, with at the far end of the pool a concrete cabin to change into your swimming attire. Both the pool and the cabin are painted white, which will blend well into its surroundings during winter, and will shine in contrast during summer’s luscious green landscape.

To reach this ‘great place’ a short hike of 30min along a stream is required, but once you dip in the swimming pool you are guaranteed one of the most beautiful views of Iceland

The best thing about this ‘great place’ is it’s publicly accessible, 24/7, without any admission fee, the only thing required is a short hike of 30 minutes along a stream, but once you dip in the swimming pool you are guaranteed one of the most beautiful views of Iceland, all while taking a nice swim!