Sky Lagoon is about that Icelandic feeling of warmth and wonder. With every step there is a new and exciting way to get to know Icelandic culture, with the tradition of geothermal bathing leading the way.
Designed to be a visual and spiritual experience, Sky Lagoon invokes all the senses: the salty scent of the Atlantic Ocean, the sounds of the wildlife and the ocean tides, the feel of the warm geothermal water and the taste of the local cuisine at Smakk Bar. But perhaps the most powerful of all are the inspiring and captivating views from the 70-metre infinity edge of the lagoon.
Skerjafjörður
Skerjafjörður is the fjord that Sky Lagoon sits in and it’s named for the reefs that are scattered around inside of it. If you time it right, you can catch a glimpse of some of the reefs at low tide, before they disappear when the tide comes back in.
Summer Sunsets and the Midnight Sun
Iceland is renowned for beautiful pink skies as the midnight sun carefully tips at the horizon only to come back up again, leaving the country without darkness for summer. This is a welcomed change from the dark winters and a delight to bask in as you lay at the edge of the lagoon enjoying the views.
The night sky is just as amazing in the winter, as the lagoon gives you a perfect view of a bright starry sky. And, if you time it right, you might even be able to catch the Northern Lights as they dance in neon colours across the sky.
From left to right, here’s are some famed landmarks you can spot from Sky Lagoon.
Keilir
Furthest to the left you’ll spot Keilir. A mountain so perfectly triangle-shaped that it looks like one of those mountains you drew as a kid—and this is actually where the name comes from as Keilir means cone. Sailors have been using Keilir for navigation for centuries.
Fagradalsfjall
The world has been watching Fagradalsfjall recently as it began erupting after being dormant for more than 6,000 years. Currently, Sky Lagoon has a safe, front-row seat to the eruption, as you can see the smoke pillars rising in the distance from the volcano.
Bessastaðir
This historic property is an ancient manor farm that dates back to the Age of Settlement. It is now the official residence of the President of Iceland and is made up of a variety of buildings including a reception room, a service wing and a church. From Sky Lagoon you can see the group of official buildings, from the President’s Residence to the towering church, all of which are painted white with red roofs, so they are easy to spot against the green of the countryside.
Fun fact: Our Cold Plunge is inspired by the natural pool Snorralaug in Reykholt, which was owned by the great Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson who lived at Bessastaðir at one time. (Sturluson named the farm after his father-in-law, Bessi.) You can enjoy our house beer Snorri, named after the one and only, fresh from the Lagoon bar while looking over his previous residence.
Snæfellsjökull glacier
On a clear day you cannot miss the towering 700,000-year-old Snæfellsjökull glacier peacefully sitting at the next peninsula. It is a stratovolcano, which means that it is a glacial ice cap located right on top of a volcano. There are only a few things in life as mesmerizing as the sun setting behind Snæfellsjökull. Locals will often walk down to the seaside to watch as the glacier basks in the colourful skies, which truly highlights its beauty and emphasizes the closeness we have to powerful natural sources.
People from all over the world have been admiring the glacier volcano for decades primarily due to the 1864 novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by French novelist Jules Verne, in which the protagonists find an entrance leading to the centre of the earth through the mighty Snæfellsjökull.
Wildlife
The wildlife at sea is colourful around Sky Lagoon and you can easily lose track of time admiring the birds flying around. Some of the more common ones are the black and white Brant, the red-eyed oystercatcher, tiny sandpiper, Arctic terns and the robust Cormorant that frequently dives deep down to catch surprisingly large fish.
If you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a seal or two—Sky Lagoon is in the town of Kópavogur, also known as “seal pup bay.”
