So you’ve come to Iceland intent on sampling its renowned pool culture, but find the Blue Lagoon a bit touristy and the Laugardalslaug a bit hectic. You need something off the beaten track, something wild, something enticing, something to make you feel like you’ve landed in a sci-fi movie from the ’30’s. You need Lýsuhóll.
Also known as “the mud puddle,” it’s located on the glorious Snæfellsnes peninsula, just two hours from Reykjavík by car.
Lýsuhóll is the name of a regional school and farm, but the area is best known for its extraordinarily slimy swimming pool. It’s warm – deliciously warm – and soothing… as long as you don’t mind the thick layer of slime on the bottom, the green algae lining the sides, or the little bits of yellow foam floating on the surface of the water.
Sound a tad unhealthy? Au contraire! The pool is actually filled with warm mineral water that comes straight out of the ground and supposedly has all manner of healing properties. The slimy alga also does wonders for your skin – particularly for those with psoriasis and eczema and suchlike. Indeed, it is such a remarkably healthy concoction that the Lýsuhóll pool is never cleaned – the warm mineral water with the healing properties is just allowed to run through it without stopping. Hence the slime.
So go ahead – take a dip. We can assure you that nobody has ever gotten sick from mucking about in all that slime. And if nothing else, a leisurely float in the Lýsuhóll pool will make for an excellent story at your next dinner party.
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