A geothermal lagoon beside a grass roof.

Laugarás Lagoon welcomed its first guests on 15 October 2025, in the small village of Laugarás on the banks of the Hvítá river in South Iceland. In Icelandic, laug means a warm spring or bath. The lagoon makes the most of that heat, and it adds something most Icelandic lagoons lack: a building with a curved, grass-covered timber roof.

It is easy to picture the hot spring itself under a grass roof, but that isn’t quite how it works. According to the architects, the “grass tent” covers the two-storey building that holds the reception, restaurant, changing rooms and spa. The lagoon itself is outside and drops down the riverbank, and openings cut into the roof frame views of the pools.

The idea

The architecture is by T.ark Architects, with engineering by Efla and lighting by Hildiberg. Mannverk developed and built the project, on a plot bought by the property company Norverk in 2015. Industry reporting puts the construction budget at around ISK 2 billion.

The roof refers to Iceland’s traditional turf houses. Design press has also linked it to the region’s hand-carved cave dwellings and farmed landscapes. The team says it drew on Roman and Japanese bathing principles too. Underneath the grass is a glue-laminated timber structure, and the large curved openings frame the river, the mountains and the trees. Locally sourced timber is used inside and out.

The building stays low and green, and the lagoon is the main event.

What you actually do at Laugarás Lagoon

The lagoon covers about 1,000 square metres on two levels. Water in the main pools is kept at 37 to 39°C. You move from the upper pool to the lower one through an underwater passage that comes out through a 6.6-metre waterfall. Afar reported this as the first waterfall to be combined with a geothermal pool. We can’t confirm that claim independently.

Other features include:

• Two swim-up bars in the main lagoon
• A forest pool in a clearing among the trees, warmer at 39 to 40°C
• A cold plunge filled with glacial water from the Hvítá, at 5 to 10°C
• Dry and wet saunas at the edge of the forest
• A grotto with a steaming dipping pool and seating among boulders

The operators haven’t named the specific geothermal source that heats the lagoon. Their materials refer more generally to Iceland’s geothermal energy and the village’s thermal waters.

Lunch and dinner are at Ylja, the on-site restaurant led by Icelandic chef Gísli Matthías Auðunsson. The menu uses produce from South Iceland, including from local farms and geothermal greenhouses. A lighter menu runs through the day, and a longer tasting dinner is served in the evening.

The space

Most Icelandic lagoons are about the water, and the building is secondary. Here the building has had real design attention: it is grass-covered, made of timber and set low against the slope. Reviewers have compared its arched shape to a pitched tent. The bathing complex is relatively compact, and the river, the forest pool and the grotto keep it from feeling like one large pool. Visit in winter and you may see the northern lights from the water, though no lagoon can promise that.

Who it’s for

It suits travellers doing the Golden Circle who want something quieter and better designed than a quick swim on the way between sights. The lagoon is about 27 minutes by car from Geysir and about 39 minutes from Gullfoss, so it fits easily into a day of driving. It also suits people who care about food, since a full meal at Ylja makes the visit worth the trip on its own. If you are staying overnight nearby, an evening slot followed by dinner is the calmer option. Check the official site for current opening hours before you plan the drive, especially in the darker months.

Good to know

• Where: Skálholtsvegur 1, 806 Selfoss, in the village of Laugarás on the Golden Circle.
• Getting there: About 80 minutes’ drive from Reykjavík and two hours from Keflavík airport, according to the lagoon.
• What to book: Packages range from basic lagoon entry to entry with a towel and drink, or entry with a day menu or dinner at Ylja.
• How to book: Online through the official Laugarás Lagoon website, which also lists current opening hours. The site shows prices in your local currency, so we haven’t quoted them here.
• Pack: Swimwear. Plan to keep the cold plunge short: the river water is between 5 and 10°C.

Why it matters for New York

Laugarás shows that the building can be part of the wellness experience, not just the container for it. Many of New York’s bathhouses are below ground, with little daylight. Laugarás uses the landscape, natural materials and a menu built around food from the region, all for the price of an afternoon visit.

Official website: laugaraslagoon.is