A VISIT TO ICELAND PART IV: HVAMMSVIK HOT SPRINGS

 

If you travel to Iceland in the fall, when nature tests your endurance to the limits, it will likely be a scary drive to the Hvammsvik hot springs, especially if you travel by night when the roads are dark and the wind is crushing. But the rugged journey makes the arrival to the soothing warm watering of the gurgling pool all the more soothing.

Built around Hvalfjardarlaug, which had delighted Icelanders for many years, Hvammsvik is Iceland’s newest hot spring but it is a perfect marriage of the gifts of nature (the meeting of the two tectonic plates beneath Iceland and the waves of the Atlantic) and the ingenuity of the locals.

When I first arrived at Hvammsvik I was greeted by a modern wooden building housing, the interior of which resembled a hotel lobby. I often wonder how the employees of such remote places manage their commute. If the drive was fearful for me, I can’t imagine them doing it almost every day. But in true Icelandic fashion I was greeted by a chipper team.

You are then sent to a changing room in which guests are required to shower before entering the hot springs. The surprise, however, lies just outside of the changing room.

Once you have showered an undressed your next step is a brief but shocking walk in the frigid arctic air. I could not get into the pool fast enough, but when I did the warmth and soothing salty waters more than compensated for the freezing jolt. The steamy waters caress your skin and calm your heart, while cleansing you almost down to your bones.

It is easy to spend at least a few hours in Hvammsvik hot springs, the waiters of the resort serving you drinks from the patio door while the water acts as strong a shield from the winds as any overcoat or blanket. Of course, when you do leave the pool the walk back to the changing room is felt all the more…

Hvammsvik is a tribute to Iceland’s responsible and respectful use of the land to create something wonderful. True to the nation’s spirit it gives a healthy marriage to its natural resources and human creativity. In a nation filled with natural wonders that awe the visitor, Hvammsvik is where it nature takes us into her arms.

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