Pool Etiquette in Iceland

Before entering any public pool in Iceland you shower without a swimsuit, from Reykjavík's largest facilities to the smallest village pool.

It is a hygiene rule, not a cultural performance. When people skip a proper wash, chlorine reacts with sweat, oils and cosmetics to form chloramines: the compounds behind red eyes, irritation and that strong "pool smell". Because everyone here washes thoroughly, the pools can use far less chlorine. Soap only reaches skin properly when there is no swimsuit in the way.

Staff may occasionally check that visitors have washed. If someone skips it, they are politely asked to go back. It is a brief, routine exchange, not a confrontation.

Changing areas and showers are always separated by gender. You will not be showering in front of the opposite sex. These are practical spaces, not social ones. Most people wash quickly and move on.

Phones are not allowed in changing rooms or shower areas. This is strictly enforced. Nobody is going to photograph you. Leave your phone in your locker.

Every pool is designed a little differently, but the logic is identical everywhere. The room has two zones with a clear line between them.

The space moves you in one direction: door → shoes off → locker → undress → shower → swimsuit → pool, and the same path in reverse on the way out.

• Outdoor shoes stay out of the changing area. Street shoes track grit into a barefoot space, and that is the one thing that genuinely bothers people
• Leave your main towel outside the showers, on a hook or bench, or on the hooks by the pool
• You go in dry and undressed, and come out in your swimsuit. That is the whole reason the two zones exist
• If you are unsure, follow someone. The flow is obvious once you have watched it once

Staff at the front desk are used to first-time visitors. "It's my first time, where do I start?" is a completely normal question here.

You are allowed to feel uncomfortable about this. Many visitors do, including people who travel constantly. It is not being difficult, it is simply unfamiliar.

• Carry a towel or robe between the locker and the shower, and set it nearby while you wash
• Go at quieter hours: early morning or mid-afternoon on a weekday
• Choose a smaller neighbourhood pool for the first visit. Calmer, and far less crowded
• Everyone in that room has done this hundreds of times. It is as ordinary as washing your hands

Most people say afterwards that it was much less awkward than expected. The anticipation is harder than the experience.

If you are worried about how your body looks, whether it is scars, stretch marks, surgical marks, skin conditions, weight, tattoos or anything else: nobody is looking at you with judgment.

Icelanders grow up showering communally from the age of six. Every body type, every age and every shape passes through these changing rooms daily. It is genuinely unremarkable here.

You do not need to look a certain way to belong in this space. You just need to show up and wash.

Post-surgery visitors: with recent surgical scars, ostomy bags or medical devices, Icelandic pools are some of the most matter-of-fact environments you will find. If you want a private changing space, call the pool ahead. Staff are used to accommodating all needs.

Icelandic pools have men's and women's changing rooms, communal showers and a nude shower rule. If you are trans, non-binary or intersex, that stack of rules can turn a relaxing afternoon into a calculation. You are allowed to feel that.

The legal position. Iceland's Gender Autonomy Act (lög um kynrænt sjálfræði, 2019) lets people legally change their gender registration by self-declaration, with no surgery, diagnosis or medical gatekeeping, and it recognises a neutral marker (X). In practice you use the changing room that matches your gender. Staff are not checking anyone's documents at the door.

The honest reality. Good law does not mean every changing room feels comfortable, and it does not mean nobody ever stares. Icelandic pool culture is genuinely matter-of-fact about bodies, but it is still a communal room. What most trans visitors tell us they want is not permission, it is a private option and no conversation about it.

Binders, packers and swimwear. Chest binders should not be worn in hot water: they restrict breathing, and pots at 38°C to 44°C make that worse. A swim top, rash guard or swim shirt is fine in the pool and nobody will comment. Prosthetics and packers are personal, but the shower is nude and communal unless you use a cubicle. Swimwear must be worn in the pool itself.

If something happens. Harassment is rare and it is not tolerated. Pool staff have authority over the whole facility and will act. Speak to the front desk. Samtökin '78, Iceland's national queer organisation in Reykjavík, offers counselling and advice to visitors as well as residents.

More on travelling here as an LGBTQ+ visitor on the Inclusion and safety page →

Several pools offer private alternatives. You do not need to give a reason. Just ask at reception.

• Sundhöllin (Reykjavík): private shower cubicles in the renovated changing rooms. The most privacy-friendly public pool
• Laugardalslaug (Reykjavík): private accessible changing room with its own shower, available to anyone who asks
• Árbæjarlaug (Reykjavík): individual changing cubicles
• Sky Lagoon: a "Sér" package with a private changing suite
• Blue Lagoon: premium packages include private changing facilities

Who uses them? People with disabilities, religious requirements, gender identity needs, post-surgery recovery, parents with young children of a different gender, or anyone who simply prefers privacy. No explanation needed.

Laugardalslaug in Reykjavík is the most accessible pool in Iceland: lifts into the pool, wheelchair-accessible hot tubs and steam room, a private accessible changing room, and discounted entry for disabled visitors and companions. Smaller pools vary, so always call ahead.

Full pool, Blue Lagoon, taxi, hotel and sensory accessibility information on the Accessibility page →

For teenagers the communal shower can bring up real self-consciousness. That is completely normal. If yours is hesitant, do not push it. Instead:

• Explain the routine in advance. Knowing what happens removes the surprise
• Visit a smaller pool first. Vesturbæjarlaug or Sundhöllin are calmer than Laugardalslaug
• Go off-peak when fewer people are around

Most find it unremarkable after the first time. And if they would rather skip the pool entirely, that is a valid choice too.

Nearly every town in Iceland has a public pool. These are not luxury spas. They are community spaces, and they are wonderful.

• Vesturbæjarlaug (Reykjavík): small, neighbourhood feel, perfect for a first visit
• Sundhöllin (Reykjavík): central, recently renovated, rooftop hot pot with a view. Private shower cubicles available
• Laugardalslaug (Reykjavík): the biggest, with slides, a large lap pool and the best accessibility. Great for families
• Hofsós (North): an infinity pool overlooking Skagafjörður. One of the most photographed pools in Iceland
• Seljavallalaug (South): built in 1923, tucked into a valley near Eyjafjallajökull. Free, geothermally fed, a 15-minute walk from the road
• Sundlaug Akureyrar (Akureyri): waterslides, hot pots and a steam bath in the capital of the North
• Krossneslaug (Westfjords): one of the most remote pools in Iceland, right on the ocean's edge
• Sundlaug Seyðisfjarðar (East): a small-town pool in one of Iceland's most charming fjord villages
• Sundmiðstöð Reykjanesbæjar (near Keflavík): 10 minutes from the airport. Perfect for a layover
• Laugarskarð (Hveragerði): a local favourite in the geothermal town, genuinely off the tourist track

Tip: the smaller the town, the more local the experience. Village pools are where you sit next to someone in a hot pot and get a nod and a conversation about the weather. Entry is usually under 1,000 ISK.

Both require the pre-swim wash, and both are worth experiencing. If you want to understand how Icelanders actually live, visit a public pool. It often costs less than a coffee in Reykjavík.