Vök Baths on the shore

The reason most travellers pull over at Urriðavatn is Vök Baths, a design-led geothermal complex that opened in 2019. Created in collaboration between Reykjavík's Basalt Architects and Design Group Italia, its clean, low lines are meant to sit with the water and surrounding nature rather than dominate it, echoing long-standing Icelandic bathing traditions.↗

The signature experience is the floating pools on the lake itself — geothermal water held in platforms with infinity views out across the open water, so you soak in warmth while surrounded by the cold lake. On shore there are two hot pools, a sauna, and a cold-water spray tunnel for the classic hot-to-cold rhythm, plus a tea bar and an in-water pool bar where you can order a drink without leaving the warmth.↗

For something stronger than a tea, the on-site Vök Bistro serves seasonal dishes built on locally sourced ingredients, and a complimentary tisane brewed from the hot-spring water is included with admission. Taking a swim in the lake around the floating pools, hot and cold at once, is part of the fun.↗

Walking, fishing and quiet time

Away from the baths, Urriðavatn is a gentle lakeside outing. The shore and the points where the streams enter the water make pleasant ground to walk, and the lake is a straightforward fishery. Despite its name, which means brown-trout water, it now holds only Arctic char — typically around a pound, occasionally larger — and the best fishing is in spring once the ice has cleared, especially near the Hafralækur mouth and the lake's outflow.↗↗↗

Fishing is permitted across the whole lake from dawn to dusk, with all common baits — fly, worm and lure — allowed, and the area accepts the national Fishing Card (Veiðikortið). Permit holders register at the Urriðavatn farm; children under 14 fish free with an adult cardholder. Camping is not allowed on the lake shore, though permits are available nearby at Skipalækur by Lagarfljót.↗↗

If berries are your thing, the ground around the lake is known for good bilberry picking, an easy way to spend an autumn hour by the water.↗

Where it is and what to pair it with

Urriðavatn lies just northwest of Egilsstaðir — only a five-minute drive from the town centre — with the Ring Road (Route 1) and Route 925 running past it, and good access for ordinary cars. From Reykjavík it is roughly 650 kilometres, while Akureyri is about 260 kilometres to the west; a domestic flight puts Egilsstaðir just over an hour from the capital, making the lake a natural recovery stop after a long eastern stretch of driving.↗↗

The surrounding east offers a cluster of easy add-ons: the country's largest forest at Hallormsstaðaskógur, the Skriðuklaustur cultural site, the Snæfellsstofa visitor centre on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park, and the basalt-columned Stuðlagil canyon and Rjúkandi waterfall, which tour operators pair with a Vök Baths soak. That combination of wild scenery and a hot bath on a remote lake is what makes this corner of Iceland feel like its own quiet reward.↗

Planning your visit

Opening times for the baths shift with the seasons — generally longer daytime hours in summer (mid-June to mid-September, roughly 10:00 to 23:00) and a shorter evening window in winter (mid-September to mid-June, around 12:00 to 22:00), with the bistro on a more limited schedule. Prices and hours change, so it is worth checking the official site before you go; guests can usually stay in the pools until shortly before closing.↗

A few practical notes: swimming costumes and towels can be rented on site, you are given a wristband at check-in that opens your locker and pays for anything at the in-water bar, and booking a bistro table in advance is recommended at busier times. The whole site is built to be enjoyed at a slow pace — let the hot-and-cold circuit, the view over the lake and a long drink at the pool bar stretch your visit out.↗

If you are fishing rather than bathing, remember the ground rules the area asks of visitors: no littering and no driving off-road, and register at the farm before you start. Treated gently, Urriðavatn stays exactly what it is — a small eastern lake with an improbable warmth rising from its floor.↗↗