ICENAVI STRANDIR BATH FIT
Are you buying a stretch of coast, or simply looking for a comfortable soak?
Only factors that can change the route are scored; water temperature and crowding are excluded because consistent data is not available.
Natural hot water flows into a pool beside the sea, with an open view across the North Atlantic; the setting itself is the reason to take Route 643.
The hot pots are beside the village’s main road, so they are easy to add after arrival or before dinner without taking a separate remote detour.
The Drangsnes seaside pools use a donation model; for Krossneslaug, count fuel, the long drive and a night’s accommodation together rather than comparing admission alone.
Drangsnes has a village pool and everyday services; Krossnes is a remote facility, so pack a towel, dry clothes and food before setting out.
Check Route 643 and the weather before driving to Krossnes; Drangsnes is near the main route and easier to keep in poor weather.
HólmavíkResupply and accommodation baseDrangsnesSeaside village poolsKrossneslaugKrossneslaug / towards the end of Route 643Choose the base before you choose the pool
From a Drangsnes base, the seaside hot pots add almost no route cost: park, carry your towel across the road, soak and walk back for dinner. That remains workable after a late arrival and keeps the evening close to village services. For the wider route, see Hólmavík and the gateway to Strandir; it separates the resupply stop from the point where a second night in the north starts to make sense.
North of Drangsnes, Route 643 leaves dense services behind. Krossneslaug’s position near Norðurfjörður is more than 100 kilometres from the nearest larger villages, according to the official tourism page. Treat it as the day’s destination, with fuel, dinner, daylight and a turn-back time written into the plan—not as a quick dip between other stops.
Krossnes is a route endpoint, not a quick swim
Krossnes offers the setting: a hillside behind you, the North Atlantic ahead and geothermal water entering a pool at the end of a remote road. There is no resort timetable to smooth over a delay, so fog, crosswinds and slow gravel-road sections take time from dinner and check-in first.
Give Krossnes a full Strandir day rather than attaching it to a half-day at the Djúpavík factory. Both are remote spurs, and waterfalls, coastline and parking delays still have to fit around them. The Djúpavík guide helps separate the factory and pool across days; a second night in the north may be the part that makes the route possible.
Drangsnes is the easy evening option
The seaside hot pots sit beside the village’s main road. Visit Westfjords describes them as free to use with donations, while the neighbouring public pool—built in 2005—adds swimming lanes, a steam room and a children’s pool. The choice is about facilities as much as scenery, so check opening hours and entry rules instead of treating the two venues as interchangeable.
Drangsnes also lets you check in and read the weather before committing. If rain strengthens, the village pool or a museum can replace the sea soak while the car stays near the accommodation. That flexibility matters on a one-night stay and leaves the five-day Westfjords route with room for a change.
If both are non-negotiable, budget the whole day
| Travel situation | More sensible main pool | Cost to reserve | How to handle the other stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heading north from Hólmavík with half a day | Drangsnes | Short transfer, changing and dinner | Leave Krossneslaug for a full day |
| Already staying two nights in the north with stable weather | Krossneslaug | Route 643 return drive, fuel and daylight | Do not force in a second pool on the way back |
| Travelling with children or needing more supplies | Drangsnes public pool / seaside hot pots | Opening hours, changing and walking within the village | Turn the remote spur into a coastal sightseeing drive |
| Want sea views without a long drive | Drangsnes | Weather window and time beside the pool | Do not trade 200 kilometres of driving for one photograph |
If both are non-negotiable, travel north to south: make Krossnes the fixed endpoint, then return to Drangsnes to finish. Leaving the remote pool until last pushes dinner, check-in and the longest return drive into the least forgiving part of the day. Keep Djúpavík out of the gap unless the whole day can absorb a dropped stop.
Keep your swimsuit where it is easiest to reach in the car, and leave your jacket and sandals by the door; putting damp swimwear back under cold jeans cools your mood faster than the drive. Drangsnes is where you can restock food and fuel, so complete supplies in the south before heading towards Krossnes. In the wind, keep your phone, car keys and towel in a bag that will not blow away beside the pool. Those details are the real difference between remote bathing and a town pool.
One workable schedule is to check in at Drangsnes, then allow forty-five to sixty minutes for the pools. If Krossneslaug is next day’s destination, check the roads and wind before breakfast and write the latest return time in your navigation notes. If the cloud drops low and the wipers need to run continuously, switch the remote pool for the village pool and a coastal walk, keeping dinner as planned. A comfortable trip needs a version you can complete without forcing it.
Season and weather decide how much road you can afford
Long summer daylight makes Krossnes’s remoteness easier to absorb; spring thaw and the first autumn storms can make gravel-road speeds unpredictable. In winter, if Route 643 or its spur is in poor condition, Drangsnes remains a useful base for bathing and finishing the day. Check Iceland road conditions before setting out, then confirm that your accommodation accepts late arrival. “The pool exists year-round” does not mean “you can definitely drive there today.”
There is no need to cancel the whole northern section just to complete a remote photo stop. Krossnes suits a slower route with accommodation moved north; Drangsnes suits a comfortable gap in the day. Both are good choices, but for entirely different reasons.
Related reading
Use the Djúpavík and Route 643 guide to decide whether the northern section works; if you are staying one night, revisit the Hólmavík accommodation base to clarify the return drive.
More reading
The five-day Westfjords route, road conditions guide and Iceland experiences hub carry the next route decision forward.
Q&A | How to choose between the two seaside bathing spots
Does Krossneslaug require a reservation?
It is a pool in a remote setting rather than a venue run through a large reservation system. Check current opening, road and payment arrangements before setting out, and bring a towel and dry clothes.
Do the Drangsnes seaside hot pots charge an entry fee?
Visit Westfjords describes them as free to use with donations. Follow the day’s local sign for whether a donation box is available and which payment methods it accepts.
Can you visit both pools on the same day?
In theory, yes. In practice, count both long drives, parking, changing and dinner. Without a full day and enough time to turn back early, choose one.
Which one should you choose in winter?
Start with Route 643 and the weather. When road conditions are uncertain, Drangsnes is easier to keep because it is close to village services; save Krossneslaug for a day with confirmed access and enough daylight.
References
- Visit Westfjords: Krossnes Swimming Pool (location, coordinates, distance and facilities).
- Visit Westfjords: Swimming in the Westfjords (the Drangsnes seaside hot pots and donation information).
- Visit Westfjords: Drangsnes Swimming Pool (public pool, steam room, children’s pool and location).
- OpenStreetMap (the base map for the location map).
- SafeTravel Iceland (road and weather checks before departure).