Hot water, straight from the earth. Iceland simply had the sense to get in.
In Iceland, they don’t heat the water. They just show up.
Long before spa culture had a marketing team, Icelanders were stepping into naturally heated pools rising straight out of the earth—no pumps, no planning, just volcanic luck and very good instincts.
Bathing here dates back to the settlement era (9th–10th centuries), when Norse settlers (aka Vikings) used hot springs for warmth, hygiene, and survival. There was no need to book a session; you found steam and stayed in it.
Naturally heated pools became essential infrastructure. People washed clothes, cooked food, and bathed in the same geothermal water—sometimes all in one place. Even Reykjavík’s Laugavegur—now a shopping street—literally means “wash road,” once leading to hot springs used for laundry.
"We are tough Vikings here... [but] we love relaxing in hot water..." ~ Aðalheiður Ósk Guðmundsdóttir, CEO of Vök Baths
An Accident, In the Best Way
By the 13th century, Icelanders were already upgrading the experience. Snorri Sturluson—poet, chieftain, and early adopter—built his own private geothermal bath, complete with a tunnel leading from his home. Sturluson understood this mastery of geoscience remarkably early.
Over time, the hot spring evolved from simply a spot to warm up into a place to gather, to talk, to pause. That hasn’t changed.
Then came scale.
In the 20th century, Iceland began harnessing geothermal energy across the country—heating homes, sidewalks, and public pools. There are now 200+ geothermal pools, many of which are naturally heated and open year-round.
And then, accidentally, came the spa.
The Blue Lagoon formed in the 1970s as runoff from a geothermal power plant. People stepped in anyway, then stayed longer than expected. Reports followed—skin conditions improving, particularly psoriasis. Word spread.
A byproduct became a destination.
"You're simmering in industrial waste... I tease." ~ Cameron Hewitt (Rick Steves Travel)
Still Part of the Ritual & Routine
Modern geothermal spas—from lava fields to ocean edges—lean into the same elements that have always been there. Open air. Mineral-rich water. Temperature contrast. Space to linger.
The rhythm holds: heat, immersion, cold air, stillness.
Minerals like silica and sulphur are known to support skin health and reduce inflammation. Warm water encourages circulation. Cold exposure sharpens it. Muscles release, breathing slows. The body recalibrates without needing much instruction.
Today, geothermal pools remain Iceland’s social core. Nearly 80% of adults visit regularly, folding it into daily life without ceremony. Hot water is part of daily life here, not reserved for special occasions. You go because it works. You stay because it feels good.
What Iceland understood early is still evident now: regular immersion changes how you move through the day.
And when the ground itself offers heat, getting in starts to feel less like a decision and more like common sense.
thermae eleven is Calgary’s first outdoor-only hydrotherapy spa. Open skies instead of ceilings, warm and cool pools instead of distractions, stillness instead of noise. Heat, cold, rest—reset—woven into every circuit. Sign up below for early access to experience our hydrotherapy thermal circuits first.
