Hitulaug Ytri — 'Outer Hot Spring Pool' — is a geothermal hot spring or bathing pool in Iceland identified by its position as the outer or exterior pool in a group of related geothermal bathing facilities. Iceland's tradition of naming its hot springs and pools with directional and positional descriptors — inner, outer, upper, lower, eastern, western — reflects the practical approach Icelanders have always taken to navigating and managing their many geothermal resources. Hitulaug Ytri offers the warm, naturally mineralised geothermal water that defines the Icelandic hot spring experience in a characteristically unpretentious outdoor setting.
Insider tip — Hitulaug Ytri — Outer Hot Pool — is a natural geothermal spring in the sparsely populated northeastern interior, where low-temperature geothermal activity is widespread across the Tertiary basalt landscape. The pool is informally used by local residents and adventurous travellers who navigate the region's unsealed secondary roads. The northeast of Iceland sees far fewer foreign tourists than the Golden Circle or south coast, giving this spring a genuinely remote and unhurried atmosphere. Aurora displays in winter are spectacular in this area given the low light pollution across the highland plateau.
