Natural thermal pools are the best! At Travel Made Me Do It, we have explored many different geothermal sites. Having a swim in a natural warm pool is certainly a cool experience. In South America, we were lucky enough to visit several thermal pools. We saw them in the Atacama Desert at El Tatio Geyser. Additionally, the Uyuni Salt Flats tour we did in Bolivia had such pools. Also in New Zealand, there are numerous geothermal hot spots on the North Island. Thus, there are many thermal pools there. However, when visiting these sites, make sure to pack appropriate swimwear. Often, other people missed out on enjoying them as they had forgot to pack their swimsuit. Furthermore, you should check out our Ultimate Packing Checklist to make sue you don’t forget anything for your next trip.
Perhaps the country with the most thermal pools per capita would be Iceland. We swam in many Icelandic natural pools. Our Iceland itinerary was often built around visiting them. For instance, we hiked a small trail known as Reykjadular. The trail led to an amazing set of warm pools. They are easy to visit located just outside of Reykjavik. In fact, thermal pools are everywhere! Of course there is the Blue Lagoon. But it’s very touristy and expensive. We think, the hands down best geothermal pools in Iceland are in Landmannalaugar. We hiked some amazing trails around that area. After a day of hiking, we finished with a soak in the thermal pools there. What a way to finish the day. Very relaxing! Read our Landmannalaugar hiking guide for more information.