It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of hot water in Icelandic society. The country is effectively run by hot and cold water. Hot being that lovely steamy water that is drilled out of the ground like the rest of us drill for oil. They run power plants on this stuff, pipe it around the country for their hot water and heating needs, and fill swimming pools with it. They even heat some of the sidewalks to keep them ice free in the winter. In fact they have created a pool next to the ocean and mix this hot water with ocean water giving an area of beach that is warm enough to swim in. The ocean is much too cold to swim in at any time of the year.
Along with all this wonderfully hot water filling more public swimming pools per capita than anywhere, they prefer to not over chlorinate. They also prefer their pools outdoors and believe that an outdoor pool with low chlorine water is healthier than an indoor pool and the hot and smelly air that goes with it. But to achieve this state of bliss they have strictly enforced hygiene rules. You must take a thorough shower with your bathing suit off. Thorough meaning all your body parts. And this is where some tourists get shy and as such miss out on one of the best parts of Iceland. It is also one of the few really cheap activities in an otherwise very expensive country. But no worries, the locals aren’t peeking and don’t care about naked bodies in the shower. So clean those nasty bits and take a dip in the hot pots and pools.
[...] Icelander loves his/her swimming pool. Mostly outdoor pools, little or no chlorine (please wash yourself), heated by the geothermal goodness beneath their feet. A hot day that we might consider a swim is [...]