The Cheese Tub, or Ostakarið in Icelandic, has been well known in Húsavík for the last years and was a very popular touristic attraction. Naturally hot mineral rich water streamed from a borehole directly into the tub.
The Cheese Tub has been closed in 2018 and is not open to the public anymore. Instead the new GeoSea sea bath has been opened where one can enjoy exactly the same geothermal sea water out of the same borehole.
Wondering where the unusual name comes from?
In the late 80’s people were drilling for potable water to use for the inhabitants of Húsavík. By coincidence two boreholes brought hot, mineral rich seawater to the surface that was completely not suitable for this purpose. However, the potential of free hot water streaming out of the earth was more than obvious so a stainless steel tub was found to collect the water in 1992. This steel tub had been used in a creamery for the production of cheese- hence the name Cheese Tub.
Throughout the years the Ostakarið has grown in popularity among locals and tourists, not the least because of its healing effect on psoriasis and other epidermic diseases. In the past years the demand grew to strong and the small provisional facility was barely able to cope with the rush of up to several hundred people daily. This was the time when the idea for GeoSea sea bath was born. Now guests can enjoy exactly the same water with an even better view in a modern facility.