Sports and recreation

Akranes offers diverse sports and recreation activities for all age groups. The sporting facilities in Akranes are very impressive and among the best in Iceland, and the town’s sports and recreation centres buzz with life from morning to evening.

Sports structures in Akranes

The Akranes Sports Centre is at Jaðarsbakki and includes the splendid multi-purpose Akranes stadium, a swimming pool, the town’s main arena and a gymnasium. There are numerous football fields at Jaðarsbakki which are in high demand over summer. The town’s primary schools have sports fields and there are outdoor areas, walking tracks and other options for healthy outdoor activity in many other places. For a long time the Gymnasium on Vesturgata served well as the town’s main sports gymnasium and was, for a time, one of the largest and best equipped gymnasiums in the country. Various activities take place there. Langisandur is a popular outdoor paradise, and indeed a walk along the sand corresponds to the recommended daily amount of exercise, though many gain extra health benefits by walking up Akrafjall Mountain.

The Sports Centre at Jaðarsbakki

The Sports Centre at Jaðarsbakki is the main sporting centre in Akranes. There is a gymnasium with a big sports hall and fitness centre and the town’s main swimming pool (Jaðarsbakkalaug). The town’s main football field is also there and the magnificent, multi-purpose sports stadium, Akraneshöll. Club and guest facilities are available for sports groups. The Akranes Sports Federation, Akranes Football Association and Akranes Swimming Association use the facilities at Jaðarsbakki and Grundaskóli’s sports education also takes place there.

The Sports Centre is open weekdays 6.15am – 9pm and on weekends 9am – 6pm. It is closed on major holidays.

The Sports Centre at Jaðarsbakki

Innnesvegur

300 Akranes

Phone: 433 1100

E-mail: sport@akranes.is.

Website: www.akranes.is

Swimming pools

There are two swimming pools in Akranes, one at Jaðarsbakki and the other, Bjarnalaug, an indoor pool at Laugarbraut 6. Both are used for primary school instruction and Akranes Swimming Club practice, along with swimming school and infant swimming.

Jaðarsbakki pool is a 25m outdoor pool where there are also 5 hot pots, a sauna and a waterslide. The pool is used by Grundaskóli for teaching, as well as by the Akranes Swimming Club for practice. Many swimming meets are held there annually, such the N1-meet. The pool is open weekdays 6.15am – 9pm and on weekends 9am - 6pm. It is closed on major holidays.

Bjarnalaug has a 12.5m indoor pool and a hot pot in the pool’s outdoor garden. Bjarnalaug is used for teaching by Brekkubæjarskóli, for infant swimming and for younger members of the Akranes Swimming Club to practise. In addition, various other groups practise water aerobics at the pool. Bjarnalaug is open to the public over winter (Sept-May) on weekdays 7-9am and on Saturdays 10am-1pm when the pool is heated to 34°C and is thus highly suitable for infant swimming, since it’s popular to take the youngest swimmers to the pool at this time.

Just for fun, it’s also possible to hire Bjarnalaug for various occasions such as birthdays, staff parties and so on for the excellent pool facilities and even a sound and light system if required.

Swimming pool at Jaðarsbakki

Innnesvegur

300 Akranes

Phone: 433 1100

E-mail: sport@akranes.is

Website: www.akranes.is

Bjarnalaug

Laugarbraut 6

300 Akranes

Phone: 431 1218

E-mail: sport@akranes.is

Website: www.akranes.is

The Gymnasium on Vesturgata

The sports hall at the gymnasium on Vesturgata is used for teaching by Brekkubæjarskóli and Vesturland Comprehensive High School at Akranes and for various kinds of training such as badminton, volleyball, karate, football, basketball and gymnastics. The hall also hosts competitions in these sports. There’s a fitness centre in the basement of the building with running machines, exercise bikes and stair steppers. It also has good facilities for body building and strength training such as dumbbells, bars and weights. There’s an aerobics room in the basement for practising various sports such as aerobics, dance, step aerobics, body pump, and karate.

The Gymnasium is open during winter from 7am-11pm weekdays and 9am-6pm on weekends.

The Gymnasium on Vesturgata

Vesturgata

300 Akranes

Phone: 431-2243

E-mail: sport@akranes.is

Website: www.akranes.is

The Sports Arena at Jaðarsbakki

The main sports arena for the peninsula is at Jaðarsbakki. The Skagamenn team has played home football matches on the field there for a long time with excellent results as the team’s numerous wins and titles demonstrate. Test matches also take place on the grounds each year, which are a lot of fun. The surroundings and view only serve to enhance the experience, with the field lying just about on the edge of Jaðarsbakki with Langasandur directly beneath. The arena has a grandstand measuring up to international standards, thus enabling it to host international contests.

Akranes Sports Arena

Jaðarsbakki

300 Akranes

Ph: 433 1100

E-mail: sport@akranes.is

Website: www.akranes.is

Akranes Stadium at Jaðarsbakki

The multi-purpose Akranes Stadium is part of the Town of Akranes Sports Centre at Jaðarsbakki. Akranes Stadium has a full-size football field with artificial turf and around the field is a synthetic track ideal for athletics and walking.

Akranes Stadium provides sports enthusiasts with unbeatable facilities for training and competition, and is in constant use from early in the morning until late at night most days of the year. Various groups regularly hold tournaments and participants often come from far and wide to compete.

Recreation for children and youth

As of January 2008 there are facilities at Þjóðbraut 1 for youth aged 13 – 25 such as facilities for holding concerts, games such as table tennis, pool and other wholesome leisure activities.

Activities will be advertised further at a later date.

Akranes Youth Work Programme

The Akranes Youth Work Programme operates over the summer months, i.e. June, July and August. Everyone in grades 8, 9 and 10 at schools in Akranes can apply for work with the Work Programme. Further information is available from the Town of Akranes website, www.akranes.is, or from the Programme Manager on ph. 431 4145.

Sports and social activities

Akranes has long enjoyed strong and diverse social activities and various country-wide organisations operate in Akranes.

ÍA is a sports association in Akranes with the following member societies:

Kári Football Association

Basketball

Skipaskagi Youth Association

Further information about ÍA activities can be found on the association’s website, www.ia.is, or by contacting an ÍA sports representative on ph. 431-1278.

Other associations active in Akranes include:

Akranes Scout Association

Akranes Search and Rescue Association

FEBAN - Akranes Senior Citizens Association

Skagaleikflokkurinn Drama Society

KFUM and KFUK

The Akranes Church has a strong congregation and Catholic mass is held regularly at the Akranes Hospital Chapel. The Pentecostal Church in town is also very active.