If I can make one recommendation for your trip to Iceland, it’s to hit the Blue Lagoon as soon as you exit the plane! After an overnight flight, nothing has ever felt better to me than falling in to the warm embrace of the 100 degree Celsius waters in the Blue Lagoon.
Yes this is my HELLO ICELAND I’m here pose as I take in the first of the bizarre ever changing landscape that would fascinate and delight for the next week.
After picking up our little Yaris, we took off to being learning how to navigate Iceland. Luckily, it’s just a short 30 minutes to the Lagoon which meant my less than fully alert brain didn’t need to think too much! There is one main road out of the airport and following it will give you signs straight to this oasis.
Driving up to the Blue Lagoon, you’ll already be whisking out the camera to capture a landscape that defies logic. It looks like lava, but it’s covered in brilliant emerald green moss…you’d think the Wizard of Oz stopped by to pump up the color!
Blue Lagoon
The geothermal spa is fed by seawater 6,500 feet beneath the surface and for many is your first introduction to the water that heats nearly all of Iceland! They make most of 99% power from these amazing geothermal waters. As the water emerges through the ground is picks up amazing minerals, algae and silica, resulting in the perfect 100 degree Fahrenheit pools at the Blue Lagoon.
While they like to promote it is as a natural wonder, that’s like calling breast implants “real boobs”.
It was created after people began bathing in the run-off from the Svartsengi power plant, which pumps up the geothermally heated water from a full mile below the surface. After being used to generate both heat and electricity, the excess (which is absolutely clean) is ejected into the lagoon.
Once word got out, I supposed by sheep carrier prior to social media, everyone wanted a piece of the waters that were making skin look beautiful and refreshed.
Now a trip to the Lagoon involves not only soaking in the waters, but a steam room built in to a cave (which David loved, but looked like a scary Hobit hole to me), saunas, waterfalls and of course the in famous silica mud mask.
Boxes of silica are placed around the Blue Lagoon and at any given point you’ll see clumps of people walking around with their face gooped up in a thick white substance.
It might not be the fountain of youth, but I was certainly willing to test out this gift from the Earth! Of course without a mirror, it’s hard to say if you’ve really covered your face or not, so it was an educated guess.
Algea is rejuvenating
Silica is strengthening
Minerals are revitalizing
All together the result is healthier and glowy skin. Psorasis suffers have sworn it healed them and for the rest of us, we just get to show our bathroom face to the world for a few minutes.
A few other notes because let’s be honest these were questions I had too!!
No nudity here, you must wear a swimsuit (talk about easing David’s mind, he’s still not over that first experience of nudes in the spa in Germany).
You’ll have a locker and wear a bracelet for anything you need from a drink to food to well accessing your locker.
The Lagoon is fairly large and it’s easy to spend a few hours soaking, enjoying the different areas.
[bctt tweet=”Need to warm up? Checkout this #travel story about the Blue Lagoon in #iceland via @runtothefinish”]It’s not deep! In fact, in most places I was doing a weird squat walk to keep my whole body in the water and at most standing it was waist deep. Now for you shorter folks maybe up to the chest at most.
FINAL TIPS
- Go early to avoid the crowds
- Watch the video on their site about how to enter
- Get at least the Comfort package or you won’t have a towel (unless you bizarrely packed one)
- You can check your luggage prior to walking back to the lagoon
- Take a waterproof camera
- Plan for at least a few hours
Are you a fan of hot tub soaks?
Have you ever been to a geothermal pool?
READ MORE
Reykjavik Off the Beaten Path
Driving the Golden Circle Day 1: Snowmobiling
Driving the Golden Circle Day 2: Geyser’s and Waterfalls
Iceland Overview: The Land of Fire and Ice
Iceland Volcano Hike to Fimmvörðuháls
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