Fresh in Iceland: Blue Lagoon
/You may not know a whole lot about Iceland, but if you have access to Instagram or the internet, you definitely know about the Blue Lagoon. One of the 25 wonders of the world, it's a man-made lagoon that sits in a lava field and is fueled by its neighbor, a geothermal plant. The Blue Lagoon is about 20 minutes from Keflavik Airport and 50 mins. from Reykjavik - and it is definitely on my list of things you must do while in Iceland!
Some pro tips and random thoughts on the Lagoon:
You have to make a reservation ahead of time. My friend Sue described it as a "human zoo" on the weekends LOL. We chose to go on a Tuesday night at 6:00p.m. After the sun went down, it cleared out considerably and was almost only adults, so it was really nice and plenty spacious. They want everyone out of the water by 8:30p.m., but that was plenty of time for us to chill.
There are four price levels, and it's recommended you go with the Comfort or Premium. We went with Premium, which comes with a drink and sparkling wine from their restaurant LAVA, as well as a bathrobe, towel, and slippers.
The bathrobe was extremely clutch for the few seconds you went from the water back into the lagoon building. If you go with the Basic or Comfort levels, make sure to bring your own towel and slippers, and maybe your bathrobe if you can pack it!
The strawberry wine is bomb.
Jacob also booked us shuttle bus reservations, but when we decided to drive there instead, he got the run around from both the bus company and the Blue Lagoon. Both companies told us that the other company would have to process a refund (about $100) for him, even when he tried talking to several staff members while we were at the Lagoon. Maybe hospitality is an American expectation, but there wasn't any kind of concession being offered in place of refusing to refund our seats. They have thousands of tourists through there every day so I can see why they don't care, but it was still a shitty cloud on an otherwise pleasant Lagoon experience. Don't book the shuttle bus unless you know you need it!
Silica mud builds up on the rocks around the Lagoon, and that's collected every few days for lagoon visitors to use. Do the silica mud mask and the algae mask if that's included in your ticket level. I did it three times and my skin felt like a baby's for days afterward. It's said that the mineral-rich water and the silica mud can aid with skin problems like psoriasis.
I loved the steam rooms and saunas too. It's just nice to go through the different healing sensations of each, no matter what spa I'm at.
I'm not sure why this is, but we found that the warmest parts of the lagoon were often around garbage cans. You'll know what I mean when you're in it.
Iceland requires that you shower before entering hot springs and lagoons, and the Blue Lagoon is no exception!
There are lockers of all sizes to keep your valuables, and your luggage if you're coming straight from the airport.
They sell waterproof phone cases in case you absolutely need to have your phone at your side. I chose to take a few pics when we got there and then kept my phone in my locker the rest of the time.
Keep the conditioner in your hair, ladies. The salt from the lagoon water is not a game. I mean, I had beautiful beach waves and great texture, but running my fingers through my hair was not an option. After maybe a day, it just got really knotty and unmanageable. When I got back home to Seattle, I deep conditioned and did a hair mask to restore it back to normal.
If you're lucky, you might even see the Northern Lights while you're there at night!
Overall, the Blue Lagoon was a big Iceland highlight for me, despite it being a very popular tourist destination. The service level is nowhere near that of, say, Four Seasons Seattle or Alderbrook Resort, but I guess that's not what people go for. I'd welcome another visit, but am also looking forward to checking out other hot springs the next time we are in the country.
