The Blue Lagoon is one of the most popular tourist attraction in Iceland. Bathe in the milky blue waters of the lagoon or enjoy a superb spa treatment.
A trip through Iceland can be pretty rough. The wilderness is unique, the scenery is so beautiful the eyes can hardly deal with it and even experienced explorers have to fight with the variety of natural scenes. After weeks or even days of travelling through the island and discovering lost places which have never been touched by humans before, you might want to lay down, close your eyes and relax. But your time in Iceland is precious: Chances are, that your flight back to your daily routine is coming closer, so you do not want to waste your hours. A common spa is not an option and staying in the hotel room is a misuse of your time, as you want do not want to settle for something less than adventurous.
If so, there may be a opportunity for you to combine relaxation with adventure, wilderness with comfort and natural landmarks with human hobbies. How about you take a bath in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.
Geothermal spa in Iceland
As a so-called geothermal spa, the Blue Lagoon is a popular location for both tourists and Icelandic inhabitants to come together and to just relax in a scenery which could not be more beautiful. Thanks to a hot spring underground, which is used for creating energy by a power plant nearby, the water of the Lagoon is heated. Of course, you cannot go into water which is hundreds of degrees Celsius hot, which is why some cold water is added.
But you will most definitely not be cold, as the water is approximately 38° Celsius warm, which is the temperature of a hot bath. This combination of man made lagoon and natural resources makes the Blue Lagoon to a sight which may be unique in the world and one of the most famous tourist attractions in Iceland. But you do not have to fear masses of tourists, as the are of the geothermal spa is relatively large.
Not only is the Blue Lagoon known for the opportunity to relax after hard days of travelling, but it offers even more. The chemical structure of the water, which is also responsible for colouring the water in a nice, blue colours, is also said to have healthy ingredients. Especially skin diseases are treated with the sulphur and silica in the water. The mud in there is also advertised to help with healing these ailments faster.
How to get to the Blue Lagoon
As part of the west coast of Iceland, the Blue Lagoon is situated nearby the Keflavik airport. Many tourists come directly from their flight to the Blue Lagoon to relax after an exhausting journey. As the airport is also not far off of the capital Reykjavik, even when you are staying in a hotel you can fit a relaxing bath in your schedule in the evening. You need approximately 50 minutes to go by car from Reykjavik to the Blue Lagoon. Otherwise, you could link your visit of the geothermal spa with another part of your journey! Ask our team and we can help you to find the best way to combine the Blue Lagoon and other parts of your Iceland Jeep Tour.
The history of the Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is not natural, but a man-made lagoon. In fact, the Blue Lagoon’s history dates back to 1976 when the lagoon formed next to a geothermal power plant, by excess water from the power plant. The runoff is filtered straight into the Blue Lagoon, which is what heats the water. In fact, the Blue Lagoon is a weird but completely safe environmental accident. The water is clean and doesn’t contain any chemicals that might be bad for you, only natural minerals. Many of which have proven to have beneficial effect on people’s skin.
In 1981, a young man named Valgeir Margeirsson decided to try to swim in the Lagoon. He got a permission from the chairman of the plant and gave it a try. He suffered Psoriasis and was stunned to discover that bathing in the blue waters did wonders to his skin. He was also the first one to give name to the Blue Lagoon.
The first public bathing facilities opened six years later, in 1987, and at first, the facility was mostly used by people with skin problems. But Icelanders have a rich bathing culture and soon the locals flocked to this new bathing location.
Blue Lagoon Opening hours
Season | Opening hours |
1 Jan – 25 May | 8:00 – 22:00 |
26 May – 29 Jun | 7:00 – 23:00 |
30 Jun – 20 Aug | 7:00 – 00:00 |
21 Aug – 1 Oct | 8:00 – 22:00 |
2 Oct – 31 Dec* | 8:00 – 20:00 |
Blue Lagoon Standard Ticket
Four different tickets are available. A standard ticket costs 5.400 isk., Comfort ticket 7.400 isk, Premium 9.500 isk and Luxury ticket cost 53.000 isk. See bluelagoon.is for further information.