Bláa Lónið – Blue Lagoon

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The path leads along picturesque roads through rugged lava landscapes to Bláa Lónið – the blue lagoon. The pool of the thermal outdoor pool near Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula is fed by volcanic water, which, after being used in a geothermal power plant and mixed with sea water to a pleasant 38°C, invites you to relax. The mineral-rich water has a milky white, almost bluish color and sometimes smells a bit sulphurous. With healthy smoothies in your hand, you can relax very well, so that time flies and you can wash away all the stress in the world for a short time.

The trail of history

The Bláa Lónið owes its existence to the Svartsengi geothermal power plant, which draws its energy from hot water that comes from a depth of 1,982 meters at a temperature of over 200°C. Replenishment is provided by seawater, which penetrates through cracks in the earth’s crust and is heated at depth. The energy of this water is used through heat exchangers to operate a steam power plant with 76.5 MW of electrical output; another part of the power plant produces district heating for the neighboring city of Grindavik. The condensed steam, which contains a lot of minerals, is led into a sink, but this wastewater contains so many minerals that they clog the lava rock, which is actually very porous. The silicates contained in this wastewater cause the special milky blue color. Huge puddles of warm water initially formed near the power plant.
Locals soon began using this wastewater lake for swimming, and the water’s healing properties for skin diseases such as psoriasis were discovered. As a result, the thermal bath was built and opened to the public.

The lagoon was eventually scientifically explored and in 1992 gave birth to Blue Lagoon Limited, a company dedicated to the research and development of water’s most important elements: silica, algae and minerals.
After three years of research, the healing effects of geothermal sea water and the minerals it contained were proven and the first bathing facility opened in 1999.
In 2012, the Blue Lagoon was named one of 25 Wonders of the World by National Geographic, which suddenly turned the former local curiosity of bathing in power plant wastewater into a tourist magnet. Many people will be familiar with the images from social media, especially Instagram.

Useful information

Due to its popularity with guests coming either to or from the airport, luggage storage, which can accommodate suitcases and bags of all sizes, is located in the so-called Service Center right next to the main parking lot.

Some have concerns about the cleanliness of the facility, which we were unable to understand during our visit. The changing rooms and showers were kept very clean and all the water is also changed every 40 hours.

The Blue Lagoon is open all year round and the current opening times can be found on the official homepage (very far down). Entry can be paid either online or directly on site, although booking in advance is recommended due to the limited number of tickets per day and high demand at any time of the year. When entering, every bather receives a wristband with a chip, which is used to bill for other services and to lock the lockers.

Of course, there is also a shop at the Blue Lagoon with very expensive skin care products and other souvenirs.

How to get there?

There is a huge free parking lot in front of the Blue Lagoon. Reykjavik is about 50 kilometers away and the airport in Keflavík about 25 kilometers away and can be reached quickly and easily with one of the best roads in Iceland.

There are hourly bus transfers to and from Reykjavík and Keflavík International Airport. The bus transfers can already be booked with the admission ticket.

Since the Blue Lagoon is an absolute tourist attraction, there are numerous tour offers starting from Reykjavik. Many cruise ships also organize excursions, often with a stop at the Krýsuvík geothermal area.

Conclusion:

It is a special experience to bathe in the mineral-rich bluish water of the Blue Lagoon. Many additional services such as face masks made from the minerals or healthy smoothies make the visit even more pleasant and ensure a deep feeling of relaxation. Less pleasant are the many tourists who use their smartphones to search for the perfect picture in the water, although this is somewhat limited by the limited number of tickets per day. We always found a quiet place when we visited.