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The famous Blue Lagoon of Iceland

September 21, 2011 By James Clark 13 Comments

Blue Lagoon
[Blue Lagoon]

I have a natural resistance to anything that is said to be a must see. When visiting Iceland< you will hear this said about the Blue Lagoon. There is no escaping it. There are brochures and advertising everywhere, and the thought of not going makes you feel like you haven’t been to Iceland until you have been to the Blue Lagoon. I went – of course – and after visiting I am going to join the chorus and say, if you are ever in Iceland you must visit the Blue Lagoon.

The Blue Lagoon is in Southwest Iceland, not far from the international airport. The most striking feature of this part of Iceland is the undulating lava plains that make up this region. Upon arrival at the spa you walk through a path carved through the lava plain.

Blue Lagoon entrance through lava field
[Blue Lagoon entrance through lava field]

The lagoon water is a natural mix of sea and fresh water and contains minerals, silica and algae which gives the water its distinct blue colour.

Blue Lagoon in the lava field
[Blue Lagoon in the lava field]

While the water is natural, the lagoon is man made, with the water having first passed through a nearby geothermal power station, which uses the water to produce clean energy.

Blue Lagoon Power Plant
[Blue Lagoon Power Plant]

Around the lagoon there are buckets of silica mud which you can help yourself to and apply to your face.

Blue Lagoon bathrobes
[Blue Lagoon bathrobes]

When you enter the spa you get an electronic bracelet, which is the key to your locker as well as a water proof wallet. You can use it to buy drinks at the lagoon bar and the restaurant.

Blue Lagoon Bar
[Blue Lagoon Bar]

The Blue Lagoon is 20 minutes away from the the Keflavík International Airport and 40 minutes away from Reykjavik. There are well-planned tours that run from the airport, so if you are on a layover with a few hours to spare you can take a trip out to the Lagoon between flights.

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: blue lagoon, iceland

About James Clark

James Clark is the founder of Nomadic Notes. He has been a digital nomad since 2003, and Nomadic Notes features trip reports, train travel articles, and where to stay guides. He writes about transport and urban development at Future Southeast Asia. Subscribe to the weekly travel newsletter.

Comments

  1. Angela says

    September 24, 2011 at 10:19 am

    Oh my God, I so want to go there, I would soak for hours..

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      September 24, 2011 at 1:35 pm

      It was hard to get out of the water, and not just because it was cold outside.

      Reply
  2. Jason says

    October 8, 2011 at 2:05 am

    Hey James, I’m kinda with you when you have a natural resistance to anything that’s regarded as a must see, but I suppose somethings a mega touristy for a reason. Some sights, and or places are just so darn special you’d be a fool to miss them, even if you have to deal with the hoards.

    I’ve never made it to Iceland, although it’s on this list, but I will make a trip to the blue lagoon. I really like the third picture down, with the people just standing in the mist. Safe travels…

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      October 9, 2011 at 6:49 pm

      Thanks Jason, it was amazing to just stand around and watch others stand around as well. It’s definitely not the kind of pool for doing laps!

      Reply
  3. Flipnomad says

    October 10, 2011 at 4:32 am

    wow i never thought that it’s man made… ive seen a lot of pictures and it really looks interesting and the water looks inviting… i could also stay there for hours! 

    Reply
  4. andy.wy.tam says

    October 11, 2011 at 4:36 am

    I was just there last week!!!
    It was beautiful and relaxing.

    Check out my video montage on Youtube for footage from Iceland and the Blue Lagoon!!!

    Reply
  5. Daniel Stevens says

    October 23, 2011 at 11:16 am

    Oh wow, this looks incredible, and i love the idea of a bar as well. Im hoping to go to iceland soon, so this is now top of the list, thank you 🙂

    Reply
  6. Arnar Olafsson says

    February 11, 2013 at 7:59 am

    Yes, Amazing Experience of life,as you might be know,,.Blue lagoon Recently nominated one of the wonders of the world.
    I would also recommend for travelers to go to the lagoon before they travel back home, nothing relaxes you more then to soak yourself in warm blue water, gazing at the beautiful lava fields while drinking a cold beverage. Thanks, Arnar

    Reply
    • Fedor says

      June 21, 2013 at 2:08 pm

      Hi Arnar, do you think this is something we could do when we arrive to the airport, straight from there, around 3-4PM? How long would you usually stay there? Thanks!

      Reply
  7. Kate says

    October 12, 2013 at 11:40 am

    Fabulous!!!

    Reply
  8. Zalika says

    November 9, 2013 at 9:40 am

    OMG! This place is so beautiful! Love the color of this water. This is definitely going into my life List 🙂

    Reply
  9. Hester says

    February 21, 2017 at 2:09 am

    I would love to visit this place one day.

    Reply
  10. Karla Boje says

    January 31, 2020 at 1:21 am

    Travel the famous Ring Road of Iceland in a small group. Visit some of the most amazing destinations around Iceland! Embark on a wild 4-day winter extravaganza with this Iceland vacation package Northern Lights edition.

    Reply

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Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

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