If you were to ask somebody what tourist activity comes to mind when they think of Iceland, visiting the Blue Lagoon would probably be on their short list.  Trip Advisor has 19,660 reviews posted as of this writing, so it’s a popular place!  Some would call it a tourist trap, but our Overseas Adventure Travel tour visited the lagoon on our last full day in Iceland, and we thoroughly enjoyed it!

Located in Grindavik, not far Keflavik International Airport, the large geothermal lagoon is rich with silica, minerals, salts, and algae, giving it a beautiful milky-blue color.  The water is comprised of 70% sea water, 30% fresh water and maintained at a steady 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  Included with the basic package is a silica mud mask and a drink at the swim-up bar.

The lagoon is located in the middle of a lava field and near the Svartsengi geothermal power station; so, the heated water from the power station supplies the lagoon. 

Somehow, after exiting the locker room showers and entering the large and crowded lagoon, I managed to find Bruce as well as other members of our group.  I had brought my waterproof camera into the lagoon with me, so we all decided to begin our spa experience with the mud mask for some fun photos.  What a scary looking bunch!

There wasn’t enough time to check out the restaurants, hotel, spa, gift shop, hot-pots, steam rooms, sauna, or even the waterfall that provides a hydraulic massage.  Darn, that would have been awesome!  Time went by so fast, we had to leave before we knew it.  Too bad, because we found the experience to be quite enjoyable and relaxing.  As an extra bonus, we left with very soft skin!

On the way back to the bus, we had just enough time to stroll the walking path through the geothermal pools that were located adjacent to the parking lot. 

We were fortunate our last day in Reykjavik was so beautiful.  We spent our free time in the afternoon walking the city, doing more photography at Harpa (which I shared previously) and seeing Circuleight, an interactive installation.  Their website describes it as, “Circuleight features designs and real-time interactive visuals inspired by eight elements:  lava, basalt, glacier, water, flora, algae, microorganism and volcanic gas.”

The music was an original score by renowned Icelandic composer, singer and songwriter Hogni Egilsson. 

The best part of the experience was having the entire room to ourselves for much of our time in there!  We ended up staying and watching a repeat of the 20-minute program, shooting video, and taking still photos.

Check out these short videos of me and Bruce, and you can see how the patterns followed us across the room:

What a fun way to wrap up our visit to Reykjavik! 

During our walk around the city, we reflected on our experiences in Iceland and all the wonderful sights we were so fortunate to see.  After so many years of wanting to see this amazing country, I am happy to say it was so much more than I hoped it would be.

Our tour concluded with a lovely farewell dinner with the group, and Thorunn reviewing all we had seen throughout our time together. 

The following morning, we flew to Edinburgh, Scotland, the subject of my next blog series.  Stay tuned!

Coming up next:  Excited to See Edinburgh!

Note: If small group travel is of interest to you, I highly recommend Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). Although Bruce and I travel together, they do not charge a single supplement for those who travel on their own. Singles also get their own room at hotels. If you book, you can get $100 off your trip by providing my name and customer number (Elaine Krugman, #3018126) as the person who referred you. I will also get $100 off future travel– a win-win!