Iceland much? Blue Lagoon

In 1976, a pool formed in a lava field at Grindavik (20 km from Keflavik International Airport) from the waste water of a geothermal power plant. In 1981 people started bathing in the pool, after its purported healing powers were popularized. In 1992 the bathing facility was opened for the public by the Blue Lagoon Company.

 

Blue Lagoon at Grindavik has nothing to do with Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins being marooned as young kids on a tropical island. It is instead a geothermal spa and one of the most visited attractions in Iceland.

 

The Blue Lagoon (Bláa lónið) is, as mentioned above, a man-made lagoon which is fed by the water output of the nearby geothermal power plant Svartsengi and is renewed every two days. The warm waters are rich in minerals like silica and sulfur and bathing in the Blue Lagoon is reputed to help some people suffering from skin diseases such as psoriasis. The water temperature in the lagoon averages 37–39 °C (99–102 °F).

 

 

Have a wee look-see at Blue Lagoons own website, and take special notice of conditioning your hear before you go in the water! I did not do that, and it was a real struggle – if not impossible – to comb my hair for two weeks after. It was like felt. And stunk of rotten eggs. In fact, my hear should have been kept way above that mineral water, as it was chemically treated.

Despite the smelly and totally uncontrollable hair, Blue Lagoon is sooo worth a visit! It feels super nice to swim around in, put a mud mask on my face and just relax and enjoy!

I did not get to take one single picture from Blue Lagoon – as I was in the water the whole time! Again, my friend Svein Nordahl comes to my aide with his magnificent photos.

 

 

 
H2O