Entering the Blue Lagoon, Iceland

Anyone planning a trip to Iceland will undoubtably have heard of the Blue Lagoon – it’s iconic. Milky blue geothermal waters, lava fields, snowy mountains in the distance and a luxurious spa feel – it is without a doubt one of the best – and most unique – experiences we’ve ever had. Does everyone visit? Pretty much, yes. Is it touristy? We didn’t think so! Is it worth a visit? Absolutely.

A lot of people expect the Blue Lagoon to be overpriced, overrated and overcrowded – and, while it is on the expensive side, for us it certainly wasn’t overrated and wasn’t at all crowded. We were actually surprised by how few people there were!

Price wise – yes, it is a bit pricey, but no more than if you were to pay for a standard spa day in the UK. For us, it was one of the most enjoyable experiences we had on our trip to Iceland and we would definitely recommend a visit – we’re hoping to return soon!

We planned our visit to the Blue Lagoon for our arrival day, with a transfer from Keflavik airport to the Blue Lagoon directly (booked via Reykjavik Excursions). Our trip to Iceland was at the beginning of March, with longer daylight hours but still very cold temperatures. Booking the Blue Lagoon for our arrival day turned out to be an excellent idea, as after an early & cramped flight we were definitely in need of some relaxation.

Our journey time from Keflavik airport to the Blue Lagoon was around 20 minutes, with plenty of beautiful scenery to enjoy from the coach. As soon as we arrived the recognisable smell of sulphur hit us – an interesting side effect of the geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon! (You soon get used to the eggy smell)

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Walking along the path to the Blue Lagoon feels nothing other than otherworldly. Surreal blue water stretches out from the entrance (and the iciest of winds batters your face on the walk) & the huge piles of lava stones make you feel rather small.

Stepping inside the entrance to the Blue Lagoon was very serene compared to the harsh winds outside – and the warmth was very welcome. We were able to check in straight away and were given wrist bands which activate your lockers and pay for any drinks you might get from the pool bar.

We booked the Comfort Admission package (through Reykjavik Excursions again for ease) which came to £75 each – the same as a fairly standard spa day. It included:

• Access to the Blue Lagoon
• Use of the Silica mud mask
• Towel
• One drink from the pool bar

I’d done quite a lot of research before our trip and was expecting very strict rules about showering naked, removing every inch of makeup and removing all jewellery – but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the changing rooms were much more relaxed. There were plenty of private shower cubicles, shower gel & conditioner was provided and the lockers had plenty of space for all of your belongings – including bulky coats.

You enter the blue lagoon via a water passageway from the changing rooms (thankfully, as the air is COLD) and the scenery is just beautiful.

The water was hotter that I expected, keeping you warm enough in the cold weather – we visited in March when it was around -3°C during the day!

The Blue Lagoon is a fascinating place, and even more mesmerising in person. Here are a few interesting facts about the lagoon:

• The geothermal water is naturally heated, reaching the lagoon at a very warm 38°C!
• The water is naturally enriched with a mixture of algae, silica and minerals – giving it impressive healing properties
• Silica and sunlight give the water the iconic milky blue appearance

Following on from the above – I was surprised to find that a couple of patches of eczema and some dry skin on my hands hand somehow disappeared after our visit. Mind blowing!

Once you’ve entered the Blue Lagoon, you have until it closes to enjoy the blue waters – although you can, of course, leave whenever you like.

We opted for a smoothie each from the lagoon bar – both were made with Icelandic skyr which was unexpected and rather nice.

Here’s what you can do within the Blue Lagoon:

• Explore every nook & cranny (it’s bigger than you might expect)
• Apply silica masks
• Get a drink from the lagoon bar
• Enjoy the saunas & steam rooms
• Stand under the manmade waterfall (it’s very powerful!)
• Swim – obviously!
• Eat at the onsite restaurants

We found we ended up spending just over two hours at the lagoon – time moved very slowly and we enjoyed every moment. We didn’t use the saunas & steam rooms too much (it was very cold walking to them!) and we mostly enjoyed exploring the rugged lagoon.

In the central section of the Blue Lagoon you’ll find the mask bar – use of the silica mask (as many times as you like) is included, or you can upgrade to other masks that you pay for if you like. I wouldn’t recommend paying out for a fancier mask – the silica one is great!

Scoop up a handful, slather it all over your face and leave it there for 10 mins. It was a strange texture, slimy and a little gritty. Wash it off in the water when you’re done – and voila, soft skin!

As you can see, it looks very glamorous when applied! I ended up using the mask twice – and my skin was ridiculously soft afterwards.

Here are a few tips for your first visit to the Blue Lagoon:

• Do make sure to remove most (or all) of your makeup before you enter – you can enjoy the mud mask experience more this way
• Have a shower before you enter! It’s mandatory.
• Remove all jewellery that you can – the silica in the water can damage jewellery
• Remember to bring sunglasses – it was very sunny & extremely windy on our visit!
• Make sure to coat your hair in conditioner really, really well before you head in – or tie it up in a bun. People aren’t exaggerating when then say that the silica in the water ruins your hair – it made my hair feel awful for days (and after many shampoos) afterwards.
• Bring a waterproof camera! You’ll regret it if you don’t.
• Hydrate while you’re in the lagoon – there are water points. I made the mistake of not doing this (it’s especially important in hot water like the lagoon) and as soon as we left the changing rooms after our visit I felt faint and very sick. Dehydration nearly ruined our day – so drink some water!
• Don’t bother with purchasing extra drinks unless you really want to – it’s quite pricey (as you’d expect) and they’re not the easiest to drink in the water. Just get your one included drink!
• Don’t pay more for the fancier face masks – the silica mud mask was excellent, and you can apply one as many times as you like!
• My biggest tip? Don’t get too hung up on getting ‘glamourous’ photos in the lagoon – you’ll see plenty of people posing in the water (which I have no problem with!) but realistically the weather can make it hard to get the ‘perfect’ photo, water ends up getting in your eyes, the masks don’t look as insta-worthy as you’d expect and it’s just TOO hard to look glamorous. Just enjoy the experience!

Basically, just enjoy your time in the Blue Lagoon and soak in the incredible atmosphere. You won’t experience anything else like it!

If you decide to book a visit to the Blue Lagoon for your Iceland trip, I’d absolutely recommend scheduling it in for either your arrival or departure day – it’s closer to the airport than anything else, so you can fill up your travel day with something relaxing & fun.

Find out all you need to know about the Blue Lagoon here, and you can book it through Reykjavik Excursions like we did here.

If you enjoyed this post, check out the rest of my Iceland blog posts!

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