In 1976, waste water from the geothermal plant Svartsengi formed a small pool in the lava field surrounding the plant. Five years later people started bathing in the water after the healing powers of the water got known. It wasn‘t until 1992 that the Blue Lagoon company was established and the bathing facility was opened to the public. And since then it has become one of the most visited attractions in Iceland – and not without reason.
The lagoon itself is situated about 39 kilometres from Iceland‘s capital Reykjavík and 20 kilometres from Keflavík International Airport.
The warm waters are rich in minerals such as silica and sulphur and bathing in the lagoon is said to help some people suffering from skin diseases such as psoriasis. The Blue Lagoon operates a research and development facility where they try to help find cures for other skin ailments using the mineral-rich waters.
Man-made
What many people don‘t know is that the Blue Lagoon is a man-made lagoon, and is fed by the water output of the nearby geothermal power plant Svartsengi. The water in the lagoon is renewed every two days.
The superheated water is vented from the ground near a lava flow and then used to run turbines that generate electricity. After the water goes through the turbines, the steam and hot water passes through a heat exchanger that heats up cold ground water which is then used to heat up houses in the Reykjanes Peninsula.
Unlike in many other places in Iceland, you can have the water run in Keflavík, for example, and use it for your cup of tea. In other parts of Iceland, geothermal water is used to heat up houses.
Showers
Icelanders take bathing in swimming pools and geothermal spas very seriously, and there are strict rules about hygiene before going in the water. Everyone must wash without clothes and with soap in the showers before entering. There are closed cubicles in the shower area as well as the changing rooms for those who find it uncomfortable to be naked around other people.
Reykjavik Excursions offers transfers to and from Reykjavík from the Blue Lagoon, as well as Keflavík International Airport.
Northern Lights
It is possible to see the northern lights in Iceland when the skies are clear and dark. So if you are lucky and taking a dip late in the day or during the darkest months in Iceland, you have a chance of seeing them, while bathing. The northern lights or aurora borealis are caused by solar storms and cosmic rays from the sun which interact with the oxygen atoms in the upper atmosphere. The cosmic rays are steered to the northern and southern poles by the Earth‘s magnetic fields. This results in a spectacular lights show in the northern and southern hemispheres.
Additionally, it is possible to add a Blue Lagoon trip to a few tours we have on offer, for example, The Wonders of Reykjanes tour and the Panorama ATV tour.
Or if you go to the lagoon during the day it is possible to join our guide Northern Lights tour.
UK-based photographer Andy Lee on his first visit to Iceland returned home with a photo series titled “Blue Iceland”. Shot in the infrared spectrum these photos bring out even more of the beauty in the country’s scenic landscapes. As Lee puts it on his website, infrared and Iceland are “a match made in heaven.”
Iceland attracts many photographers and travelers for its rugged and dramatic scenery, which is unlike anywhere else in the world. UK-based photographer Andy Lee found a way to stand out of the crowd, however, with his deeply atmospheric infrared landscape photography in “Blue Iceland.”
Lee’s photography technique brings out the mystical side of Iceland’s landscape, which is crowded with active…
