It was my last day in Iceland, and we had a tour booked—covering every iconic landscape reachable from Reykjavik during a full-day excursion, but all I cared about was that I’d be soaking in Blue Lagoon in mere hours.
That morning, we waited at Bus Stop 1 beside the Reykjavik Town Hall, nearly boarding the wrong bus more times than I’d like to admit, before we eventually got waved onto the right one and set off.
The Blue Lagoon is located outside the city, and let me tell you—the road there felt so loooong thanks to the dullest tour guide known to mankind. But finally, after what felt like an eternity, we arrived.
We were given two hours at the Lagoon. That meant: change, shower, soak, drink, slather on masks, sauna, steam, and shop—all within that window. I knew it was too short even before getting into the lagoon. Alas, I had to make do with what was given.
After changing separately, I found Fafa shivering in the cold near the sliding entrance doors, waiting for me. With that off, we went straight into the warm water of Blue Lagoon.
Not So Blue Lagoon
Blue Lagoon is breathtaking, as beautiful as I imagined it to be, but the water is more of a pale blue than the blue the naive brain of mine dreamt of. I suppose it was the same as seeing the Northern Lights, which, when seen with the naked eye, has a more greyish hue than the ones electric green portrayed in the pictures.
The first order of business was getting ourselves a drink. Floating around aimlessly while getting slightly sunburnt and sipping something fruity—what more could you want? Zero responsibilities, no worries, just hot water and vibes.
Fafa said he felt the Blue Lagoon experience felt a bit meh after soaking in the ultra-luxe Sky Lagoon the night before.
But for me? It was different.
First of all, it’s a bucket list item. No, it’s not as fancy as Sky Lagoon. Yes, there were crying kids in the showers. And yes, some loud, inconsiderate tourists. But the Blue Lagoon had its own magic.
For one, it felt natural. It didn’t feel overly polished or curated. Just raw, steamy, mineral-rich water surrounded by volcanic rock.
And then… There were the facemasks. By that, I mean there’s a floating booth where a woman hands out face masks, the silica facemask, while the other three you have to pay for.
—
Fafa and I picked the ones we were keen to try first – Lava for me and Algae for him, lathered them on, and left them on a bit longer than recommended before washing them off in the lagoon. Later, we went back for the second, included-in-the-package mask, and with that one on, wandered into the sauna.
The dry sauna was absolutely gorgeous, par to Sky Lagoon. Here, you can luxuriate in people-watching as people soak up the outside.
The other room was a wet sauna-slash-steam room. It was dark, with water dripping from the top, and had barely any visibility, which reminded me of the hammam. The structure was directly connected to the lagoon, allowing people to go in and out without leaving the water, which was quite impressive.
Shop, Soak, Repeat in Blue Lagoon
Time flew. After showering, grabbing a juice from the canteen and while waiting for the rest of my tourmates to get ready to leave, I naturally found myself at the gift shop. Because if I spotted one, I need to check it out. There, I bought a Moomin cup featuring the Blue Lagoon (had to), a few postcards (had to too), but skipped the same face mask we used earlier, sold in a travel-size tube (had no money to).
All zen and relaxed, eventually the whole crew boarded the white van again, and I prayed the tour guide would let us sit in peace with our thoughts.
The Northern Light Inn
As we left the area, I spotted a quiet little inn sitting near the volcanic fields and made a mental note: next time we rent a car and come back, I want to stay there. I want to soak for hours, under the Northern Lights, until my skin shrivels up.
Hot Water > Everything
I always claim my bucket list is food-coded. But this trip made me realise something else about myself—I’m also totally willing to travel halfway across the world just to soak in hot water among strangers.
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I told you ! You are hot water kutti 🤭
Iyaaaa soak me ♨️