I’ve been incredibly fortunate to travel to Iceland recently. It was at times a slightly weird and surreal experience (travelling during Covid just is, full stop). The first two days we did nothing else than going for walks, eating and being slowly sautéed at the Blue Lagoon. I googled the shit out of the Lagoon beforehand, but was still left unsatisfied with some answers. So here’s my attempt to give you all the answers I was looking for before we went. And, of course, I try to answer if the Blue Lagoon is worth it. (First part of this post deals with the experience, second part with the products, and yeah, it’s a long post.)
Part One
What we did
Entrance fees are three-tiered, and our stay at the Silica Hotel nearby came automatically with Premium tickets (the middle tier). That’ll score you slippers, towel and bathrobe, three applications of their own brand face masks, a complimentary drink and a reservation (just the reservation!) at Lava Restaurant on their premises (and a glass of bubbly if you choose to eat there). We also got a 30-minute in-water massage that came with the hotel deal.
If you’d want to replicate that exact package, it’d cost you 67€ (entrance fee) + 105€ (massage) per person.
The Lagoon
The Lonely Planet remarks that ‘Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Iceland has the Blue Lagoon’. Your experience will mirror that. You can expect it to be crowded, you’ll likely have to queue, and you’ll be not alone in that romantic pic.
Let me also quickly disperse a few myths for you.
The water in the Lagoon is basically the waste from the nearby geothermal plant that’s next to it. Let me quote Wikipedia:
The water is a byproduct from the nearby geothermal power plant Svartsengi where superheated water is vented from the ground near a lava flow and used to run turbines that generate electricity. After going through the turbines, the steam and hot water passes through a heat exchanger to provide heat for a municipal water heating system. Then the water is fed into the lagoon.
Wikipedia
The baths opened in 1987 after a psoriasis patient realised that the warm, turquoise water seemed to help his skin condition. Today, it’s an enormous complex that includes two hotels and two restaurants, a shop and luggage rooms. Numerous tour operators include it in their tours.
The Blue Lagoon experience – worth it?
Because we live in weird times, my experience will be slightly different to those before and after 2020 (let’s hope so, at least). There’re less tourists in Iceland right now and there’s a limit on how many people may enter the lagoon. There was a short line at the entrance, but many counters were staffed and everything proceeded smoothly. Explanations for first-time visitors are lengthy, though. (A great account general Blue Lagoon info is here.)
But generally, you had ample room for yourself. I spent a fun two hours lazing around in the hot water while it rained, either floating on my back or kinda hovering over the ground and feeling the squishy silica mud and the occasional algae under my feet.
The general advice is to not stay in the water for more than three hours. Make sure to hydrate at one of the water fountains dotted throughout the area. (I brought a refillable water bottle with me.)
Also, don’t try to swim: the hot water and the exercise will make you feel dizzy.
The in-water massage
The in-water massage was oddly intimate, although totally professional. Those guys and girls do nothing else the whole long day, and it shows (a little bit). While every other employee was incredibly open, easy going and charming, these guys clearly wanted to get the job done. You’re floating on a yoga mat, covered with a (wet) blanket and doused with oil. Then someone massages your back, shoulders and arms while immersing you into the water from time to time to warm you up. It was relaxing, I’ll give you that, but 105€-relaxing? Hm.
Questions you might have
Will everyone see me naked?
A big deal will be made out of the fact that Icelandic pool etiquette demands you shower extensively and without your bathing suit before entering the water. That makes only sense, as the water isn’t chlorinated. There’re a lot of shower cabins, so no worries: I changed (also in a small changing room) into my bathing suit, went to the shower area, entered the shower cabin, took off my bathing suit and showered. Extensively.
What about my (colour treated) hair?!
Everyone and their kitchen sink will tell you to actually wet your hair while under the shower and then drench it with conditioner (both shower gel and conditioner is supplied in the shower area). DO IT. The mineral-rich water is incredibly drying, and wetting your hair beforehand will make sure that it can’t absorb that much of it later, with the help of the conditioner on top. Shower caps won’t help with that, as they don’t close out water altogether, proper swimming caps will. My hair needed about three washes where I used heavy-duty hair masks to go back to normal.
Do I have to take out my piercings?
Everyone seems to agree that the water can also be damaging both silver and gold jewellery (at least it’ll come out tarnished). My stance: if it’s expensive, take it out and don’t risk it.
Isn’t it cold outside?
It’s Iceland, so yeah, it likely will be, even in summer. You can actually enter the pool inside and walk/swim through a door, or you’ll have to brace yourself and sprint a few meters (don’t sprint, it might be slippery) to the stairs outside. I started to mind the 12°C outside when my hair was thoroughly wet after the massage. People will wear hats and hairbands, but honestly, all that hassle to keep your head completely out of the water! Not very relaxing.
And the pictures?!
Yeah, sure, if you totally WANT and NEED to take some, don’t trust those waterproof phone pouches. Mine states that it’s not suitable for water temps above 30°C. There were a few nice lifeguards that would take your phone/camera and snap some pics for you.
You’ll leave through the gift shop…
Imagine it: You’ve lounged around in wonderfully warm water. You had a face mask, some drinks, and you’re super relaxed. And now you have to leave, and they funnel you through the gift shop on your way out. Don’t do it.
Part Two
Blue Lagoon skincare – worth it?
What’s the deal about silica?
A VERY big deal is made out of the silica that turns the water a whitish turquoise and is touted to have all kinds of benefits:
“One form of Blue Lagoon silica is a white mud known for strengthening the skin barrier, skin renewal, and deep cleansing. It is an important element of the treatment offered at Blue Lagoon’s dermatology clinic.”
Blue Lagoon
If you have a look at what Silica is used for in cosmetics and skincare, it’s nearly always as a thickener and oil-absorbent. It’s in A LOT of face powders trying to keep you as non-shiny as possible. It’s often used in (clay) masks geared towards oily skin because of that. The Silica Mud Mask dries my skin out like nothing else and if you’ve got dry or sensitive skin, I’d say stay away from it. (Here’s a clay mask I like!)
… and algae?!
Algae are a rather well-researched ingredient in skincare. The thing is that there’re hundreds of different types of algae, yet skincare manufacturers are allowed to not state which kind of algae they use.
“The most probable scenario for the Alge Extract is that it works as a moisturizer and emollient and it might have some additional anti-aging properties.”
Incidecoder
I actually enjoyed using the Algae Mask a lot, but the moisturising properties in that one can very likely be subscribed to the different kinds of oils included. Same with the Mineral Mask that mainly consists of Aloe Vera juice and Jojoba Oil.
…and body care?
I was supplied with Shower Gel and Body Lotion, Shampoo and Conditioner and can only say that they’ve got a rather generic spa scent and are generally pleasant to use, with a quite mediocre formula. The conditioner is too light for the heavy duty it’s supposed to do, same with the body moisturiser. (This water is SERIOUSLY drying, if you didn’t catch the implication before.) I actually liked the Mineral Intensive Moisturiser that the Silica Hotel supplies for its guests. It was the only moisturiser that gave me the feeling of actually moisturised skin when I emerged from the lagoon. But, omg, 50€ for what’s basically VASELINE?!
The Blue Lagoon – worth it?
No, a Blue Lagoon visit isn’t worth it at all, but I’d go back in a heartbeat.
See: This is Iceland’s Vegas/Disneyland/Eiffel Tower. And all those experiences can be fun. They’re also expensive. If you want to spend the bucks, AND like a spa experience, go for it! BUT: for a much quieter experience, spend a night at the Silica Hotel and use their ‘private’ lagoon, which I found much more relaxing, and not as aggressively professional as the Blue Lagoon.
(Nearly) all Blue Lagoon products smell and feel nice, and if that’s the thing you want, yay. I can’t help but feel that they’re outrageously priced for mediocre formulas.
What I want to say is: your glowy skin is likely more attributed to the fact that you spent a few relaxing hours, concentrating on your wellbeing, rather than to silica products and algae.
Also, while I really liked the experience, the Blue Lagoon isn’t even in my top five experiences in Iceland. (In no particular order: Driving through Thorsmörk valley to the former glacier lake of Eyjafjallajökull, hiking at Landmannalaugar, Kvernufoss waterfall and walking behind it, dinner at Moss Restaurant and the cinnamon rolls at Braud in Reykjavik.)
Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods or money for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
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