BucketList Experience: Blue Lagoon, Iceland!
This was fun to plan but for the first time I was nervous about solo travel. I feel like Iceland isn’t one of the typical travel destinations for people of colour so I was a little anxious about how the experience as a Black woman and the possible language barrier (they speak Icelandic here). Thankfully every service person I met spoke English and was nice AND I got at least 4 dms from Ghanaians living there!
To begin with, Iceland, which is a Schengen state and therefore accessible via a valid Schengen visa is an island country in the North Atlantic Ocean. It’s volcanically active and has a population of under 500,000 because [apparently] 80% of the island isn’t habitable.
The Blue Lagoon is one of their major tourist attractions, along with the Northern Lights, but those are visible only from September (and not everyday!).
I flew in from Germany via Scandinavian Airlines which usually costs between €190/¢3040 to €600/¢9600 but if you’re flying from Accra with KLM it’ll cost €1200/¢19,200 upwards depending on the season.
We’re in May so there are some really decent deals right now.
Their international airport is located in the capital, Reykjavik and the ride to Blue Lagoon takes about 20-30 minutes. It’s always best to arrange pick up before you travel because Uber + Bolt don’t work here and the taxis are EXPENSIVE (the 12 minute ride from my airport cost $35/¢500!)
You can book a shuttle which will pick you from the airport or the bus stop closest to your hotel and drop you either at the airport or the bus stop or book private pick up.
The shuttle to Blue Lagoon or the city center costs €28/¢450 for a one way pick up or drop off or a round trip, and private pick up costs upwards from €100/¢1600.
The lagoon is filled with geothermal seawater from volcanic aquifers 2000 meters underground where freshwater and ocean water converge in a tectonic realm of searing heat and immense pressure. It contains silica, algae, and minerals, according to them the water cleanses, heals, rejuvenates, and undoes the effects of time (anti-aging properties). The water is salty so be careful not to swallow any. There is a Mask Bar with a variety of masks for swimmers to get their masks from.
The lagoon is less than 0.8m/2.6ft at the edge, and the deepest part is 1.4m/4.7ft. Basically you don’t need to be a swimmer, but there are life guards around just in case.
For day visits, there are 3 session categories which are available from 8:00am to 8:00pm:
Comfort: €65-€94
• Access to the Blue Lagoon
• Silica Mud Mask at the Mask Bar
• Use of towel
• 1st drink of your choice
Premium: €84-€113
• Access to the Blue Lagoon
• Silica Mud Mask at the Mask Bar
• Use of towel
• 1st drink of choice at the In-water bar
• Use of bathrobe
• Two additional masks of your choice at the Mask Bar
• 2nd drink of your choice
Signature: €107-€136
• Access to the Blue Lagoon
• Silica Mud Mask at the Mask Bar
• Use of towel
• 1st drink of choice at the In-water bar
• Use of bathrobe
• Two additional masks of your choice at the Mask Bar
• 2nd drink of your choice
• Skincare products to take home (Silica Mud Mask & Mineral Mask, total value €71)
You need to reserve online (click here) and you can stay literally as long as you like, as long as they’re open.
You can also book a package at the spa for €580-€645.
There’s also a bar in the lagoon with beer, a few cocktails, wine, water, a slushee and some non alcoholic options. To avoid any incidents there’s a limit of 3 drinks per guest. You’re allowed to make additional purchases in the pool (extra masks, more drinks) via a wristband you’re given when you’re checking in.
There are 3 restaurants on site: a cafe and 2 fine dining restaurants. Average spend at the cafe is €30 and €100 for a 3 course meal at the rest.
If you’d like to sleep here, there are 2 hotels on site: Silica Hotel, which costs from €625/night and The Retreat Hotel which costs from €1000/night upwards. There are many hotels close to the airport and in the city center, but if you’re like me, get one close to the airport so you can relax.
I got Konvin hotel which is a 12 minute drive from the airport and has a free shuttle! Rooms here start from €.
Their breakfast buffet costs €15 per person and is really impressive, they had scrambled eggs, fruits, bread, pastries, 3 types of ham, cheese, sausage, bacon, waffles, cookies, yoghurt, juice, 5 types of tea, cereal and oats. There’s also a restaurant next to it that doubles as a mart and has burgers and pizzas for $15.
It was EXTREMELY relaxing and a great choice for solo experiences and group vacations. The mist is very light and the water is warmmmm. It’s minerals filled and great for your skin, but the high levels of silica are not hair friendly because it can make hair stiff and difficult to manage, real or not. For my fellow wig wearers, if you trust your vendor you’ll be fine. They provide complimentary conditioner in the shower so use a lot of that all over it.
If you’re looking for a peaceful bucket-list experience, this is it. In September people book sessions to watch for the northern lights (they’re not constant) from the pool so you can combine that.