Today I did my first very tourist thing outside of Reykjavik; The Blue Lagoon. It is one of the most interesting hot springs I have ever been to, It is a geothermal lake that was formed almost accidentally through the by-products of geothermal energy production ( Go Geothermal!). The water is the effluent (maybe not the right term) from a very close by powerplant that is now hidden by a man made rock barrier. One day, as the story goes is that a man with psoriasis decided one day to get into the steaming lake and he enjoyed it and it actually helped with his skin condition. Fast forward to today and it is Iceland's biggest tourist attraction. The water is rich in silica and algae which yields the turquoise hue. The temperature is between 98-105 degrees Fahrenheit and can yield a day's worth of relaxation. The typical sulfur smell of most hot springs is still there but only slightly. The water is said to be a mix of 1/3 freshwater from surface recharge and 2/3 seawater from seepage into the porous volcanic rock. The lagoon is on the Reykanes peninsula which is surrounded by the North Atlantic so the story does indeed jive. They also have saunas, steam caves, restaurants, indoor relaxing area and a man-made waterfall. Ok, so I wrote a lot about it, because it really is awesome. If you want to know more go to Bluelagoon.com. So, now on to the photos.
Walking into the entrance through a gash in the lava field, at this point it was kind of strange, you are thinking " Really? The bus hass already left and I am walking to what, and it is freezing". You only walk through this canyon for a short distance until you get to the entrance, relieved and ready to soak.
One of the first shots of the day, awesome lighting and really relaxing water. I arrived early and there were very few people here at this point, in the high season it gets very busy but this day there were probably less than 75 coming and going throughout the day according to the staff.
The sun really does shine in Iceland and I have the photos to prove it! It snowed the night before, and the storm was hesitant to move off, throughout the day there was snow, sleet, wind and at select points; sun.
Looking out at the lagoon from the "relaxing area" where i fell asleep for a little while, aptly named.
And last, what I have dubbed "duperfoss" my first Icelandic waterfall, hopefully this is the only one I get pummeled under.Paulie
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