Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is Iceland’s largest and best-known lagoon, located at Svartsengi on the Reykjanes Peninsula, a short distance from Grindavík. The lagoon originally formed in the 1980s when hot wastewater from the HS Orka power plant was released onto the lava field. The water is a mixture of freshwater and geothermal seawater that has been heated deep within the earth and contains silica, minerals, and algae. The total surface area of the lagoon is about 8,700 m² and the water temperature is usually between 37–40°C. The Blue Lagoon has exceptionally modern facilities, including changing rooms, a steam bath, lava rock baths, and other amenities in the lagoon. At the Blue Lagoon there is also a hotel, restaurants and a spa that offers treatments and skincare products made from the hot water. The water in the lagoon is naturally renewed every 40 hours. It is purified as it passes through the geological strata and then filters back out into the lava field. The water is not treated with chlorine, but its quality and safety are regularly monitored. The Blue Lagoon is open all year round and it is necessary to book a visit through the website. Hotel accommodation and spa treatments must likewise be booked separately. In recent years, the lagoon has been one of Iceland’s most popular tourist destinations, if not the most popular, and is also an important health and tourism facility in Iceland.