The Best Kept Secret of the Blue Lagoon

A trip to Iceland isn’t complete without a dip in the alluring waters of the Blue Lagoon. Whether in Iceland on a layover for just a few hours or having spent a week racing around the Island’s ring road, the blue lagoon is an essential stop for anyone visiting the island.

So imagine my dismay when I found out that this iconic geothermal pool would be closed for refurbishment during our visit.

Luckily for us there is also a Private Lagoon at the Blue Lagoon Clinic Hotel. Whilst it is a more exclusive and luxurious venue than the main Lagoon, we managed to book two tickets on the Luxury Wellness Package and so my dream of floating in these healing waters was still on.

We arrived after sun down after a busy day circumnavigating the golden circle and snorkelling between North America and Europe. We were tired and cold. After being furnished with our wristbands and guided to our room, we began to relax and take in this gorgeous and luxurious hotel and spa.

The Blue Lagoon Clinic Hotel

The rooms are sumptuous. We were greeted by a plate of fresh fruit, fluffy towel robes and travel sized toiletries. The service is excellent: an XS robe was delivered in minutes to replace the comically ridiculous XL I originally tried on. The bathroom was elegant with a heated tile floor and a huge waterfall shower – a little something to look forward to when you have to eventually rip yourself away from the lagoon. Having a hotel room isn’t necessary as there are communal changing rooms by the indoor pool but is welcome and recommended treat.

The Bathroom

The Bathroom

We left our room and headed through the hotel towards the lagoon. We walked through the in-house Lava Restaurant; a modern, inviting, and high end restaurant filled with dinners trying and rarely succeeding to look suave whilst wearing their bathrobes.

We walked past the various relaxation rooms where you can to sit and relax in comfort and de-prune after you swim.

And finally we reached the milky blue waters of the lagoon.

The lagoon is harnessed by Svartsengi; the geothermal power plant next door. 2km below the power plant and the lagoon, freshwater and seawater clash and absorb minerals, algae and silica as it is driven up to the surface. By the time it reaches the air it has cooled to a delicious 38°C (100°F). This provides energy for the local area and an exquisitely hot lagoon for our enjoyment.

After a quick, obligatory shower we took our first step into the milky water.

It. Was. Heaven.

After briefly debating whether to stay in the indoor part of the lagoon, we gave in to our intrigue and decided to explore the cold outside. We swam towards the door and braced for the cold, Icelandic January air.

Looking into the lagoon from the door

The first thing that hits you once you go through the door is the vast amount of steam. The second thing you notice is more steam, closely followed by steam in third place. It’s everywhere. It’s slightly disorientating but is a good thing as you hardly notice the chilly air around you. Instead your body is cocooned in the warm water and the atmospheric steam.

Floating

The main Blue Lagoon is notoriously jam packed with tourists. With the temporary closure of the main lagoon I had half expected the clinic’s lagoon to be jam-packed with people. Thankfully it was quite the opposite as we were constantly discovering quiet corners and alcoves.

The gateway to the “Dark Side”

The lagoon fanned out on both sides from the entrance door. The left side was a smaller pool and contained the vats of silica mud for your natural mud masks. The other side was warmer and lit by bright spot lamps. It seemed smaller but we found a small gateway which led to another almost deserted pool and beyond that a river which, when the main lagoon re-opens, will run all the way down to the main lagoon.

The Hotel from the mouth of the connecting river

Since our faces were red and super sore from diving head first into Iceland we decided to try the silica mud masks. That and we were the only losers in the lagoon without one so like sheep we headed to the vats.

Mud masks

The masks are cold and in the Icelandic January air quickly it becomes hard. The lack of mirrors makes the process fun and we ended up looking less like we were applying a luxury facemask and more like we had head-butted a cream pie. After leaving them to work their magic, it felt oddly liberating to move my face muscles and feel the dried mud flake off. When finally removed using the warm lagoon water, our faces felt smooth and moisturised from the mud.

It’s a good look!

Sadly our time was up much too soon and we made our back to our robes and room. The private room, with its’ waterfall shower, heated floor and complimentary beauty products made the departure much easier to take and, like the lagoon, allowed us to leave feeling fresh, relaxed and ready for our next adventure.

Complimentary samples

A few thoughts and advice from our visit to the Blue Lagoon Clinic hotel:

• Make sure you bring a hairband to tie up your hair. The lagoon is wonderful for the skin but can wreak havoc by drying out your hair. Tie it up and take full advantage of the clinic’s conditioner before and after you get out.
• Whilst the room isn’t essential, it does really enhance the experience with its rainfall shower and complimentary beauty products.
• Make sure to keep hydrated as it’s easy to forget to when you’re enjoying you swim. The clinic has water fountains around the edge of the pool and complimentary bottles of water in the rooms.

Silhouettes

The Blue Lagoon Clinic hotel is a great experience and a definite must-do for any visit to Iceland. We hope to go back one day and swim down to the main lagoon in its fully refurbished glory, but the Clinic’s private lagoon is a great, luxurious and more intimate experience.

A huge thank you to the Blue Lagoon for sponsoring this trip and allowing us to experience their magnificent hotel and facilities. However all views and opinions are honest and my own.

Last modified: 21st September 2016