The Blue Lagoon in Grindavik, Iceland (located between the Keflavik airport and Reykjavik) is one of the most memorable places I have ever been to so far. Yes, it’s touristy. Yes, it can get crowded. Yes, it’s kind of expensive. But worth it? Most definitely!
Upon arrival with my parents, sister, her boyfriend (now husband), and my 4-year old son in tow, we parked our rental and made our way along the path to the front entrance. The entrance itself was impressive, with black lava rocks on either side and glimpses of blue water. Inside, there are stanchions set up, just like at any tourist attraction. When you get to the front of the line, you are able to pick what level entrance you want. There are four entry options, and these are the prices at the time of this blog post:
Standard: 5.400 ISK (approx. $46.00 US)
Comfort: Want an algae mask, use of a towel, a free drink? This option if for you for 7.400.00 ISK (approx. $64.00 US)
Premium: Want what’s included in comfort plus use of bathrobe, slippers and a reservation at LAVA? This option is 9.500.00 ISK (approx. $81.00 US)
Luxury: All of above included PLUS sparkling wine at LAVA, spa product set, & entrance to an exclusive lounge, all for 26.500.00 ISK (approx. $228.00 US)
My parents and I all chose the luxury option while my sister and her boyfriend purchased the basic “Standard” entry. My kid was free! They gave us smart bracelets according to what type of entry we purchased and we scanned them upon entry. They are used at the swim-up bars to order drinks, tracking what each person orders. Bracelets are scanned on the way out and extras are paid before you leave.
After purchasing our entries, off we went to the locker rooms to change and put our belongings in the lockers, which you use your bracelet to open (these bracelets are pretty awesome!). You must shower before entering the water. The locker room is quite large and there are plenty of showers. After showering, we met the boys outside. The Lagoon is HUGE! There are foot bridges in certain areas that you can walk over, or swim under if you are in the water. Lifeguards stand around in fluorescent yellow jackets. There are a couple areas to hang your towel and bathrobe. There are a couple swim-up bars. My entry included one free drink, and instead of alcohol (which I have been kicking myself I didn’t get), I ordered an Icelandic skyr smoothie. It was delicious, don’t get me wrong, but maybe a cocktail would have been more fitting. Also included in my entry was an algae mask, which I also picked up at the bar. I put the mask on and swam around - it was quite nice, but what I liked even better was the Silica Mud Mask and there are stations filled with the stuff all around the Lagoon…for FREE and for EVERYONE!
I swam around by myself for a bit while my parents had my son. When I went to check on them. they were sitting on some lounge chairs and my son was crying. Apparently, he went into the Lagoon without the orange swimmies provided for all the children and got kicked out by a life guard. I told him he had to obey the rules and put them on or he couldn’t go swimming. It took some convincing, but he finally put one on each arm and was good to go. We then swam around together, loving every second of it!
Now, the Lagoon has some areas that are hotter than others, which made the experience even more interesting. Steam rose from the water into the cold autumn air (we were there in October). The Lagoon also has one part sectioned off where masseuses give massages to people on rafts in the water. This, of course, is extra and part of their spa, but seemed like an incredibly relaxing thing to do. There was also a grotto that has a button you can press to play music while you sit in there. AND there is an indoor pool area. My son and I explored every part of the Blue Lagoon.
When my parents, sister and boyfriend wanted to go to lunch, my son and were disappointed…we didn’t want to get out! My son asked if we could stay in and I agreed. I traded bracelets with my sister, so she could use mine which had the included lunch and then nothing went to waste. Everyone else loved their lunch at LAVA. Apparently the sushi, smoked salmon and salad were amazing. But I am so happy my son and I stayed in the water for another couple hours. We had the best time! My sister and her boyfriend came back into the water after lunch, while my parents hung out on the deck.
After we finally decided to get out and go back to the city, we went to the locker rooms to change, then visited the gift shop on our way out. The gift shop sells mostly spa products, a few of which my mom bought.
The Blue Lagoon is definitely worth the price of admission. My son talks about it often and can’t wait to go back! Neither can I.
Here are some tips:
Just buy the basic, STANDARD entry. You really don’t need more than that. And it may not include the use of a towel like the other entry levels, but you can always rent a towel, and also a bathrobe, if you’d like.
DO NOT put your hair, uncovered, into the Lagoon like I did. Why? The geothermal water has a high level of silica which stripped my hair of any and all oils and for the next two weeks, I could barely run a brush or comb through it despite using about a gallon of conditioner. It was a rats’ nest and felt like straw when I touched it. COVER YOUR HAIR or just don’t soak it in the water.
Definitely grab some silica mud for your face when you’re in the lagoon! You don’t need any other mask but this one. It’s lovely!
Avoid peak times. We seemed to have missed the rush when we were there. Upon leaving around mid-afternoon, there was a much longer line than when we had arrived. I think the earlier you go, the better.
Purchase your entry ahead of time. You can do so on their website.
Stop by the gift store. They have great spa products and you can bring home your own tube of silica mud mask. It’s expensive though!
Go to LAVA if you can. It’s mostly Icelandic cuisine and supposed to be amazing. You can even make a reservation online through the Blue Lagoon website.
If you can swing it, stay at the new LAVA hotel. It has a private lagoon for guests. My family has already agreed to stay there next time we are in Iceland!
Entry is valid for the entire day, so plan your day around the Blue Lagoon…you won’t want to leave!
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