Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa

The  Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is one of the most visited attraction in Iceland. The Spa is located in lava field in Gridvaik on the Reykjanes Peninsula, southwestern Iceland. Blue Lagoon is situated approximately 20 km from the and 39 km  Keflavik International Airport and 39 km from the capital city of Reykjavik. It can also be reached from Reykjavik with a number of tours and combined with activities.

Short Description

The  warm waters are rich in minerals like silica and sulfur and bathing in the Blue Lagoon is reputed to help some people suffering from skin diseases such as psoriasis  is. The water temperature in the bathing and swimming area of the lagoon averages 37 – 39 degree Celsius. The Blue Lagoon also operates a research and development facility to help find cures for other skin ailments using the mineral – rich water.

The lagoon is a man – made lagoon which is fed by the water output of the nearby geothermal power plant Svartsengi  and  is renewed every two days. Super heated water is vented from the ground near a lava flow and used to run turbine that generate electricity. After going through the turbines, the steam and hot water passes through a heat ex charger to provide heat a municipal water heating system. Then the water is fed into  the lagoon for recreational and medicinal users to bathe in.

The rich mineral content is provided by the underground geological layers and pushed up to the surface by the hot water used by the plant. Because of its mineral concentration, water can not be recycled and must be disposed of in the nearby landscape, a permeable lava field 50 cm to 1 m thick. The silicate minerals is the primary cause of that water’s beautiful milky blue shade  assuring  the touristic resort’s success. After the minerals have formed a deposit, the water rein filtrates the ground, but the deposit renders it impermeable over time. Hence the necessity for the plant to continuously dig new ponds in the nearby lava field.

The Blue Lagoon was used as the pit stop for the first leg of the Amazing race 6. The Blue Lagoon was used for the thermal spa scenes in the filming of Hostel; Part II. It was also shown in the Incubus documentary Look Alive, when the band visited Iceland, as well as in the fifth cycle of Britain’s  Next Top Model which used as photo shoot location. The Blue Lagoon is situated close to the world’s first renewable methanol plant, which uses Carbon Recycling international’s carbon dioxide to methanol fuel process.

In 1976 a pool formed at the site from the water of the geothermal power plant that had just been built there. In 1981 people started bathing in it after the discovery of its heating powers of psoriasis. In 1992 the Blue Lagoon Company was established and the bathing facility was opened to the public.