Iceland

The Walkway into the Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is one of Iceland’s most popular attractions drawing the attention of hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.  The lagoon is actually a geothermal spa fed by water from a nearby geothermal plant.  The water originates near a lava flow from 6,000 feet at its deepest level (2,000 meters).  The actual lagoon sits on a Lava field and the walls that surround the walkway (the very long walkway) were built from actual lava rock that comes from the field.  When you swim in the lagoon you technically are swimming on top of two different continents.  Iceland sits on top of the  Mid Atlantic Ridge where the North American and European plates are separating at roughly 2 centimeters a year.

View from entrance at Blue Lagoon

Above you can see the first view of the lagoon right before you enter the facilities, notice the lava field on all sides.  Being 45 minutes away from the biggest city in Iceland, Reykjavik, you have to either take a tour or find other means of transportation.  Being roughly 25 minutes from the airport many tour operators package Iceland tours to the Blue Lagoon and the airport together.  You can have a relaxing day at the spa and then catch your flight in the afternoon.  The package tour generally costs the same if you are taken only to the airport, currently roughly $25 (depending on the exchange rate) it makes for a very cost effective visit, until you get there.

Side view of the Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon Iceland is a tourist trap by any definition as there are many other geothermal spas that you can visit throughout Iceland (some that are actually free).  The current costs to get in as of 2010 are 28 Euro to enter, 5 Euro for a towel, 5 Euro for a bathing suit, and 9 Euro for a bath robe.  You read that right, they charge you for towels and a robe,  so in the end it doesn’t come out that cheap.  That doesn’t include the costs for food if you are going to eat there or for any of the premium services like the skin treatments, massages, and restaurants.  Even though it can get a bit pricey there are ways to keep your costs down by bringing your own towel, you dont need the robe.  I would still recommend that you visit the Blue Lagoon because it really is a great thing to experience.  Lockers fortunately are free.

Side view of the lagoon

I would recommend that you visit in the winter (no im not crazy) for three reasons;  the first being that you wont enjoy a geothermal spa as much in hot weather, the second is that you cant see one of the most popular things to do in Iceland in the summer which are the Nothern Lights, and the last reason is that you will avoid the heard of tourists that arrive in the summer.  Who would want to sit in 100 degree water at the Blue Lagoon Iceland in the summer anyway?  It will get cold so make sure to bring a jacket along with your towel.  Once you step into the lagoon you will feel a slight slushy feeling on your feet which is the silica mud that many have found medical refuge in.  Its known to be an effective treatment for psoraisis and other skin ailments.

Small Waterfall at the Blue Lagoon

You can enter the water from outside the facilities or from inside so you dont have to step out into the cold weather in the winter.  After entering the kids pool as I like to call it, the Blue Lagoon Iceland surprises you with a waterfall that you can sit by and enjoy (no time limits!).  I must have stood there for at least 15 minutes because it really felt like a water massage.  As you start to find your way around the lagoon there are certain canisters where you can scoop the silica mud and place it on your face.

Getting cleaned up at Blue Lagoon Iceland

They aren’t kidding when they say this stuff is magical.  Once you pick it up the silica mud it feels very slimy with little stones inside.  Once you place it on your face you wait for it to dry and start to peel it off.  It feels like cement when you start to peel it.  After you get it all off your face starts to tingle like when your arm goes to sleep.  It’s not as strong of a sensation but I did stare at the mirror a little longer than usual before I walked out because it felt that much different.  The locker rooms at the Blue Lagoon Iceland are very roomy but they pack you in the showers like a sardine can.  While there is still some room to pick up the soap once you drop it (happened to me more than once) the door and walls feel cold once you bump into them.  Def a must see in Iceland!

Iceland is a massive country and if you want to see everything you either have to rent a car or take Iceland sightseeing tours.  Considering the cost of gasoline and renting a car, Iceland tours become much more feasible.  The most popular of are Golden Circle and South Coast.  Due to the aftermath of the volcano that left European air commutes comatose for a few weeks a new volcano aftermath tour has emerged as well.  If your considering working from Iceland you read my review about working overseas in Iceland.  Here is your guide to Iceland sightseeing Tours:

Conversion rate used as of July 19^th 2010: 1 US Dollar to 122.50 Iceland Kronar

Golden Circle Iceland

Golden Circle is THE most popular tour that everyone takes when visiting Iceland.  Prices may vary from $72 to $270 and the entire tour generally takes 7-9 hours.  Many times operators will take longer to accommodate the travelers.  You can decide if you want to go via bus or jeep.  The jeep excursions are more fun but more expensive as well since they take you out on the glaciers.

Main stops always include:  Thingvellir National Park,  Gulfoss Waterfall, and the geysers at Haukadalur

Optional stops: Kerio volcanic crater, city of Hverageroi, Skaholt Church, and Nesjavellir geothermal plant

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South Coast Iceland (Glacier lagoon optional)

The South Coast tour runs along Iceland’s south shore and is the 2^nd most popular tour in Iceland.  Many tour operators package this tour together with Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon.  Prices vary from $120 – $300 depending on whether you add extra tours.  The South Coast tour can take anywhere between 9-14 hours depending if you add the glacier package.

Main stop include: Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss Waterfalls, Reynisfjara shore, and various small villages

Optional stops: Kerio volcanic crater, Jokusarlon Glacial Lagoon

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Blue Lagoon (combinations available)

Blue lagoon is one of the most popular things to do in Iceland.  The actual Blue Lagoon itself only takes a few hours and costs $25 – $50.  Many smart tourists combine this trip with other activities such as an airport drop off or a combination of other Iceland sightseeing activities which together lasts an entire day.  The combination tours vary from $100 – $200.

Main stop:  Blue Lagoon

Optional stops: Jeep tour, geysers, and airport

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Glacial hikes & 4×4 tours

Many tour operators offer to take you off roading on glaciers and provide boat rides onto the glacier lakes.  Another popular Iceland tourist attraction is walking hikes on the actual glaciers themselves.  I recommend both!  Prices vary from $150 – $320 and the these tours generally take 9 – 11 hours.  This tour may include different areas of Iceland, the most common is Snaefellsjokull National Park.

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The Northern Lights

This is what most people come to Iceland for.  The most popular things to do in Iceland, it only takes one night to do.  Sometimes you have to take the tour twice because The Northern lights wont appear.  Be sure to arrive between the months of March and September (those two months are actually best).  Prices vary from $30 – $70 and the length can vary greatly since the Northern Lights can be unexpected.  Most times the tours last only a few hours.

Check out our top 5 section for more things to do in Iceland and around the world.

In Iceland, everything is really far away.  In order to see the best sites the country has to offer you either have to rent a car or join one of the many Iceland tours.  We already completed a handful of tours including: West Iceland, South Coast, and the Glacier Lagoon.  We were promptly through the majority of our Golden Circle Tour after a monstrous lunch on the cliffs of one of Europe’s largest waterfalls, Gullfoss.  If you would like to see what Icelandic cuisine looks like, take a look at these two posts:  fish and chips and do you know what a puffin is.

The majority of us did use the restroom but there is always that “special companion” that decides they don’t have to go.  As we are walking through the Iceland geysers our special companion suddenly realizes that she has to use the restroom.  Gummi, our driver takes us on a detour to see unique lava rock and we stop for a moment to have some of our peers play in the snow for the first time.  We get back in the van and the moment occurs: “I really have to use the bathroom”.

As this was the main topic of conversation as we get to ThingVellir and stop to marvel at The Mid Atlantic Trench.  This is where Iceland is actually being torn apart by the North American and European tectonic plates.  How would you like to live on an island that is being split by a few centimeters every year?  Another interesting fact, ThingVellir is also the site of the world’s first parliament.

We keep looking at the sites and it dawns again “I REALLY REALLY have to use the restroom” (emphasis on REALLY).  For men it’s considerably easier to use the restroom, you find a corner or a bush and you aim and fire.  Women, being classier and more refined than men, use the great invention called the toilet.  One problem, we are in the middle of a colossal national park with the nearest restroom being a 20 minute walk.  Being the smartest woman in the universe, she stalls me to let the group walk ahead and finds a quaint spot in the park; it’s called the Mid-Atlantic Trench.  I kid you not, she literally took a dump where the earth cracks (pause for laughter, I still laugh when I think about it).  I don’t want to alarm the environmentalists since it’s widely known that manure is great for the soil.

Iceland Travel Advice: Try to use the restroom even if you don’t have to because in Iceland you are going to do A LOT of driving.

Check out our top 5 section for more Iceland sightseeing and things to do around the world

We waited and waited for Icelandic geyser to blow and it finally did.   It is the geyser hot springs on the Golden Circle Tour.  You will hear some Icelandic as the tour guide Gummi, says some words on the video (not a language I will be trying to learn anytime soon). Enjoy

The things to do in Iceland are mostly visited by Europeans instead of Americans & Australians.  Iceland is a phenomenon that occurs nowhere else in the world.  The island sits on top of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates causing a massive amount of geological activity: volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and geysers all part of the daily Icelandic life.  We were able to see the mid Atlantic Ridge on the golden circle tour.

Many people have never considered visiting Iceland, especially Americans.  After Iceland’s financial crisis, the Icelandic currency (the Kronar) has taken a severe hit giving providing great deals to the budget traveller.  Here are the top 5 things to do in Iceland:

THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

The Northern Lights

 A spectacle that can only be witnessed in the winter months, be sure to arrive between the months of March and September (those two months are actually best).  There is nothing in the world like it, definitely a must see in your lifetime.  This is an one of the Iceland sightseeing activities that only occurs in two places in the world (Alaska and Iceland)

REYKJAVIK:

The largest city in Iceland hosts 2/3 of the country’s entire population.  Culturally unique to any place in the world; parties last for hours into the night, the people and surroundings make it feel cozy and quaint, great museums and arts district, and an opportunity to sample whale and to indulge in some disgusting sea creatures.  Once you visit you will certainly want to return for more disgusting sea creatures.

THE BLUE LAGOON

Picture of the Blue Lagoon

One of Iceland’s most popular things to do, the blue lagoon is a geothermal pool that feeds off Earth’s natural forces from 6,500 below the ground.  It’s a pricey attraction but worth every single penny.  You have the opportunity to bathe in a massive heated pool thats heated naturally, get massaged by a powerful waterfall, clenase your face with the mineral rich silica mud (and learn the best “silica removal technique” after bathing).

GLACIERS

Picture of the Hveravellir Glacier in Iceland

You can walk on glaciers, see glacier pools, climb underneath glaciers, trek them,  whatch the ice change color when you… (sorry didn’t mean to say that one out loud).  The most popular are Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and Jokulfirdir Glacier Fjord.  Many tour operators even take you to the retreating glaciers around Iceland as well.  This is one of the Iceland activities that you will rarely experience anywhere else in the world.

Spectacular Natural Beauty

You have water in all its forms; ice, geysers, and ravenous waterfalls. Click here for a video of me surfing in Iceland.  The terrain of lava fields will engulf your imagination.  You are also able to see the splitting of two continents as the Mid-Atlantic trench is ripping the island of Iceland apart.

Being part of Europe, it’s extremely easy to get around Iceland.  Public transportation is available and everything is within walking distance.  The locals speak fluent English (not the “I kinda understand but not really English”) so you are even able to engage in local culture.

Check out our Top 5 section for more things to do Iceland and around the world!