The Blue lagoon

The world wide known Blue lagoon in Reykjanes peninsula.

The most popular tourist attraction in Iceland is the world famous Blue lagoon.

It was in the 1970’s that drilling for hot water started in the Svartsengi area close to the mountain Þorbjörn. In 1976 the first houses in Grindavík were heated up with hot water from the newly built power plant in Svartsengi and at the same time the beginning of what we know as the Blue lagoon started. After using the hot water from the depth of several hundred meters up to 2000 meters, the water was pumped out to the lava fields. Because of the minerals and silica mud the lava fields were soon covered with the stuff and the lagoon started to form.

Not long after the local people started to bathe in the hot water and soon people who suffered with skin diseases like psoriasis felt better after bathing in the milk like water. At that time there were o facilities just like in many other places in Iceland where people take a bath in natural pools. In 1984-5 small simple cabins were built in the area to make it easier for people to change clothes and the blue lagoon company was founded in 1992 and the facilities as we know them today were built in 1999.

The Blue lagoon is open 365 days a year and several different types of admission packages can be bought.

Only about 10 km from the Blue lagoon is Fagradalsfjall, now famous for the volcanic eruption that started on March 19th. 2021 in Geldingadalir. The eruption is not threatening the Blue lagoon or any other constructions, as it is in the mountains and far enough.

 

Location.

On Reykjanes peninsula on road no. 426, Between the national airport in Keflavik (24 km / 15 mi) and Grindavík (6 km / 3,7 mi)

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