Iceland ‘95 (Part 1) – The Blue Lagoon Tour

Here we have the first post of four that will have my photos and ramblings from a great trip to Iceland in 1995.

Part one is the result of a day spent on The Blue Lagoon Tour with Reykjavík Excursions.

Bessastaðir

This tour takes in a lot of different sights through the day, the first of which is not far from Reykjavík. Bessastaðir is the official residence of Iceland’s president and next door to it is a small church with some beautiful stained glass windows.

Kleifarvatn

The bus then continues through the lava fields with a brief stop to take in the black beaches of Kleifarvatn lake before going on to the geothermal fields at Krísuvík.

Krísuvík

The first thing you are aware of at Krísuvík is the overpowering smell of sulphur. The steam emerges from the ground loaded with it and the whole area has a bit of a stink (but don’t let that put you off – it’s a fascinating area to visit). There are blowing steamholes and boiling mud pools all over the place. The most prominent steamhole is continually blowing steam to about 20 feet and you get to walk right past it. That is the good thing about so many places in Iceland – you can get right up close. There is also a small steaming stream flows through the area which has left multi-coloured mineral deposits where it runs.

The Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon, Bláa lónið, is probably the most amazing thing I have visited, ever. If you visit Iceland, DO NOT leave without going for a swim there! Again there is a sulphorous smell upon arrival but not quite as bad as at Krisuvík. The small main building houses the changing rooms, a small cafe and a gift shop. Bathing costumes and towels are available for hire, so you can’t use that as an excuse. In the changing rooms there were a number of notices about having a shower before entering the lagoon. This was the first time I’d encountered this but, when in Rome… By the time we got out to the lagoon (bearing in mind it was mid-September), we were very cold, very very cold. Formed by natural runoff water from the Svartsengi power plant, which looms in the background, the lagoon is deep blue and slightly steaming, promising some much needed warmth. The first few steps were a bit cautious but after that you just want to get in as far as possible. You have to watch your step as the bottom is all rock but it’s just a case of taking it easy. There are areas marked for bathing and it’s not recommended to go beyond these unless you are a strong swimmer, so there was no chance of me going there! The water has a high salt content making it very easy to stay afloat and all the minerals present are also said to help with a variety of dermatological problems. Once you’ve finished your swim, you can take a wander through the further reaches of the lagoon which, with all its silica clay deposits, has a vaguely lunar appearance (although I’ve never been to the moon so I’m just guessing).
In conclusion – The Blue Lagoon….GO THERE!!!