Review of The Blue Lagoon / Bláa Loní∂

What's the first thing you think of about Iceland? 

Ok... After Björk?  

Is it this?

This is the Blue Lagoon. 

Originally a waste run-off pool created by a geothermal energy power plant, it was discovered to have healing properties and built into a full-scale spa destination. Just think of it as a a better-for-you, upscale East River. 

When planning to go, I would recommend hitting it up either on your way in or way out of town. It was very convenient to catch a bus from the city center of Reykjavik, head to the Lagoon, spend a few hours there and then proceed to Keflavik airport, or vice-versa. 

A few highlights of my Blue Lagoon experience are:

Exclusive Lounge

Picture thanks to NYCFlyer75

If you plan to hit up the Blue Lagoon, you have the option to go for the Exclusive Lounge or go with the general public area. Yes, the lounge price is a bit steep, but it all comes down to the experience you want while you're there. 
Do you want an Equinox experience or a New York Sports Club experience?

The lounge comes with private rooms, drinks, fruit, private lounge and, most importantly on those many snowy, cold Icelandic days, a private enclosed entrance to the Blue Lagoon. You will find no more than 12 couples to make it even more exclusive. Also, it comes with an attendant who will take care of any issues/questions/spa & restaurant reservations you may have. While I was there, Omar(seen right) was my attendant. He was very friendly, funny and helpful. 


Lava
After spending several hours in the warm water of the lagoon, you will definitely work up an appetite. It seemed most people decided to go for the Blue Café. This reminded me of a quick food kiosk you'll find at La Guardia or JFK. I would highly recommend taking a bit longer and hitting up Lava, the full-service restaurant. I went for the sushi platter. I've never had such great tasting sushi. It was amazing. 




Silica Massage for Back
I opted to go for another splurge and scheduled a Silica Massage for Back while I was there. I greeted the masseuse and she led me to a separate section of the lagoon and had me lie on a floating rubber mat. It was a nice massage although interesting to have part of your body in the warm water and the other part exposed to the cold, arctic weather. I definitely enjoyed the massage but can't say that it stood out from any other ones I've received. With the Euro coming close to USD, I'd probably skip this the next time around. 

To sum things up, I highly recommend experiencing the Blue Lagoon. Just remember, it is a tourist destination and you are a captive audience so things will be expensive; you'll get what you pay for. 

For this excursion, save up, and splurge on the exclusive lounge and meal at Lava.