Atlas · Springs · Iceland · Developed Resort
Blue Lagoon
Developed Resort

Blue Lagoon

Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland

Opaque blue-white water in a field of black lava. Nothing else looks like this.

The Blue Lagoon's signature color — a milky, luminous blue-white — comes from silica nanoparticles suspended in the geothermal water, scattering light the same way Earth's atmosphere makes the sky blue. The water itself is a byproduct of the Svartsengi power plant, which extracts geothermal energy from deep in the earth and discharges the mineral-rich water into the lava field. The silica and sulfur concentrations have documented therapeutic effects on psoriasis and eczema.

  • 8 m
  • Showers
  • Private changing room
  • Wheelchair access

Pools & saunas

Waters & pools

  • Silica
  • 1 pools
  • 37–39°C
cold37–39°Cscalding
Visit official site

Worth knowing

  • Silica nanoparticles scatter light to produce the opaque blue-white color

  • Water temperature maintained at a constant 37–39°C year-round

  • The most photographed geothermal pool on earth

An insider's tip

The 7am slot has the most dramatic steam in cold morning air. Bring a hair tie — silica tangles and dries hair badly.

Don't leave without

Apply the white silica mud mask from the in-water dispensers. Leave it for 15 minutes. Your skin will be noticeably different afterward.

In brief

Location
Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland
Type
Developed Resort
Temperature
37–41°C
Access
Drive-up
Elevation
8 m
Entry
Paid / ticketed
Soakable
Yes
Hours
Jan 1-May 25 08:00-22:00; May 26-Jun 29 07:00-23:00; Jun 30-Aug 20 07:00-00:00; Aug 21-Oct 1 08:00-22:00; Oct 2-Dec 31 08:00-20:00

In the water

SilicaSulfurAlgae (Lyngbya)

Best season

October – March for steam drama; June – August for midnight sun

On the map

63.8800°N · 22.4481°W

More to soak in Iceland All Springs

Same type

More Developed Resorts

Grutas de Tolantongo
Developed Resort

Hidalgo, Mexico

Grutas de Tolantongo

Turquoise thermal rivers through limestone caves. One of the most visually extraordinary springs anywhere.

42°C 900 m Calcium carbonate
The Springs Resort — Mother Spring
Developed Resort

Pagosa Springs, Colorado, United States

The Springs Resort — Mother Spring

The deepest geothermal hot spring on earth. Over 1,000 feet deep. 50+ pools on the San Juan River.

90°C 2,172 m Sodium
Termas Geométricas
Developed Resort

Villarrica, Los Ríos, Chile

Termas Geométricas

Twenty pools in a red-boarded gorge in the Andes. The most beautiful thermal bath design in South America.

40°C 640 m Sulfur