Day 1 - Blue Lagoon

I arrived in Iceland past 1 AM, with no phone service and only 1 out of my 2 pieces of luggage. It was pitch black outside and pouring rain. Everything in the airport was closed until morning except for a 24-hr convenience food kiosk. There were many airport sleepers, all of whom had already settled into their spots for the night, laying on benches and propped up against walls. My flight was supposed to have arrived 12 hours ago. I would have taken the airport shuttle back to the guesthouse, where I would have gratefully relaxed until my family arrived at 4 AM the next day. But my departure from Milan to London was delayed nearly 2 hours because of bad weather in London, leaving all the connecting travelers behind when the London to Keflavik flight took off on time after the weather improved. Luckily I made it on to the next flight 8+ hours later to Keflavik, where I learned that my checked bag was still floating around somewhere in Heathrow. Spectacular. I ended up waiting out the few hours in the airport until my family arrived, to their surprise, to find me in the airport sleep-deprived as ever.

A short drive from the airport brought us to the iconic Blue Lagoon, a much-needed, leisurely start to our Iceland adventures. This geothermal spa is one of the most recognizable destinations in Iceland, and while I wouldn’t expect it to be anything more than it is (a giant manmade bath), it’s still a luxurious and unique experience. The Blue Lagoon has a resort-like feel. Besides the lagoon itself, there’s accommodation, fancy restaurants, cafes, etc. You can even apply a mud mask while you’re in the water or order drinks from the in-water bar.

How to get there

The Blue Lagoon is NOT located in Reykjavik. It’s actually located closer to the airport, and not in any city. That’s why it’s usually best to visit at the beginning or end of your trip when you’re en route to/from the airport. We had a rental car for our time in Iceland which made it easy to get around.

Tips for visiting

Pre-booking is required! We made a reservation for the first slot of the day, 8 AM, to avoid crowds.

Bring swimsuits for the lagoon. Shower stuffs like shampoo, soap, towels, hair dryers, etc. are provided as you need to shower before entering the lagoon. The shower rooms have lockers for you to store your things.

Don’t submerge your hair in the water. The water is good for your skin but not your hair. For some reason I thought that the water was supposed to be good for your hair too. Now I know the meaning of “blue lagoon hair”.

In December, sunrise in Iceland is after 11 AM and sunset before 4 PM. The sun skims the horizon for most of the day because of Iceland’s extreme latitude. This makes golden hour and blue hour (the best lighting of the day) super long. The lagoon was otherworldy and beautiful in the darkness. Steam rose from the milky blue lagoon, lit only by the glow of lanterns. Even though the air was freezing, once we were in the lagoon the steam from the heated water was enough to keep our heads above the water warm.

The farthest point on our road trip was Höfn, so each day we drove in the southeast direction, planning just enough activities to see on the way before it got dark. Most of Iceland is undeveloped, so accommodation is limited. Accommodations often aren’t located in cities, but randomly appear along long expanses of road, or in small clusters dotting the desolate countryside. Even so, the guesthouses and Airbnbs we stayed at were super well-kept and cozy.

Our destination for Day 1 in Iceland was Ölfus (we stayed at this lovely Airbnb for 2 nights). Along the way, we made detours to Lake Kleifarvatn and the Seltún geothermal area. You can pretty much expect any segment of driving in Iceland to be incredibly scenic.