On the way out of Iceland, almost everyone stops by the Blue Lagoon. The only reason not to stop before heading to the airport is if your flight is early in the morning or late at night. There are airport buses that run from Reykjavik to the Blue Lagoon and then return to Keflavik airport.
The only problem I found was that the last bus to the airport got me there much earlier than I needed — I had a couple extra hours to sit in the Keflavik airport. And because I couldn’t miss the bus, I had to get out of the warm therapeutic waters of the Blue Lagoon rather early.
Nestled among volcanic rock that gives the terrain an extraterrestrial appearance, the man-made, mineral-rich Blue Lagoon greets visitors with an aroma of sulfur (though after a week in Iceland, one grows almost accustomed to the smell). The sky was bright to send me home — and I was happy the rain had disappeared so I could enjoy the geothermal pool a little more.
After a brief introduction to the spa, everyone was given an electronic wristband that would lock and open the lockers and work as a bar tab — upon exiting the spa, you scan the wristband and pay the tab. Because I stayed at the Reykjavik City Hostel, I brought a towel with me (I also brought it to possibly go to a public pool) that was useful at Blue Lagoon — I didn’t have to rent a towel. However, it would’ve been nice to rent a bathrobe for when running between the warmth of the building and the pool — it was really cold for those few feet in between.
That wristband was also used for the swim-up bar. That’s right, you could enjoy a beer, some wine, or just some healthy fruit juice while floating in the geothermal pool. Of course, after a week of sampling Icelandic beer, I just wanted to soak and recuperate, which is the best idea before flying and suffering jetlag.
For travelers who haven’t gone broke from the high cost of food in Iceland, there’s a nice restaurant at the Blue Lagoon. For the rest of us, there’s a cafeteria that looks out into the pool.
Even though I wasn’t there as long as I would have liked, it was a great send off from Iceland. I was much more relaxed on my flight home and even slept a bit more than usual.
