It’s been a while since our last trip, so…let’s go to Iceland.
We didn’t have a lot of time to plan this trip. When I heard “basically everyone in Iceland speaks English”, it was good enough for me. How very “American” of me. Not only do they speak English, it’s mandatory in schools so everyone is fluent (probably more so than many Americans).
Arriving in Iceland and the Blue Lagoon
Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived to Reykjavik as the Icelanders were very helpful as soon as we got off of the plane giving us directions to the bus and even ordering a quick bite to eat at the airport when we arrived.
Landing in Keflavik
It was odd landing in Iceland. The landscape near the airport looks like a wasteland. I heard it described as a moonscape. It’s just rocks and moss for miles.
Customs is not nearly as involved in Iceland compared to the United States. We were off the plane and out of the airport in about 15 minutes. So we had a little time to get breakfast: a slice of breakfast pizza and a hot dog. Once again, how American!
We arrived in Reykjavik around 6:30 in the morning. The airport is Keflavik and it’s not exactly next door to the city. It’s actually closer to drive directly from the airport to the Blue Lagoon. We had arranged for a bus ride to the Blue Lagoon at 8:30.
The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is very close to the airport, so the tourism industry has made it a first stop directly from the airport. This is exactly what we did. The lagoon is a natural hot spring that has been developed and turned into a small hot spring water park.
We had just made an overnight flight, so we were tired. However after seeing the crowds later in the day, it is totally worth getting there early (even after a late flight). Also, book in advance.
We booked the mid-level package which at the time included one free drink, a towel, a mineral face mask treatment which uses the minerals from the spring, and unlimited access to the lagoon for the day.
I also recommend bringing sunglasses since the light blue water reflects the sunlight and will wear down your eyes. I did not have sunglasses and I wound up squinting for most of the day. This coincidentally gave me sunburn wrinkles which I suppose defeats the purpose of the mineral mask.
Next up we will be touring some more popular areas in Iceland. Stay tuned.
