Iceland - The Old Blue Lagoon

11th April 2009

Back to 2003 and a short off-season visit to Iceland. I love Iceland, a magnificent landscape shaped by recent volcanic eruptions and mainly unspoiled due to a very small population, mostly located in and around Reykjavik.

One of the premier tourist sites in Iceland is the 'Blue Lagoon' which is located in a lava field near Grindavik, not far from the Keflavik International airport. The Blue Lagoon is billed as a large geothermal spa pool but in reality is formed from the effluent water from a nearby Svatsengi geothermal power plant. The water is vented from the ground near a lava flow, used to generate electricity and municipal hot water, then vented into the Blue Lagoon. The contact with the lava flow turns the water a translucent blue colour, also gives it a very distinctive sulphurous smell. The modern Blue Lagoon is an impressive place to visit and bathe and dine (and very expensive!) and I think was opened sometime around 2000.

Before the new site was opened the Blue Lagoon was located much closer to the power plant. Fans of Jeremy Clarkson will remember his 'Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld' episode set in Iceland which was part filmed from the old Blue Lagoon before it was closed. Bathing there was a fantastic experience with steam roaring into the air from multiple large steel chimneys just behind the pool area. Bathing was fun too, nice and warm by the decks but get too near the power plant and you felt you were being cooked like a lobster!

Back in 2001 and then 2003 I was curious what had happened to the old bathing site so did a couple of quick 'explores' with the added advantage of being unable to understand Icelandic 'Keep Out' signs. The old Blue Lagoon was still there in front of the roaring steam vents but the buildings were locked and being used for storage; the pool had been drained and was being filled in with what looked like pumice stones. The deck that we had bathed from during our first visit in 1993 was still there and in some ways it was like they just locked the doors and left. Which, of course is exactly what they did.

Fast forward to 2009, the site is now covered by an extension of the geothermal plant and there are no remains of the old Blue Lagoon to be seen. Iceland was right to relocate the lagoon and build a 21st Century complex, however a shame as well, this was a reminder of the old Iceland we loved - a rather innocent backwater before it became a popular tourist destination.

A view overlooking the Svatsengi geothermal power plant. The new Blue Lagoon is located just off-photo on the L/H side. 2003 1024x768	A view overlooking the Svatsengi geothermal power plant. The old buildings are just visible behind the plant. 2003 1024x768	Part of the old buildings and the car park. 1024x768	Welcome to the Blue Lagoon! This was in 2003 and I was surprised that the sign had not been removed. 1024x768
The deck and shower area. 2003 1024x768	A view of the decking and the showers. Photo taken 2003. 1024x768	Taken in 2003, the lagoon had been completely drained and part filled in. Compare this was the photo of me ten years earlier. 1024x768	Also taken in 2003 and another view of the drained lagoon. Compare this with the photo with my wife in from 1993. 1024x768
His and Hers showers. You had to shower before entering the lagoon, then again afterwards. Large diagrams showed which parts of your body to wash! 2003 1024x768	My favourite photo from 2003, the decking is still there but no water! 1024x768	Abandoned deck and fence, no lagoon. 2003 1024x768	Again 2003, this had been the exit from the gift shop. Those information sheets were over three years old. 1024x768
Taken in 2001, the lagoon was slowly being drained and the water was no longer blue. 1024x743	This is me at the original Blue Lagoon in October 1993. The gritty industrial backdrop was part of the appeal of the place. 1024x751	This photo taken in 2001 compares well with the photos I took two years later. 1024x740	Taken in 1993 this shows my wife in the Blue Lagoon. The noise from those steam chimneys was pretty loud. 1024x727