A few minutes before we arrived in Grindavík, you might have noticed the high steam coming from the power plant at Svartsengi. This will be our next destination, where we will stop for two hours. During our visit, you can either ask me questions, or just enjoy the relaxing waters.

Surrounded by móberg hills and craters in a rough, partially moss-covered lava flow in one of the most active geothermal areas of the Reykjanes peninsula (Svartsengi), is the Blue Lagoon.

The lagoon originally was waste water from the power plant, expected to disappear into the permeable lava field, but the sedimentation gradually made the coarse lava field watertight, and the lagoon expanded. 

The geothermal heat in the area near Svartsengi has been harnessed and is used for domestic heating in the towns on the Reykjanes peninsula as well as providing electricity to the area.

In the year 1981 some psoriasis patients made experiments with bathing in the lagoon, and found out the baths seemed to give a temporary cure. It had been known from elsewhere that sulphur-rich water has curing effects on skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema, and the curing effect led to further investigations and experiments with bathing in the lagoon. In 1999, a clinic was built and has since then become the world-known Blue Lagoon.