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Overcoming Jetlag At The Blue Lagoon

Overcoming Jetlag At The Blue Lagoon

A 5-hour flight from New York to Reykjavik generally shouldn’t result in too much jetlag. But when that flight leaves at 10pm and you arrive at your next destination in sunlight thinking it’s still 3am, it severely messes with your body clock.

So what’s the best way to overcome this jetlag?

Sunlight? Coffee? Medication?

The answer is none of the above. When you’re in Iceland, we were told that there’s one heavenly cure for jetlag and that’s a dip in the Blue Lagoon!

The Blue Lagoon Iceland

The Blue Lagoon Iceland

For those who haven’t heard of the Blue Lagoon, it is a world-famous geothermal spa located in southwestern Iceland approximately halfway between Keflavik Airport and the city of Reykjavik. As the Blue Lagoon’s website describes:

A visit to the spa promotes harmony between body, mind and spirit, and enables one to soak away the stresses of modern life. The spa’s guests rekindle their relationship with nature, soak up the scenic beauty and enjoy breathing the clean, fresh air.

In simpler terms, it’s exactly what we needed to rejuvenate ourselves and get rid of this annoying jetlag. Despite 11 hours of sleep the night before, we’re still feeling exhausted as we arrive at the Blue Lagoon in the early afternoon.

The Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon

After receiving our wristbands which are used to lock our lockers and pay for drinks/food while in the lagoon, we head straight for the change rooms and are unexpectedly greeted with our first European communal shower experience (but that’s a whole other story!). Iceland has strict hygienic codes and visitors are required to shower without swimwear before entering the water – we hesitate briefly before adhering to instructions, eventually meeting each other at the entrance to the lagoon.

There are two ways you can enter the water – either via outside or through a tunnel from the inside so you don’t need to face the cold weather. We decided to brave the cold and quickly rushed through the doors and into the freezing Icelandic winds. It didn’t take much longer before we were in the 100 degree water – a total relief after just a few seconds exposed to the elements.

Tunnel into The Blue Lagoon

The tunnel into The Blue Lagoon

We felt instantly relaxed! The water was warm and calming – but it wasn’t as warm as we were expecting so we spent the first few minutes searching for the hottest parts of the Blue Lagoon. The two of us discovered that these areas were near the wooden boxes that delivered the hot water into the lagoon through vents – so if you’re like us and want the water a little warmer, head straight for these boxes.

Now that we had warmed up and felt at ease, we decided to wade over to the silica mud boxes and give ourselves a silica mud mask. These are the signature element of the Blue Lagoon and provide the skin with a deep cleanse and exfoliation.

Amy relaxing in the Blue Lagoon

Amy relaxing in the Blue Lagoon with her silica mud mask

These face masks were to be left on for 5-10 minutes and then rinsed off thoroughly. After this process was complete, our skin definitely felt revitalized! But we must warn you: do not get silica in your hair – it’s a nightmare to wash out so be very careful of your hairline while applying the mud.

Kieron with a Silica Mud mask

Kieron with a silica mud mask

After nearly 2 hours in the water, it was time to take a break from The Blue Lagoon so we went inside to grab a quick bite to eat – the skyr smoothies at the lagoon are delicious! We weren’t done yet though and went back into the water for another hour or so before calling it a day.

Before we left The Blue Lagoon, we went up to the viewing platform just after the sun had set and took this stunning photograph!

Blue Lagoon Panorama

Blue Lagoon Panorama

As we headed back to Reykjavik on the bus, our energy levels had definitely increased and we felt more mentally alert! Success! The Blue Lagoon was the perfect cure for our jetlag.

Bring on the next week of adventures in Iceland!

The Blue Lagoon is open year-round (including Christmas) and the entry fee for adults is 30 Euros. Iceland Excursions offers return transfers to the Blue Lagoon from Reykjavik for 3,700 ISK per person (approximately $31USD) and the drive takes about 50 minutes one way.

A huge thanks to Súsanna from ICELANDisHOT for organizing our time at The Blue Lagoon and our transfers with Iceland Excursions. As always, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

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