Iceland is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. Oliver thought it would be a symbolic place to end our year in Europe on our way back home in North America. The distance between the plates is now 7 km wide and is growing 2 cm each year. Being on the fault line produces exciting geothermal activity, including hot springs. Much of the electricity in Iceland is created using this geothermal energy. Hot water is pumped from the springs to communities to provide heat and hot water for home.
They also make great pools to relax in. We visited several. The most famous and closest to the airport (also the most touristy) is the Blue Lagoon.
Thanks to Covid-19 and all of the travel restrictions, the pools were not too crowded and most of the visitors were locals. The water is an amazing light blue color, due to the high silica content. You are also treated to a silica face mask, which is supposed to be cleansing for the skin. Unfortunately, it is incredibly drying to your hair. They recommend leaving conditioner in your hair while you are in the lagoon, but even doing that, your hair feels like straw afterwards.
It was a nice place to spend our anniversary.
The Secret Lagoon, is the oldest swimming pool in Iceland.
Lake Myvatn Nature Baths is very similar to Blue Lagoon. These baths do not have the silica, however, and leave your skin feeling quite smooth.
Besides the water temperature, hanging out at pools in Iceland is different from pools back home. Life guards are not dressed in swimsuits. They have pants, jackets and often hats. Sometimes they even sit inside a booth.
Also quite noticeable was the absence of the loud playfulness I’m used to in the States; in contrast, the children are calm and mellow. There is no splashing around. People mostly just cluster together and talk.
We wished we had more time for more hot springs, especially the more natural ones, something to leave for another trip I guess.
Some of the hot springs are not places you’d want to take a dip however. Hverir is a desolate landscape that looks like something you might find on Mars, with the addition of bubbling, steaming pools of mud.
The geothermal activity also makes for exciting geysers.
Geysir is a site of several geysers. The most exciting one is Strokkur. It goes off every 6-10 minutes (unlike America’s Old Faithful which goes off every 80-100 minutes). Nearby is another one called Geysir, which only goes off every few years based on tectonic activity.
Next up: Ice in Iceland!
Adrift in Andalucía 