Indulge in a weekend at the Blue Lagoon for a mindfulness spa experience with a twist. Unquestionably a bucket list destination given the rare chance to see the Northern Lights if you time the trip right.
A few years ago, one March I decided to tick off a dream location and take a weekend break in Iceland. Catching a flight after work on Friday I touched down in Rekjavik late evening. Upon arrival at the Silica Hotel part of the world renowned Blue Lagoon resort, the receptionist asked if I would like to be notified each night if the Aurora Borealis made an appearance. Expecting to be waken at some unearthly hour in the morning, I was delighted that within 30mins of checking in, the phone in my room rang with the welcome advice that I might like to go outside - NOW.
Luck was definitely on my side that weekend as I know friends who have come back from Iceland without seeing even a glimmer.
For the time the Aurora Borealis is visible, the sky is a constantly changing work of art. From full takeovers, as if a UFO is landing, to rolling shafts of light. The whole experience is mesmerising, and the only thing that stops the show is either your own tiredness, or the cold setting into your toes.
Choosing the best compositions once home is the hard part. But for me, the shots below are my favourites. The sharpness and brightness of the stars, backlit in green.
I got my husband to stand in the frame for my first shots of the Northern Lights. He held a mobile phone light and it helped give me something to focus my camera on in the relative pitch black. This is one of the very rare times I have my camera in full manual mode as there’s so much that can go wrong! Using the 3sec timer stoped any camera shake from squeezing the shutter release and submerging the tripod in the rocks and packing it with snow,to balance it. This was a 5 sec exposure, using my 24-105mm lens on f/4.0. Exposing for 1000 iso. Lights from the hotel reception caused the snow in the foreground to overexpose, So I moved further afield for the rest of the night.
I'm not a big fan of landing at an airport and transfering to a hotel under darkness. I love to see the journey unfold, the landscapes change and get a sense of place of the destination I'm arriving at. So on waking the next morning, this was the first opportunity see the full extent of the landscape around the hotel and it didn't disappoint.
The food choices in Iceland were so fresh, with unadulterated pure and simple ingredients. A smorgasbord of delights at breakfast, savoured with the most amazing views of volcanic lava rock, on which the hotel is built. I took dinner at a local restaurant called Salthúsið where I ordered a serving of perfectly steamed crayfish.
Whilst the Northern Lights are a bonus, the main reason for the trip was to experience the healing waters of the Blue Lagoon. Described on their website as a subterranean spa. A universe of radiant wellbeing and otherworldly vistas.
I can't disagree and understand why it was chosen in 2012 as one of National Geographic’s 25 Wonders of the World
The water is enriched with silica, algae, and minerals, and looks so blue, due to the way the silica reflects only the blue wavelengths of the natural sunlight.
In the distance you see steam coming from the nearby Svartsengi Resource Park, a geothermal power plant. In the 1980's when excavation to build the plant took place, the engineers expected the water that collected in these lava fields would seep back into the ground. But the high concentration of silica prevented the drainage and this beautiful body of steaming water took shape. In 1995 the healing, nourishing benefits of geothermal seawater were confirmed and a spa resort was born.
Whilst the lagoon is every bit as stunning as you imagine, two things shattered the magic.
You have to book a time slot to attend, and on arrival the set up is more like the local council swimming pools I remember going to as a child, queuing to enter and finding lockers. Forget the aesthetics of 5* oriental spas. This is a functional reception and changing area for the masses. As you would expect due to it's reputation, the Blue Lagoon is extremely busy, but bizarrely the lagoon attracted a lot of all male groups, caked in silica face masks, drinking from the swim up bar, and being rather loud.
In contrast, the Silica Hotel where I stayed, is just a short and beautiful walk from the main public lagoons, and met all my expectations of the restorative weekend I had longed for,
It's own private indoor and outdoor pools for residents, which were totally empty. The waters blue, steam rising against a more inspiring backdrop. Waterfalls and unspoilt sunsets.
If I was to return - I'd skip the Blue Lagoon, and stay in the waters of the Silica for the whole weekend.
Whilst flying home is usually the low point of any trip, the views from the windows of the aircraft departing this magical country, left a lasting impression. Iceland is very much a country I want to return to, next time for longer, to have a chance to explore much more of the landscape, waterfalls, nature, and food.
Behind the scenes
